The goal of this paper is to estimate the health impacts resulting from exposure to PM and NOx emitted by train operations in the Alameda corridor, a crucial rail link that serves the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, also known as the San Pedro Bay Ports (SPBP). We link a pollutant dispersion model (CalPUFF) to a health benefits assessment model (BenMAP) to discover population-based health impacts of PM and NOx emissions from train operations (switching and line haul). After analyzing year 2005 as our baseline, we consider two scenarios that correspond to switching to Tier 2 and Tier 3 locomotives. We find that mortality from PM exposure accounts for the largest health impacts, with health costs in excess of $40 million annually. A shift to Tier 2 locomotives would save approximately half of the annual health costs but the benefits of shifting from Tier 2 to Tier 3 locomotives would be much smaller. This assessment is only partial, however, because of gaps in available health data. To our knowledge, this is the first application of BenMAP to conduct a health assessment at the county level.
Escalating concerns about air quality in Southern California have led authorities of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, also known as the San Pedro Bay Ports (SPBP), to consider and adopt a number of emission mitigation measures. One possibility is to shift to trains some of the containers currently transported by drayage trucks. This alternative is attractive because it would decrease congestion and air pollution on the main freeways (I-710 and I-110) and arterials that serve the SPBP. In addition, it would increase road safety along the busy Alameda freight corridor between the SBBP and downtown Los Angeles. One drawback would be an increase in pollutant emissions from train operations in the Alameda corridor, but trains tend to pollute less than trucks per ton-mile and new federal regulations are tightening the emission standards for diesel locomotives. The goal of this paper is to quantify the net impact of such a modal shift on the emissions of PM and NOx, which are the two air pollutants of most concern in the SPBP area. Our analysis relies on microscopic simulation to better capture emissions resulting from stop-and-go traffic on the freeways serving the SPBP. We find that emissions of both NOX and PM2.5 can be significantly reduced by switching from drayage trucks to trains. This suggests that modal shift should be encouraged, especially if there is unused 16 train capacity, and as long as it does not conflict with the shippers’ interests.
The San Pedro Bay Ports (SPBP) of Los Angeles and Long Beach in Southern California is one of the largest port container complexes in the world, and the largest one is the United States. To decrease the air pollution associated with port operations, a number of measures have been adopted, including the Clean Trucks Program, which was introduced in 2008 to clean up the fleet of drayage trucks serving the SPBP. The objective of this paper is to quantify the reduction in emissions attributable to the Clean Trucks Program, with a focus on Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM2.5). Our approach is innovative as it relies on micro-simulation to capture the link between congestion and pollutant emissions. We find that the Clean Trucks Program could contribute significantly to the emissions of NOx (~27%) and PM2.5 (~25%) for all the freeway traffic in our study area. These preliminary results suggest that the Clean Trucks Program is promising, but its cost-effectiveness should be analyzed.
The San Pedro Bay Ports (SPBP) of Los Angeles and Long Beach in Southern California comprise one of the largest container port complexes in the world. The SPBP contribute significantly to both regional and national economies in California, and the US, respectively. However, the ongoing growth and economic benefits of the SPBP are threatened by negative externalities associated with port operations, particularly increasing congestion and air pollution. The objective of this paper is to explore a new approach to estimating vehicle emission impacts of freight corridor operations related to the port area, particularly those associated with heavy duty diesel trucks. The approach involves use of a microscopic traffic simulation model to capture detailed vehicle trajectories and congestion effects (ultimately including the effects of Intelligent Transportation System strategies), emissions modeling, and modeling the spatial dispersion of pollutants in the corridor, to facilitate estimation of the health and environmental justice impacts of freight corridor operations. In this paper we focus on operation of the I-710 freeway in the Alameda Corridor, leading from the SPBP area for about 20 miles toward Los Angeles. In a parallel effort we are also studying rail operations in the same corridor. In the future both the rail and highway elements will be combined to form an integrated, overall assessment of air quality impacts in the corridor. In this paper, seven scenarios were evaluated in addition to the 2005 Base Scenario: replacement of the current fleet of port heavy duty diesel trucks with zero emission trucks (25%, 50%, and 100% of port trucks), elimination of port heavy duty diesel truck trips (25%, 50%, and 100% reductions) that would correspond to shifting more containers to other modes such as rail, and implementation of a truck restricted-lane on I-710 preventing trucks from using the left most lanes. The results show that fleet replacement with cleaner trucks yields the most emission reductions both quantitatively and spatially.
