TEMMS: an integrated package for modelling and mapping urban traffic emissions and air quality

The Traffic Emission Modelling and Mapping Suite (TEMMS) is a program designed to provide detailed estimates of vehicle emissions on urban road networks, and so act as a precursor to urban air quality modelling. TEMMS is a module of the “Quantifiable City”, a more extensive model designed to address questions relevant to urban sustainability. Within the Quantifiable City model, TEMMS interfaces with SATURN, a traffic assignment model, and the Airviro or ADMS–Urban pollutant dispersion models, to calculate spatially defined pollutant concentrations for given traffic, meteorological and stationary source emission inputs. TEMMS also contains an integral model, ROADFAC, which calculates emissions of gases and particulates from vehicles using SATURN traffic or vehicle count data. TEMMS integrates these models via a database exchanger, the MapInfo geographic information system, and a custom-built Windows-based graphical user interface, allowing modelling and mapping of link-based vehicle flow and emissions, and grid-based air quality. TEMMS applications include emission and air quality mapping, evaluation of associated transport policies and scenarios, and preparation of inputs to other (e.g., epidemiological) models. Within this context, TEMMS has generated considerable interest from potential end-users in Local Authorities and air quality management support services. Validation of the integrated model is discussed, and an example application of TEMMS to a large UK city presented