By end of May 2008, the special VECTOR-bicycle has finally completed the necessary fine dust measuring trips successfully. Now, the international cooperative project VECTOR goes into its crucial phase: The data of Ultra Fine Particles (UFP), collected right in the traffic of four major European cities, will be scientifically evaluated during the upcoming months.

The VECTOR bicycle, which is equipped with a singular mobile UFP-measuring system as well as a video camera, was on its way in Budapest in mid-April. The measurements concluded in Vilnius by the end of May. Before that, in autumn 2007, the measuring team (see photo, in Budapest) took data and pictures in Hamburg and Utrecht.

The aim of the VECTOR project, which is promoted by the European Union, wants to show by the combination of particle data and traffic videos, in which situations cyclists - and pedestrians - on their everyday ways are affected by and exposed to fine dust.

The latest measurements showed for example, that not only on busy streets, but also in bridge underpasses, underground passages and close at the ground the concentration of UFP is particularly high. As the VECTOR measurement team also collects data from within cars, another result is that car drivers are not at all less exposed to fine particles than cyclists. In heavy traffic or in tunnels with a high concentration of UFP, the particles enter the car and enrich the air inside, because there is no way out for the dust.

In the four measuring cities, VECTOR met large public interest. In Budapest, the project team presented itself to international traffic experts right before „Critical Mass“ bicycle demonstration, in Vilnius the team met with journalists and local politicians.

During the last measurements, a film team joined the measuring trips. Apart from the exact evaluation of the measuring data by scientists, starting now, a film DVD will be produced, which shows explains the project and its results. The release of this DVD is scheduled for the end of 2008.