Comparison of exhaust emissions at intersections under traffic signal versus roundabout control using an instrumented vehicle

The traditional approach to the comparison of alternative types of road intersection control has focused mainly on efficiency and safety. In recent years, the increasing importance of air pollution produced by vehicular traffic has suggested that environmental considerations should be added to the above aspects as a criterion for intersection design. This study describes a before-and-after analysis conducted on a road intersection where a roundabout has replaced a traffic signal. Using a Portable Emission Measurement Systems (PEMS) installed on a test car, the instantaneous emissions of CO2, NOX and CO have been measured over repeated trips along a designated route. A total of 396 trips have been carried out in different traffic conditions and in opposite directions along the chosen route. Using statistical methods the existence of significant differences in emissions attributable to the type of intersection control has been investigated based on the experimental data. The results indicate that replacing the traffic signal with the roundabout tends to reduce CO2 emissions, even if the differences are not always statistically significant; on the contrary, the signalized intersection performs better in terms of NOX emissions. Finally, results are less clear for CO emissions, and differences are statistically non significant in most cases.