Incorporating pollution inhalation and energy expenditure into network analysis for active transportation

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Many cities in Canada have programs and policies to increase active transportation (walking and bicycling), justified by expected environmental, public health and livability benefits. Although pedestrians and bicyclists benefit from an increase in physical activity, there are also added risks from air pollution inhalation. Differences in energy expenditure and pollution inhalation among travel modes are recognized, but knowledge gaps impede assessment of differences within active travel modes and the effects of transportation network characteristics. Consequently, current planning and design guidelines for active transportation lack quantitative information about how to mitigate pollution risks. The long-term objective of this research program is to develop strategic guidance and tools to plan, design, and manage urban transportation systems in Canada that support community and economic vitality while minimizing a broad range of resource costs. The five-year research plan in the proposal builds towards this long-term objective with a general goal of enabling more comprehensive planning and design of active transportation networks. Our three short-term research objectives are to 1) investigate the physical characteristics and preferences of urban active travellers, 2) quantify effects of the transportation network on energy expenditure and pollution inhalation, including variations in travel speed and breathing rate, and 3) develop and apply multi-criteria route and network analysis tools that integrate pollution inhalation and energy expenditure with other travel costs (time, crash risk, noise, comfort, etc.). This will be the first research to consider the dynamics of energy expenditure and breathing rate along with the route and speed choices of active travellers. Transportation engineers and planners will be able to use the outcomes of this research to explicitly include pollution inhalation among other factors during project development and selection. This information is crucial to our long-range transportation goals, both to promote and to safely accommodate increased walking and bicycling in Canadian cities. We will contribute new knowledge about urban active travellers, and identify strategies for designing active travel routes that are comfortable, safe, and healthy. Broad dissemination of research results will also enable active travellers to make more informed travel choices.