Bicycle Air Monitoring Map Engine

Advancements in technology has brought increasingly affordable and more portable air quality sensors to market. These sensors are giving rise to citizen science opportunities where members of the public are able to collect air quality measurements of their surroundings. Managing and sharing this volunteered geographic information (VGI) with the public is made possible through web-based geographic information systems. This project demonstrates how such a system can be developed to manage fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) data collected by bicyclists in Hamilton and Toronto Ontario. Key features built into the application include an administration console, data visualization engine, direction service and adjustments toolkit. The crowdsourced results are paired with the closest fixed air quality monitor and meteorological data, allowing nearby conditions during sample collection to be accounted for. This project complements regional fixed air quality monitors but attempting to fill the gap between them to create awareness of local PM₂.₅ issues.