Publisher's Synopsis
An empirical model called the Traffic Air Quality Model (TAQ) was developed from meteorological and PM2.5 measurements adjacent to the Borman Expressway in Northwest Indiana to estimate PM2.5 road emissions. It concluded that on average a 74% improvement in air quality is expected (based on reduction of mass emitted per mile [g/mi]) when the average Borman speed range is improved from 50 mph. An additional 39% (on average) improvement in the PM_2.5 emissions on the Borman Expressway was found when traffic flow speeds increased from 55 mi/h to 75 mi/h. The TAQ model was found to perform well when tested against measured data from I-65 at Lebanon, IN and on I-465 on the southeast side of Indianapolis . This result suggests that traffic management to reduce queues and speeds of less than 30 mph can have a profound effect (74% improvement) on the improvement of PM 2.5 air quality adjacent to the expressway.
