No abstract

In the last years, there was great interest in the development of tools for an effective evaluation of road transport pollutant-related emissions, especially in the urban areas. This paper represents an innovative approach for identifying criticalities about pollutant emissions associated with road traffic and for defining effective policies in order to decrease pollutant emissions. The proposed tool concerns the development of an emission indicator, a proxy measure, which is useful for the assessment of emission problems, based on the use of GPS (Global Positioning System) instantaneous vehicle speed data. The tool can be considered an innovative and adequate solution in many cases in which the development of a valid and robust traffic simulation model, especially DTA (dynamic traffic assignment) is not available in the medium- and short-term horizon. The methodological process concerns the monitoring of road traffic conditions using GPS data from probe vehicles in combination with the use of GIS (Geographic Information System) for the estimation of an emission indicator. The tool has been tested on a real case study in the city of Cluj in Romania for the NOx emissions. The results show the utility of the tool in supporting policy and decision making, due to its ease of application and consistency, especially in defining critical areas.

The paper investigates the accidents and fatalities on the main road network in the North-West Region of Romania over a period of 4 years (2015– 2018). The aim of the paper is to highlight some shortcomings and suggest possible improvements of the road network in order to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities. Detailed analyses, including statistical and spatial statistical analyses, were conducted on the accidents involving goods and public transport vehicles considering the scale of their impact. As a result, black corridors and vulnerable municipalities were identified. They were found to be related to the reduced main road density and high levels of freight traffic transit. In conclusion, with one of the lowest motorization rates in the EU and given the important efforts already made by the police, improving road network in Romania becomes the key for reducing accident and fatality rates in the region. In this regard, it is suggested that motorways and ring roads are needed in order to bypass the vulnerable municipalities. The results of this research may enable planners and administrations to act strategically to improve road safety in the critical areas, to prioritize actions for road network development and to formulate better strategies to ensure road safety.

No abstract