Overview
The CARBOTRAF project aims to realize a method, system and tools for adaptively influencing traffic in real-time to reduce carbon dioxide CO2and black carbon (BC) emissions caused by road transport in urban and inter-urban areas.
The inter-relationships between traffic states and CO2 and BC emissions will be investigated. In particular a model linking traffic states to emission levels will be established on the basis of existing and new simulation methods and tools.A decision support system for online prediction of emission levels will use real-time and simulated traffic and air-quality data. Based on this prediction a low emission traffic scenario will be achieved by imposing ITS measures (re-routing, adjustment of traffic light sequences).
The main goal of the project is the development, integration and evaluation of a real-time decision support system for adaptive traffic control and management. Real-time traffic information will be delivered by existing sensors and by a novel technology vision sensor, air quality sensors and additional data sources (e.g. weather conditions) enrich the data base to provide all relevant information in a unified fashion. Based on a data base of predefined traffic scenarios traffic control measures will be dynamically imposed. The impact of the measures on the overall CO2 - and BC emissions will be accounted for in the decision support system and will be assessed in the evaluation. Furthermore, the effects of reduced traffic on urban air pollutants (relevant for human health), with a special focus on BC as a pollutant, will also be considered, thus allowing to evaluate the value added of climate protection measures for the urban population.
The system will be implemented and tested in two EU cities (Graz,AT and Glasgow,UK).
This project brings together two important communities. The traffic community is represented by AIT, IBM, VITO, Osterreichisches Forschungs- und Prufzentrum Arsenal (OFPZ) and EBE-Solutions Austria with long standing experience in traffic monitoring, simulation, analysis and management. The air quality community is represented by Air Monitors UK, ETS, London Imperial College and again by VITO.
Main methodological elements:
- Create a proven concept involving sensors & technologies for CO2 and BC emissions reduction for urban traffic
- Investigate BC emission factors and integrate with traffic and air quality models
- Create and refine a traffic data sensor for sensing emission relevant traffic parameters
- Create a decision support system and tools with a catalogue of traffic scenarios to support traffic control centres towards adaptive traffic mamagement aimed at emission reduction
- Use the test sites in different European countries in order to evaluate the results independently
- Provide a handbook with recommendations for emission reduction strategies