Road pricing and neighborhood air quality in Washington, DC
Transportation, air quality, and health: a community-centered study of road pricing in Washington, DC.
This project looks at how charging drivers to enter parts of Washington, DC could change air pollution and health for people living and working in affected neighborhoods.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | George Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11194295 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are working with community partners in Washington, DC to compare different ways of charging drivers for road use and how those choices change traffic and neighborhood air pollution. They will combine air monitors, traffic and big data, health records, and community input to model changes in NO2, PM2.5, and related asthma and premature death risks at the neighborhood level. The team will map who gains cleaner air and who might see pollution shift to other neighborhoods, and use those results to recommend pricing designs that protect vulnerable residents. Community members will help choose scenarios and interpret results so local concerns guide the work.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people who live, work, or spend significant time in Washington, DC neighborhoods near busy roads, especially people with asthma or other breathing problems.
Not a fit: People who do not live in or near the District of Columbia or whose exposures come mainly from indoor or non-traffic sources may not see direct benefits from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could show which road pricing approaches reduce pollution and asthma cases in DC neighborhoods.
How similar studies have performed: Other cities that used congestion or road pricing (for example London and Stockholm) reduced traffic and local pollution, but clear neighborhood-level health benefits are less well documented.
Where this research is happening
Washington, United States
- George Washington University — Washington, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Henneman, Lucas Richard Fath — George Washington University
- Study coordinator: Henneman, Lucas Richard Fath
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.