Traffic Air Pollution Effects of Elevated, Depressed, and At-Grade Level Freewaysin Texas

摘要

To answer questions being raised by abutting residents and businesses aboutproposed elevated and/or depressed freeway improvements in the urban and suburban areas of Texas, a four year study has been conducted to estimate the social, economic, and environmental effects of such freeway designs. The sections selected for study range in location from predominately residential suburban areas to predominantly commercial-industrial downtown areas. The specific effects of the three types estimated for each study section are: (1) social impacts: population changes, neighborhood accessibility, neighborhood cohesion, and community services; (2) economic impacts; relocation and mitigation costs, business sales, property uses and values, tax revenues, employment and income, and user costs; and (3) environmental impacts: aesthetics, drainage and erosion, noise and air pollution, vibration, and hazardous spills. The literature review and a survey of highway agencies in other states were used to determine the appropriate procedures of models and mitigation measures to implement in estimating the social, economic, and environmental impacts of elevated and depressed freeways.