Evaluating the Impact of Urban Transportation Policies on Air Pollution

Urban air pollution, largely caused by the reliance on private vehicles, poses significant health and environmental challenges, particularly in densely populated cities like Tehran. This study evaluates the impact of transportation policies on air quality by analyzing the relationships between public transportation development, vehicle usage, and pollution levels. Tehran, with a population density of 119 individuals per hectare, experiences over 46% of daily trips made using private vehicles, contributing to a daily gasoline consumption of 9.10 million liters. Despite investments in metro infrastructure, public transport's share of urban trips has remained below 25%, with minimal change over the past three decades. By incorporating air quality data (e.g., PM2.5, PM10, NO2) and traffic metrics (e.g., vehicle kilometers traveled, network speed), the study employs regression analysis and dynamic system modeling to assess policy effectiveness. The findings reveal that pollutants like CO and CO2, linked to fossil fuel use, remain persistently high, correlating with rising private vehicle use and increased fuel consumption. The results demonstrate that without integrated strategies including enhanced public transit, dynamic travel demand management, and incentives to reduce private car use Tehran’s air pollution levels will continue to exceed acceptable limits. This research highlights critical quantitative evidence, providing policymakers with actionable recommendations to improve urban transportation systems and reduce air pollution.

Evaluating the Impact of Urban Transportation Policies on Air Pollution Keywords:

Urban transportation policies , air pollution , public transit development , vehicle emissions