Measuring Temporal and Spatial Exposure of Urban Cyclists to Air Pollutants Using an Instrumented Bike

US Transportation Collection2019PDFTech ReportSchaffer, Kaitlyn G.Gadsby, AprilAlton, NicMaddox, SpencerLowentritt, Sarah JaneLeDantec, ChrisRodgers, MichaelWatkins, KariCenter for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health. Texas A&M Transportation InstituteUnited States. Department of Transportation. University Transportation Centers (UTC) ProgramUnited States. Department of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and TechnologyCenter for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health. Texas A&M Transportation InstituteUnited StatesAir pollutionAir qualityConcentration (Chemistry)CyclistsInfrastructureParticulatesPeriods of the dayRoutesUrban areasGT-01-0969A3551747128Final, January 2018\u2013June 2019Increased use of active transportation can make direct and indirect contributions toward addressing societal transportation issues. However, in the process of cycling for transportation, cyclists are exposed to multiple pollutants that could adversely impact their health. The goal of this study was to better understand the variation in PM2.5 exposure of cyclists depending on the cycling infrastructure along the selected route and the time that they bike. Four routes that represent the wide range of bicycle infrastructure were ridden using an instrumented bike equipped with low-cost PMS5003\u2122 sensors. The resulting PM2.5 exposure maps show that few segments recorded air quality worse than the background concentration. During most of the routes, riders experienced air quality that was better than the air quality documented at the monitoring location. All hot spots with higher PM2.5 exposure were along higher-traffic roadway segments except one. Areas with consistently lower levels of PM2.5 compared to background concentration were all along a multiuse trail. However, cyclist exposure to PM2.5 is impacted more by environmental variables that cause the background concentration to be higher along the entire route than the proximity to vehicles at specific points along any route.120