NZTA have released a new report from a project designed to "assess the comparative risk associated with exposure to traffic pollution when travelling via different transport modes in New Zealand cities".
The good news for cyclists is that, as previous research in other parts of the world has already indicated, people on bikes are generally exposed to lower levels of air pollutants than people in cars or buses. The key results of this research are:
• Car drivers are consistently exposed to the highest average levels of carbon monoxide (CO).
• On-road cyclists are exposed to higher levels of CO, particulates (PM1) and ultra-fine particles (UFPs) than off-road cyclists.
• Car drivers and bus passengers are exposed to higher average levels of UFP than cyclists.
• Locating cycle paths just a short distance from roads can reduce pollution exposure significantly.
Download the full report here: http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/research/reports/457/
