The impact of highway base-saturation flow rate adjustment on Kuwait's transport and environmental parameters estimation

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2018-08, Vol.633, p.560-570
• Main Authors: AlRukaibi, Fahad, AlKheder, Sharaf, Al-Rukaibi, Duaij, Al-Burait, Abdul-aziz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Flow rate; Pollution reduction; Sustainable system; Traffic pollution
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.193

Traditional transportation systems' management and operation mainly focused on improving traffic mobility and safety without imposing any environmental concerns. Transportation and environmental issues are interrelated and affected by the same parameters especially at signalized intersections. Additionally, traffic congestion at signalized intersections has a major contribution in the environmental problem as related to vehicle emission, fuel consumption, and delay. Therefore, signalized intersections' design and operation is an important parameter to minimize the impact on the environment. The design and operation of signalized intersections are highly dependent on the base saturation flow rate (BSFR). Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) uses a base-saturation flow rate of 1900-passenger car/h/lane for areas with a population intensity greater than or equal to 250,000 and a value of 1750-passenger car/h/lane for less populated areas. The base-saturation flow rate value in HCM is derived from a field data collected in developed countries. The adopted value in Kuwait is 1800passengercar/h/lane, which is the value that used in this analysis as a basis for comparison. Due to the difference in behavior between drivers in developed countries and their fellows in Kuwait, an adjustment was made to the base-saturation flow rate to represent Kuwait's traffic and environmental conditions. The reduction in fuel consumption and vehicles' emission after modifying the base-saturation flow rate (BSFR increased by 12.45%) was about 34% on average. Direct field measurements of the saturation flow rate were used while using the air quality mobile lab to calculate emissions' rates. [Display omitted] •BSFR was adjusted to reflect local traffic and environmental standards in Kuwait.•Direct field measurements of BSFR and AQML for emission rates were used.•Reduction in fuel consumption and vehicle emission after modification was 34%.•Maximum pollutants' dispersions were in South East, South, and West directions.