Investigation of Vehicular Pollutant Emissions at 4-Arm Intersections for the Improvement of Integrated Actions in the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs)

Abstract

Sustainable urban mobility planning is a strategic and integrated approach that aims to effectively address the complexities of urban transportation. Additionally, vehicle emissions are still a significant problem found in cities. Its greatest concentration involves intersections, as they have the highest number of stop-and-go operations, resulting in the highest engine load. Although electrification of vehicles is underway, the coming years and the energy crisis may cause the full transformation and fulfillment of the European Green Deal to be postponed. This state of affairs means that much effort should still go into possibly modifying the current infrastructure to make it more environmentally friendly. The article addresses the use of vertical road markings such as “stop”, “give way”, and also signal controllers signs, at four-arm X intersections. The modeling of intersection variants was carried out in the traffic microsimulation software VISSIM. The created model was calibrated according to real world data. The actual part of the work concerns the assumption of specific traffic flow scenarios, for which measurements of delay and emissions of harmful exhaust components such as NOx and PM10 were made. The results obtained can have practical application in proposals for creating unequal intersections. Based on the results, it can be concluded that below the traffic volume value of 1200 vehicles/h, an intersection can be considered with a yield sign and stop sign for two directions of traffic. However, for traffic volumes from 1200 vehicles/h to 2000 vehicles/h, an intersection with stop signs can be used for all traffic directions. The results may also provide some information on the location of the crosswalks and the improvement of strategies to be introduced into the SUMPs.

Energy Modeling for Electric Vehicles Based on Real Driving Cycles: An Artificial Intelligence Approach for Microscale Analyses

“…Our simulation studies were conducted using Vissim 2024 software. PTV Vissim is a comprehensive traffic simulation software distinguished by its advanced microscopic traffic model [36]. Its uniqueness lies in its ability to accurately model individual vehicle behaviors, taking into account aspects such as lane changes, acceleration, and compliance with traffic signals [37,38].…”

“…Our simulation studies were conducted using Vissim 2024 software. PTV Vissim is a comprehensive traffic simulation software distinguished by its advanced microscopic traffic model [36]. Its uniqueness lies in its ability to accurately model individual vehicle This study involved modeling an existing roundabout to assess the energy consumption of vehicles at its entrances, exits, and while traveling along the circulatory road.…”

Quantifying Emissions in Vehicles Equipped with Energy-Saving Start-Stop Technology: THC and NOx Modeling Insights

“…From the perspective of urban transportation decision makers and traffic management professionals, having precise tools to simulate vehicle traffic and their operational parameters is crucial. This is particularly important in the context of environmental analysis of infrastructure projects, their validation, and planning for future mobility in cities [30,31]. To achieve this, specialized tools are used for simulating traffic, which can contribute to a comprehensive analysis of a given solution, such as in the context of ecology, along with tools for estimating vehicle exhaust emissions [32,33].…”

Urban Traffic Noise Analysis Using UAV-Based Array of Microphones

“…The results of this study showed that installing noise absorbents and barriers is highly recommended because it significantly reduces the influence of noise on nearby located environment. However, this solution solves neither the problem of chemical pollutants emissions nor the PM, also generated by traveling vehicles [ 27 ]. Of course, there are different effects on those segments of the population, according to the measures taken.…”