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

  • Study reveals in-car devices aid positive changes to driver behaviour
    December 3, 2012
    The results of a four-year study by the Field Operational Tests of Aftermarket and Nomadic devices in Vehicles (TeleFOT) Consortium were presented at a recent conference in Brussels. The study focused on the assessment of the impact of driver support functions provided by in-vehicle aftermarket and nomadic devices on driving and driver behaviour. Coordinated by the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) and with a budget of US$19.5 million, the four-year TeleFOT project is one of the biggest traffic IC
    Read More
  • Tighten up on cyber security before hackers infiltrate ITS infrastructure
    October 19, 2015
    This year’s ITS World Congress in Bordeaux will have three sessions dedicated to cyber security and the issue will also be addressed under connected and automated vehicles categories. Jon Masters finds out why. American security researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek attracted international press coverage recently when they demonstrated how they could hack into and take control of a vehicle from a remote laptop. While the implications are clearly serious for vehicle manufacturers, highway and transpor
    Read More
  • UTMC ANPR communications protocol aids traffic management
    January 30, 2012
    Telematics Technology's Peter Billington describes the effort to give English local authorities and police forces a UTMC ANPR open communication protocol. The story of the impact of communication protocols on the development and utilisation of intelligent equipment is a familiar one both inside and outside the ITS industry. At the outset, a company pioneering its latest technology invariably develops a proprietary protocol. This enables the company's products to talk to the customer systems which need to a
    Read More
  • EU to fund common train control system
    April 15, 2015
    The EU's TEN-T Programme is to provide funding of over US$16 million for the development and installation of the common European Train Control System (ETCS) in Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark and the UK. The new system is expected to improve the interoperability, safety, reliability and capacity on European railways. Seven separate projects aim to contribute to the deployment of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) in the EU and enhance interoperability of European rail services. While increa
    Read More

Highlighted Content