Skip to main content

VISUM goes environmental

To avoid traffic-related pollution, it is important to know the source and amount of pollutants emitted. PTV has developed a new method, which it has integrated into its VISUM transportation planning tool, that calculates all relevant pollutants and therefore enables traffic planners to address environmental issues while using traffic planning tools.
February 2, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
To avoid traffic-related pollution, it is important to know the source and amount of pollutants emitted. 3264 PTV has developed a new method, which it has integrated into its VISUM transportation planning tool, that calculates all relevant pollutants and therefore enables traffic planners to address environmental issues while using traffic planning tools.

Thomas Haupt, member of the Board of Directors of PTV, therefore emphasises: "The EU-Directive on emission levels urgently requires traffic-related measures in order to conform to the limit values, in particular those for NO2 levels. The new module now provides planning security and an officially recognised method for the calculation of pollutants."

Over ten years ago the environmental agencies of Germany, Switzerland and Austria pooled their resources to compile a comprehensive database of emission factors. Recently the handbook of emission factors (HBEFA) underwent a major revision. The emission factors were updated to take into account new engine concepts and emission standards, and the traffic situations for which emission factors are published were re-structured more systematically. Moreover Sweden, Norway and France joined the consortium, so that the revised HBEFA is on its way to becoming a truly European standard. With those recent developments, HBEFA perfectly complements VISUM for emission modelling.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • New website highlights EU ITS standards
    August 30, 2022
    The European Commission has provided a valuable resource tool for ITS implementers. Bob Williams, who led the project, walks us through the EU-ICIP Guide to ITS Standards…
  • IBTTA 2010 meeting focuses on sustainability
    February 2, 2012
    Ken Philmus, chief meeting organiser, talks about what attendees can expect to see at this year's IBTTA annual meeting and exhibition
  • First-of-a-kind collaboration to analyse real-time traffic patterns and individual commuter travel history
    February 3, 2012
    IBM has announced a new collaboration with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and California Center for Innovative Transportation (CCIT), a research institute at the University of California, Berkeley, to develop an intelligent transportation solution that will help commuters avoid congestion and enable transportation agencies to better understand, predict and manage traffic flow.
  • Kapsch offers EETS–compliant Tolling Services
    June 7, 2017
    Kapsch’s Bernd Eberstaller explains how the company’s new Tolling Services will help expand the number and capabilities of EETS services providers. By 2017, the European Electronic Tolling Service (EETS) should have been in operation for several years but it still remains some way away and with several significant hurdles still to be addressed. The concept behind EETS is simple enough: road users should be able to drive across Europe using only a single transponder to pay for all tolls, with the account-han