Health Risks for Transit Users

There are many differences in the determinants of health across communities in Baltimore. For example, the city health department estimates poverty ranges from 4 to 63 percent, life expectancy ranges from 67 to 87 years, kindergarten readiness ranges from 40 to 100 percent, and on-grade reading proficiency ranges from 40 to 94 percent in eighth graders. Efforts to improve K–12 educational achievement include the option to attend any school within the system. The school system bus fleet serves primarily riders with disabilities while city buses carry most others. Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) Office of Transportation requested assistance with measuring and characterizing selected air pollutant, noise and vibration exposures on the bus fleet. The school system bus fleet includes multiple types of buses powered by diesel and alternative fuels. The changing composition of the bus fleet may create differences in the driving and riding experiences. Project Goals: The overall aim of the project is to understand the differences in interior air quality, noise and vibration across vehicles in the Baltimore City School system bus fleet. Goal 1: Measure selected air pollutant, noise and vibration exposures on different bus types; Goal 2: Characterize differences in exposure and potential risks to drivers and riders.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $82097
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348329

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Center for Efficient Mobility

  1111 Rellis Parkway
  Bryan, Texas  United States  77807
• Project Managers:

  Ocon, Monica

• Performing Organizations:

  Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore

  Baltimore, MD  United States 
• Principal Investigators:

  Fox, Mary A

• Start Date: 20231101
• Expected Completion Date: 20260531
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers
• Source Data: 01-04-JHU

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus transit; Health; Pollutants; Risk assessment; School trips; Students
• Subject Areas: Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01907166
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health (CARTEEH)
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348329
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Feb 6 2024 5:00PM