Requirements for Evaluating Traffic Signal Control Impacts on Energy and Emissions Based on Instantaneous Speed and Acceleration Measurements

The evaluation of many transportation network improvements commonly is conducted by first estimating average speeds from a transportation or traffic model and then converting these average speeds into emission estimates based on an environmental model such as MOBILE. Unfortunately, recent research has shown that certainly average speed and perhaps even simple estimates of the amount of delay and the number of stops on a link are insufficient measures to fully capture the impact of intelligent transportation system strategies such as traffic signal coordination. In an attempt to address this limitation, the application of a series of multivariate fuel consumption and emission prediction models is illustrated, both within a traffic simulation model of a signalized arterial and directly to instantaneous speed and acceleration data from floating cars traveling down a similar signalized arterial. The application of these multivariate relationships is illustrated for eight light-duty vehicles, ranging in size from subcompacts to minivans and sport-utilities using data obtained from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The objective is to illustrate that the application of these instantaneous models is both feasible and practical and that it produces results that are reasonable in terms of both their absolute magnitude and their relative trends. This research is one step in a more comprehensive modeling framework for dealing with the impacts of intelligent transportation systems on energy consumption and vehicle emissions. Other steps include analyses of traffic diversion and induced demand and validation of the estimated fuel consumption and emissions using direct on-road measurements.