ATAQMECC

Active transportation (cycling and walking) provides well-documented benefits for physical health, mental well-being, and climate change mitigation. However, active travelers may experience increased exposure to traffic-related air pollution, which has been linked to respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

The Carlisle region represents a mixed-source air pollution environment influenced by traffic
corridors, agricultural activity, regional transport, and topographically mediated dispersion patterns. Despite this, locally relevant information is available regarding how cyclist exposure to traffic-related air pollution varies across route types and times of day in central Pennsylvania.

This mobile air quality monitoring study attempts at conceptualizing cyclist exposure as a dynamic interaction among traffic intensity, route design, meteorological conditions, and rider behavior across space and time. Beyond the exposure characterization, this proposal will also assess whether alternative cycling routes provide meaningful, feasible exposure reductions.