Grantee Research Project Results

2020 Progress Report: Evaluating the Timeline of Particulate Matter Exposure from UrbanTransportation and Land-Use Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Strategies Using aNovel Modeling Framework

EPA Grant Number: R835885
Title: Evaluating the Timeline of Particulate Matter Exposure from UrbanTransportation and Land-Use Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Strategies Using aNovel Modeling Framework
Investigators: Rowangould, Gregory
Institution: University of Vermont
EPA Project Officer: Keating, Terry
Project Period: January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2018 (Extended to December 31, 2021)
Project Period Covered by this Report: January 1, 2020 through December 31,2020
Project Amount: $335,605
RFA: Particulate Matter and Related Pollutants in a Changing World (2014) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Early Career Awards , Air , Climate Change

Objective:

The aim of the proposed research is creating a clearer picture of how changes in land-use patterns and transportation systems affect population exposure to particulate matter (PM) pollution from vehicle traffic. The research also aims to understand how the timing of land-use and transportation system changes, particularly those strategies intended to mitigate climate change, affect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and cumulative exposure to PM emissions. Finally the research will consider how well changes in PM emission inventories, which are widely used to assess improvements in air quality, correspond to changes in PM exposure.

Progress Summary:

Research on the project was paused during 2020 given an inability to staff the project during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were able to present and report on some of the work completed in the prior year.

Future Activities:

We have now developed, tested, and used all the modeling methods required to complete the project’s 7 main tasks and answer the 5 research questions we posed in our research proposal. Our plans for year 6 remain the same as those for year 5 given the pause in research.

Over the remaining period of this project we plan to use our dynamic modeling approach to evaluate year 2020 and 2040 planning scenarios in the Atlanta region. We also plan to complete a more in-depth analysis of the results we have already obtained, as well as future modeling results, focusing on disparities in exposure by land-use, activity, and socioeconomic characteristics. We aim to identify population subgroups that have unique exposure patterns and disproportionately high exposures. We also aim to identify how changes over time affect exposure components (activities and places contributing to average daily exposure) and the exposures of different population subgroups. This will help us understand how long-range transportation plans may change exposure patterns and possibly identify more effective mitigation strategies.

We also plan to model a wide range of alterative land-use and transportation plans for the Albuquerque region as outlined in our research proposal. We will also be completing more in-depth analysis of our current and future modeling results to understand exposure disparities by land-use and socioeconomic characteristics.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 16 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

Dispersion Modeling, Mobile Sources, Travel Demand

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.