USA: Chicago Transit Authority and Sandbox Carbon are to test the use of activated carbon filters to mitigate the smell of cigarette smoke and other odours on metro trains.
CTA says it has experienced a significant increase in the number of people smoking onboard, despite this being against its rules, and this degrades the rider experience and creates a strong incentive for passengers to choose modes.
The filter trial has come out of CTA’s Innovation Studio programme which sees the agency work with the private sector to explore new ideas to tackle specific problems that it faces.
The filters with more activated carbon than traditional HVAC filters are to be installed in the return air ducts which pull air from the saloon for the HVAC on eight Bombardier-built Series 5000 metro cars. FosterWorks will fabricate the custom stainless steel filter enclosures, and each filter will have a custom-designed protective metal grate to prevent debris from entering.
Two industrial air quality sensors in each car will monitor two common byproducts of cigarette smoke as well the air flowing through the HVAC during the one-year trial.
‘We employ a multifaceted approach to confronting the issue of smoking aboard CTA buses and trains, including in-system campaigns and working closely with local law enforcement and security personnel to execute anti-smoking missions’, said CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen in January. ‘This pilot complements those efforts and seeks to use technology to enhance air quality in our railcars.’