The Alameda corridor provides a crucial rail link for moving freight in and out of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, also known as the San Pedro Bay Ports (SPBP). While the benefits of this trade are enjoyed by the whole nation, the associated air pollution costs are born mostly by the people who live in the vicinity of the Alameda corridor and the two freeways (the I-710 and the I-110) that serve the Ports. Although they are more energy efficient than trucks, trains contribute heavily to regional air pollution; in addition, rail traffic in the South Coast Air Basin is projected to almost double in the next twenty years. This paper presents an analysis of the emissions and the dispersion of PM and NOx emitted by train operations in and around the Alameda corridor. We find spatial and temporal variations in the dispersion of these pollutants, which justifies our approach. Moreover, the railyards in our study area are responsible for the bulk of PM and NOx emissions (compared to line haul operations). While PM emissions from train operations contribute only a fraction of the recommended maximum concentration, NOx emissions go over recommended guidelines in different areas. The affected population is mostly Latino or African American. Our approach is also useful for better understanding trade-offs between truck and rail freight transport.
The San Pedro Bay Port (SPBP) of Los Angeles and Long Beach is the largest container port in the U.S. Although the benefits of handling and hauling freight are enjoyed by the nation as a whole, the traffic congestion and air pollution created by the port falls mostly on the people who live and work nearby and along connecting freight corridors. These corridors include two busy freeways, the I-710 and the I-110, and an active rail link, the Alameda corridor.
This research studied the environmental and health impacts of freight operations between the SPBP and downtown Los Angeles, some 22 miles to the north. In our analysis of health impacts, we focused on nitrogen oxide (NOX), a contributor to the formation of photo-chemical smog, and fine-grain particulates (PM10), which can lodge in peoples’ lungs with repeated exposure. We combined estimates of air pollutants from the I-710 and I-110 freeways, line-haul rail lines, and rail yards and looked at them for summer and winter. Four models were linked together to assess impacts: a microscopic traffic simulation model (TransModeler), which describes vehicle behavior; an emissions model (EMFAC 2007), which estimates the impacts of congestion on air pollution; a pollutant dispersion model (CALPUFF), which calculates how emissions move in a region’s atmosphere; and a health impact model (BenMAP), which calculates various pollutants’ effects on health using the incidence of various pollution-related illnesses.
A number of strategies could reduce emissions along active freight corridors like the SPBP. These include: intelligent transportation systems (ITS), advanced traffic operations and control measures, shifting freight from trucks to trains, and increased use of clean-diesel trucks. The health impacts of such strategies should be closely studied in coming years. Our analysis is being expanded to measure health impacts of trucks not only on freeways that feed directly into the port, but also on nearby local streets and other freeways in the corridor.
The San Pedro Bay Ports (SPBP) complex of Los Angeles and Long Beach is the largest container port in the U.S., and a very important contributor to both California’s and the nation’s economies. Although the benefits of the SPBP activities are enjoyed by the whole country, the burden of the congestion and air pollution it generates falls mostly on the shoulders of people who live and work in the transportation corridor serving the SPBP. This corridor includes two busy freeways, the I-710 and the I-110, and a busy rail link, the Alameda corridor. The objective of this paper is to explore an integrated approach for evaluating the environmental and health impacts of freight operations between the SPBP complex and downtown Los Angeles, some 22 miles north. Our integrated approach combines a number of models, including a microscopic traffic simulation model and an emissions model to better estimate the impacts of congestion on air pollution, emission estimates from line-haul and switching train activities, a spatial dispersion model, and a health impact model. We analyze emissions for year 2005, which serves as a baseline in various air pollution inventories of the SPBP complex. Our results show that emissions concentrations are strongly affected by meteorological conditions and seasonal variations (winter is worse than summer); moreover, we found that health impacts from NOx and PM exposure exceed 200 million dollars, which justifies a number of regional initiatives to improve air quality. Our analysis is a starting point for analyzing the economic efficiency of these initiatives, which include modal shift (from trucks to trains) and the Clean Trucks Program.
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