2026/01/01 by Kabir Patel, William O’Brien, Farès Chéraitia +2 · 1 voice
Health Professions · Environmental Science · #Noise Effects and Management #Smart Materials for Construction #Air Quality and Health Impacts
paper · doi:10.1139/cjce-2025-0569
openalex publication_date 2026/01/01 · openalex created_date 2026/04/19 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/17
Noise and air pollution pose health risks for active transportation users, yet the impact of traffic volume and roadway proximity remains underexplored. This study exploited an unusual circumstance, a natural experiment, to assess environmental changes from temporary road closures. On summer weekends, the National Capital Commission of Canada closes a segment of Queen Elizabeth Driveway in Ottawa. To evaluate the environmental benefits of this intervention, measurements of A-weighted equivalent continuous sound levels (LAeq), particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), and ultrafine particles were taken at 12 fixed sites along a nearby multi-use pathway across 10 sampling sessions, over 6 days. All measured pollutants showed statistically significant reductions during closures. A composite noise–air pollution index indicated a 60% decrease in overall exposure, highlighting the effectiveness of the car-free policy in improving environmental quality for active transportation.