Optimized Design of Low Emission Zones in SUMO

Abstract

Focusing on the critical challenge of air pollution in urban areas, primarily caused by vehicular emissions, this study proposes an innovative process for Low Emission Zones (LEZ) design within the Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO) framework. Our primary focus is on enhancing urban mobility through the strategic design of LEZs, while simultaneously maintaining or even improving emission levels. The novel aspect of the approach lies in the use of LEZs with minimal geometric boundaries, strategically designed to balance the reduction of CO2 emissions and the necessity of fluid urban transportation. LEZs are calculated using genetic algorithms that optimize a cost function balancing emissions and travel time while applying topological and specific constraints. Several experiments are simulated with SUMO to compare the efficiency of urban mobility under various LEZ configurations and different traffic demands. The results show the improvement of the approach in comparison with traditional LEZ design methodologies. The proposal not only preserves or even reduces the emission levels, but also actively improves urban mobility and traffic flow. This empirical evidence strongly supports the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed solution in different urban scenarios. The design of the heuristic enables the possibility to create dynamic LEZs that may be changed depending on demand, weather, or any other varying conditions that affect traffic and emissions, preserving the mobility concerns of the users.