Volume 2: TRAQS: A Combined Interface for Project-Level Air Quality Analysis (2018)

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NCHRP Project 25-48 20 was for TRAQS to assist the user in the creation of a “.ers” file, which is the master input file needed to completely parameterize EMFAC for a unique run. TRAQS was developed, then, to guide the user through the creation of the .ers file. After successful creation of this input file, the user will be instructed to exit TRAQS and initiate EMFAC2014. After the EMFAC run is complete, the user can re-enter TRAQS and point to the external EMFAC output files to continue the modeling process in dispersion. EMFAC2014-PL will be run under the following supported modeling options: a. Vehicle Class will be Truck and Non-Truck b. Model Year will be Aggregated Age Distribution c. Fuels will use the Aggregated option in EMFAC2014 Mapping Capabilities Based on findings from stakeholder outreach, the Project Team felt that allowing the user to access mapping through ESRI mapping products and the CAD file formats would be useful features. At this point in the project, with the mapping capability that was already developed, the Project Team and project panel decided to add improvements to the custom mapping approach, as demonstrated during the July 8 webinar. This approach is easy to use, and results in automatically scaled links within defined geographies. AERMOD Source Characterization Stakeholder outreach, and subsequent analysis utilizing MaxDiff procedures, enabled the Project Team to develop a list of features considered “Necessary/Essential.” One of the features in the “Necessary/Essential” list was: “TRAQS must support the use of Volume, Area, and Line mobile sources when AERMOD is used.” More recent guidance from EPA in the technical Appendix J of the Transportation Conformity Guidance for Quantitative Hot-spot Analyses in PM2.5 and PM10 Nonattainment and Maintenance Areas (EPA-420- B-15-084) states “EPA recommends that the LINE source keyword be used for modeling roadway sources as it greatly simplifies defining the physical location and orientation of sources.” Further, in the same document, is the reference footnote: “Sources defined by the LINE keyword are still area sources and are equivalent to rectangular AREA sources.” For this reason, TRAQS guides the user to provide the LINE source data inputs. Future Enhancements to TRAQS This section describes future potential enhancements to TRAQS 2.0 and beyond. Key among the enhancements are in two critical areas that could have the greatest impact on the user experience: 1) TRAQS mapping capabilities; and 2) access to model input data such as meteorological data and background ambient air concentrations. Additional enhancements are described below. Mapping Enhancements During the implementation of the TRAQS interface the Project Team felt that the most useful course of action was to add improvements to the custom mapping approach that was demonstrated during the July 8 webinar instead of allowing the user to import either an ESRI shapefile or CAD file format. Current mapping capabilities in TRAQS produces automatically scaled links within defined geographies.