The objectives of this study were to provide transportation officials with information on the effects of different transportation air quality control strategies on a full range of pollutants, and to identify methods for evaluating tradeoffs among different pollutants when selecting control strategies.
The study first assesses the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a variety of transportation emission control strategies at reducing emissions of various pollutants, including ozone precursors, particulate matter (PM), air toxics, and greenhouse gases (GHG); and identifies which strategies may reduce some pollutants while increasing others. A total of 34 control strategies are reviewed in three categories – transportation demand management (TDM), transportation systems management (TSM), and vehicle and fuel technology.
The study also includes:
(1) A review of different pollutant weighting systems used by agencies and researchers in evaluating projects across multiple pollutants; (2) A survey of how state and regional transportation and air quality agencies have evaluated cost-effectiveness, considering multiple pollutants, and made tradeoffs among these pollutants when prioritizing control strategies; and (3) Information gaps and research needs to assist agencies in selecting the most cost-effective control strategies, considering their potential impact on multiple pollutants.
The agency final report is available here.
