Escaping the TrAP: Simulation Tools Can Help Ease Traffic-Related Air Pollution

About one in four Americans today live in the vicinity of a major roadway. These Americans face widespread exposure to traffic-related air pollution, or TrAP, which is defined as a mixture of vehicle exhaust, tire and brake wear particles, and other pollutants. Underserved communities face disproportionate exposure to TrAP, making this type of pollution not only an important health concern, but an issue of inequity.

With support from the Health Effects Institute and other collaborators, researchers from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), in partnership with the University of British Columbia, the University of California Berkeley, the University of Washington, the University of Massachusetts, the George Washington University, and Simrise LLC, will develop a first-of-its-kind simulation tool that integrates transportation and health data. This tool will help policymakers, transportation planners and public health experts assess the health impacts of emerging mobility technologies and transportation infrastructure investments—including their potential disproportionate impacts on various communities.

The planned simulation tool will build on the success of the Behavior, Energy, Autonomy, and Mobility Comprehensive Regional Evaluator (BEAM CORE), a 2024 R&D 100 Finalist. BEAM CORE merges various outside data models to simulate traveler behavior and technology deployment. BEAM CORE simulations have helped users from federal agencies, cities, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), companies and universities understand the impact of things like traffic congestion, energy use, and ride-hailing operations under various conditions.

Berkeley Lab researchers like Haitam Laarabi, co-lead of the BEAM CORE modeling framework, now plan to integrate even more data into the system—including air quality and health assessment models—so that users can clarify potential environmental, health, and equity impacts at the community level.

"BEAM CORE transforms census and travel survey data into dynamic virtual populations that engage in everyday activities like work, shopping, and leisure—think of it as a realistic, data-driven urban simulation where virtual inhabitants navigate and interact within a living city," said Laarabi.

"We generate simulated individuals with unique objectives and preferences, and subject them to real-world constraints such as various transportation modes, networks, parking and curb infrastructure, land-use patterns, demographic factors, and energy systems,” he said.

This meticulous simulation process enables researchers to create digital communities that closely mirror real-world populations. Analyzing the impact of TrAP on these virtual communities helps quantify potential health risks across a broad spectrum of transportation scenarios.