Intelligent Traffic Environmental System (ITES-AIR)

Program description, ITES–AIR Program description, ITES–AIR The project aims at developing an innovative environmental network of metropolitans to optimise their traffic management for improving air quality in the city.

HOW DOES IT WORK? ITES–AIR HOW DOES IT WORK? ITES–AIR A plan of action should be developed in order to reduce air pollution and improve air quality in cities over the coming years. This will be developed from the results of aerosol particle air pollution measurements and air modelling of the city. The results and modelling will help create an optimal traffic management plan for different city areas and traffic parameters.

Management of prevention strategy Even more efficient changes can be achieved by appropriate reorganization of the traffic network and management system. The air pollution strongly correlates with a number of diseases of lung and heart, so the improvement of air quality leads to considerable decrease of health care expenses of the whole society.

Program description, The complex environmental network covering the whole city is due to integrate the results of air pollution measurements of different methods and the outputs of modelling and is to conclude in optimal traffic management measures for the various temporal and spatial parameters of traffic flow.

Main items… steps. 1. Air quality mapping, covering the complete main road network of the city and extended to the critical lots of agglomeration network, to assess the traffic related pollution 2. Assessment of current traffic counting methods and locations and, if needed, making suggestions for installment of new counting/measuring devices, for installing them in new locations and for amendments in applied methodology

Main items 3. Installation (including validation and continuous operation) of innovative aerosol measuring equipments in pre-selected critical locations of the city. The equipment is to provide complex on-line in-situ measurement of several parameters of air pollution 4. Sampling activities, the analysis of which leads to specifying the level, nature and origin of pollution

Main items 5. Processing the above data through a newly developed software; above pre-defined critical levels of air pollution it generates automatic messages to stakeholders offering them optimal interventions to change traffic management parameters for immediate reduction of concentration of pollution of road traffic origin. Such traffic management interventions may be extended to modify phasing of traffic lights and suggest optimal or alternative routes for drivers etc… 6. Establishment of data base and web portal to secure on-line information for public

Cooperation To accomplish the above ambitious targets it is necessary to closely cooperate with stakeholders being responsible for the urban traffic regulation and daily management (municipality, police etc.) and with the local environmental authorities.

Realization In the framework of involved research institutes and innovative enterprises the activities of representatives of various sciences (physiscs, chemists, engineers, public health specialists, IT engeneers, etc.) have to be coordinated during the project implementation.

Realization Furthermore : -The complex network will enable stakeholders to assess and model the possible air quality impacts of envisaged transport development projects and to help specifying the necessary measures to mitigate the negative affects. -The network will serve also as a principal input for the development of complex city traffic model.

Realization To achieve the project targets the below simplified logframe is to be followed: 1.The air pollution base mapping is to be created through a specific modelling software, with the inputs of city topography and of the traffic flow data along the main roads.

What can we do? 2. In the pre-defined critical functions of the city, the required number of on-line equipment will be installed for measurement of air quality. The air pollution will be monitored also by this innovative aerosol analysing equipments, which, with a short sampling time requirement can measure and determine 5 different air quality parameters, thus ensuring a sophisticated on-line control of pollution.

What can we do? 3. Once the outputs of measurements have been obtained they will be supplemented by the traffic flow data and meteorological parameters and will be also validated by the standard measuring procedures applied in EU and according to local legislations. This way the results of the innovative technology will be assured and confirmed

What can we do? 4. Based on the current traffic flow data and on the outputs of above on-line air quality measuring equipment the modelling software determines the need of interventions and generates suggestions for the responsible stakeholders for altering the traffic light system or for additional measures. The primary aim of suggested interventions is to achieve immediate improvement of air quality in the critical parts of the city. (The different intervention phases and the suggested actions can be further sophisticated, specifying various levels of air pollution and related interventions, like warning threshold, emergency level etc.)

What can we do? 5. The air quality data generated by the software, based on traffic data, must be also validated by traditional standard air measurement, at the early phase of network operation. 6. A crucial element of project is to ensure enhanced visibilty and public awarenes raising, which also requires development of web portal to publish on-line the results of air and traffic monitoring.

What can we do? 6. To secure the exactness and objectivity of project results and to validate the outputs of aerosol analyser it is necessary to carry out also standard air measurement at the early phase of network operation.