App to help cyclists, runners and pedestrians reduce air pollution intake

TENZING Clean Air Tracker is now available to cyclists, pedestrians and runners to help residents in London reduce their air pollution intake during their daily exercise or commutes to work. 

During lockdown, the number of people cycling has increased by 300% and the number of people going on daily walks has also dramatically increased.  

The Clean Air Tracker previously launched in July 2019 to help runners track their air pollution, however, following the increase in walking and cycling, the app is now available for cyclists and pedestrians. 

Runners and cyclists breathe more heavily, the ventilation rate for running is 3.5 times more than walking, and cycling is 1.86 times more than walking, meaning that even if the air quality is the same, the dose of pollution intake will differ. 

TENZING is aiming to raise awareness of this by ensuring that people can exercise safely with the cleanest possible air.

The Clean Air Tracker syncs with GPS fitness tracking app STRAVA and uses real-time air quality data provided by King’s College London, to give users a live air quality score for their route. 

The air quality score automatically appears after every cycle, run or walk. This knowledge is hoped to enable individuals to edit future routes, potentially cutting exposure to pollution by up to 50%.

TENZING is planning to extend the tracker across the country in 2021. 

Andrew Grieve, senior air quality analyst at King’s College London said: ‘I’d encourage everyone to use this tool to find the quietest and lowest pollution routes for their commute, whether you’re running, walking or cycling.

‘Cycling is a fantastic zero-emission way to get around the city. We have a window of opportunity now to reconfigure our cities to be friendlier for walking and cycling.’

In related news, Enrica Papa from the University of Westminster and Nicole Badstuber from University College London discuss the future of travel in post-lockdown recovery.

Photo Credit – TENZING