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

  • A short guide to the shared mobility galaxy
    April 28, 2021
    This spring, a new book will be published with the mind-blowing title Shared Mobility Rocks: a Planner’s Guide to the Shared Mobility Galaxy. ITS International asks co-authors Friso Metz and Rebecca Karbaumer to share their golden rules
  • Intersection monitoring from video using 3D reconstruction
    March 9, 2016
    Researchers Yuting Yang, Camillo Taylor and Daniel Lee have developed a system to turn surveillance cameras into traffic counters. Traffic information can be collected from existing inexpensive roadside cameras but extracting it often entails manual work or costly commercial software. Against this background the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) was looking for an efficient and user-friendly solution to extract traffic information from videos captured from road intersections.
  • Cross referencing data sets reveals now decision support information
    November 18, 2014
    Combining previously unrelated sets of data can provide an in-depth view of travel patterns. "Through the use of analytical tools, Urban Insights seeks to help transportation organisations benefit from the vast amounts of detailed data they collect every day.”
  • No city is a traffic island
    April 2, 2024
    Beate Kubitz reflects on the rising tide of suburban drivers - and how cities across Europe are dealing with them as worries over air quality multiply