ABSTRACT
This paper describes the development of a continuous roadside pollution and meteorological monitoring system, which is fully integrated with a demand responsive signal control system. This unique facility allows simultaneous monitoring of carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, wind speed and direction, temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, traffic flow, delay, vehicle stops congestion levels, etc. The results of early research into modelling of air emissions in signal controlled networks and the preliminary results of the analysis of traffic pollution and meteorological data are described. The data analysed to date has indicated huge variations in air pollutant concentrations and traffic levels based on five minute sampling. The pollutants are not normally distributed and may conform to a log normal distribution. Correlations of pollutants with traffic parameters are inconclusive with the relationships between traffic parameters possibly masking those reflecting the dependency of emissions on traffic levels. High pollution events have been identified and found to be associated with either damp and foggy or hot and calm days. There is evidence to suggest that traffic pollution is the cause of these high pollution days. Although further research is necessary, the results so far lend confidence that in the future real-time traffic data will allow short term forecasting of hot spot emissions. This will allow traffic management and control measures to be implemented, thus improving the quality of the air we breathe and providing for a more sustainable city.
