The evaluation of air quality impacts of traffic on urban road networks

Air quality impacts of urban transportation policies and strategies are often assessed using modelling techniques based on traffic flow simulation and travel demand analysis tools. Such analytical methods have traditionally been aimed at estimating the overall mass of individual pollutants with an emphasis on gaseous emissions. Significantly less attention is usually given to the quantification of particle emissions. Extensive data relating to fine and ultra-fine airborne particle concentration levels and the corresponding contributing vehicles have been collected at two significantly different Brisbane sites. Analysis of the relationships between the data so far point to a strong correlation between traffic flow and meteorological variables and particle concentrations.