Evaluation of Bicyclists Exposure to Traffic-Related Air Pollution along Distinct Facility Types

Miguel Andres Figliozzi, Portland State University

Co-investigator:

  • James Pankow, Portland State University

Summary:

While bicyclists and other active travelers obtain health benefits from increased physical activity, they also risk an uptake of traffic-related air pollution. But pollution uptake by urban bicyclists is not well understood due to a lack of direct measurements and insufficient analysis of the determinants of exposure (particularly characteristics of the transportation system). This knowledge gap impedes pollution-conscious transportation planning, design, and health impact assessment. The research presented in this report generates new connections between transportation system characteristics and pollution exposure for bicyclists. The primary research questions are: 1) How does urban bicyclists’ exposure to air pollution vary with roadway and travel characteristics? and 2) To what extent can transportation-related strategies reduce exposure? These questions are addressed with an exhaustive review of the literature, an on-road data collection campaign, advanced statistical modeling of the empirical data, and synthesis of findings. Novel methods to collect and integrate bicycle, rider, traffic, and environmental data are introduced.

Project Details

Project Type:
Research
Project Status:
Completed
End Date:
June 30,2014
UTC Grant Cycle:
Tier 1 Round 1
UTC Funding:
$128,146
TRB RIP:
32177

Other Products

  • Pollution Uptake Measurements for Bicyclists in Portland (PRESENTATION)
  • • Bigazzi, A. and M. Figliozzi, “Review of Urban Bicyclists’ Intake and Uptake of Traffic-Related Air Pollution.” Transport Reviews, Vol. 34, pp. 221-245, 2014. (PUBLICATION)
  • Bicycle facilities and the uptake of air pollution by active travelers (PRESENTATION)
  • Measuring urban bicyclists’ uptake of traffic-related pollution (PRESENTATION)
  • Measuring urban bicyclists’ uptake of traffic-related volatile organic compounds using ambient and breath concentrations (PRESENTATION)
  • What we know about bicyclists' intake of traffic-related air pollution (PRESENTATION)
  • Bigazzi, A., M. Figliozzi, W. Luo, and J. Pankow, “Breath Biomarkers to Measure Uptake of Volatile Organic Compounds by Bicyclists” Environ Sci Technol. 2016 May 17;50(10):5357-63. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01159. Epub 2016 May 3. (PUBLICATION)