Route planning for active travel considering air pollution exposure

Active travel (e.g., walking and cycling) has recently been promoted as a solution to reaching carbon neutrality in China. However, the potential negative health burden of active travel due to air pollution exposure is neglected. Consequently, this study proposes a low-exposure routeplanning method based on pollutant concentration, trip purpose, and travelers' demographic characteristics. Taxi-based mobile pollutant monitoring data in Cangzhou city, China, were applied to provide a high-resolution concentration map. We found that exposure varied throughout the day and seasons due to traffic, coal usage, and meteorology. Results show that exercising travelers may avoid 16.8% of exposure experienced by commuting travelers when choosing a route with low exposure but long detours. Because of the lower travel speed, even when taking a low-exposure route, middle-aged and elderly may suffer 22.9% and 10.7% higher exposure, respectively, than younger travelers. These might lead to health inequity related to transportation investment or policies.

Automated summary

This study investigates the potential negative health burden of active travel due to air pollution exposure in China. It proposes a low-exposure route planning method based on pollutant concentration, trip purpose, and travelers' demographic characteristics. The study finds that exposure varies throughout the day and seasons in certain areas due to traffic, coal usage, and meteorology. Results show that exercising travelers may avoid a significant portion of exposure by choosing low-exposure routes with long detours. However, middle-aged and elderly travelers may still experience higher exposure compared to younger travelers even when taking low-exposure routes. These findings highlight the importance of considering health equity in transportation investment and policies.