A framework for incorporating the network wide fundamental diagram into large scale emission estimation

Abstract

Estimation of vehicular emissions is one of the main challenges that planning agencies and municipalities encounter. This is particularly the case for large cities that typically struggle with congestion problems. Microscopic models are widely used to estimate the vehicular emissions. These models assist system planners in proposing strategies to control the level of emission. However, applications of these microscopic models are limited to estimation at the facility-level or small networks. To estimate emissions for large-scale networks, which is a major challenge for city planners, macroscopic models are typically proposed. However, these models fail to consider traffic flow dynamics. This study proposes a mesoscopic approach that is capable of estimating emission for large networks, as well as capturing the effects of traffic flow dynamics.