The analysis of traffic and transport alternatives by mathematical and computer models is well established, and has proved to be an effective tool for comparison of different alternative policies. The emphasis of these models has in the past been on the traffic and transport aspects of the plans assessed: recently methods have been devised to provide approximate estimates of the noise, pollution, and pedestrian interference aspects of traffic. This paper describes a method for bringing these estimation procedures within the scope of a traffic model so that these environmental effects can be considered together with transport consequences. The acronym used to identify this process is panic: pedestrian, pollution, and noise impact computation, and examples are given of the application of panic. A survey of the empirical equations suitable for use in panic is included. (Author/publisher)
Abstract