BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr.

Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY TRAFFIC FLOW PARAMETERS

Time Mean Speed, vt
TRAFFIC FLOW PARAMETERS
is the arithmetic mean of the measured speeds of all
1) SPEED (v) vehicles passing a fixed roadside point during a given interval
of time (the individual speeds are known as spot speeds)
Speed is ...... L
n

defined as rate of motion, or distance per unit time
vi n = number of vehicles observed t

Space Mean Speed, vs nL vt i 1 vi = spot speeds (km/hr) vt
vs n n
is the average travel speed t L = average length travelled by the vehicles

Relationship between Space Mean Speed and Time Mean Speed

nL n = number of travel times observed t
s
2 2
vs vs v t
n
L = length of the highway segment (km) v t vs or
t
i 1
i
ti = travel time of the i-th vehicle to
vs vt
traverse the section (hr) s2 = variance of the space mean speed
t2 = variance of the time mean speed = (v i
vt )2
1 n

BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel

Example 1 TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

Three vehicles pass a kilometer post at 60, 75 and 54 km/hr, 2) VOLUME (V)
respectively. What is the time mean speed of the three vehicles?
Also, find the approximate space mean speed. Volume is ......
the number of vehicles observed or predicted to pass a point
during a given time interval.
60 75 54
vt 63 km/hr 3) RATE OF FLOW (q)
3
Rate of flow is ......
the number of vehicles passing a point during a given time
interval less than 1 hour, but expressed as an equivalent
hourly rate.
(60 63)2 (75 63)2 (54 63)2
t2 78
3
Thus, a volume of 200 vehicles observed in a 10-minute period
78 implies a rate of flow of 1200 veh/hr.
vs 63 61.8 km/hr
63 200 = 1200
(10/60)

BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY N TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

4) DENSITY (k) 5) SPACING (s)

k = 14 veh / 0.5 km
Density is ...... Spacing is ......
the number of vehicles occupying = 28 veh/km the distance (meters) between successive vehicles in a traffic
a given length of lane or stream, measured from front bumper to front bumper.
roadway, averaged over time.
6) HEADWAY (h)
Usually expressed in vehicles/km.
Headway is ......
Density can be measured directly the corresponding time (seconds) between successive vehicles
through aerial photography. as they pass a point of a roadway.
500 m
Density can also be calculated using
the equation: What is the Spacing and Headway are related to q, v and k:
density of
k = q/v southbound k = 1000/s k (in veh/km), s (in meters)
traffic on this h = s/v h (in sec), v (in m/s)
where q = rate of flow highway?
v = speed q = 3600/h q (in veh/hr), h (in sec)

BDD/BFC32302/1B 1
 BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

7) LANE OCCUPANCY (LO) Density can be estimated using the expression ......
Lane Occupancy is ...... k = LO x 1000
the ratio of the time that vehicles are present at a detection L + C
station in a traffic lane compared to the time of sampling.

LO = Total time vehicle detector is occupied = Sto Lane occupancy may also be expressed by R, which is

Total observation time T R = Sum of lengths of vehicles = SLi

Length of roadway section D
to = L + C where L = average length of vehicle
Then, density can be estimated using the expression ......
vs C = distance between loop detector
k = R/L where L = average length of vehicles

BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel

Example 2
b)
During a 60-sec period, a detector is occupied by vehicles for the
following times: 0.34, 0.38, 0.40, 0.32 and 0.52 sec.
k =
0.0327 1000 = 6.01 veh/km
2.44 3
a) Determine the lane occupancy.
b) Estimate the values of q, k and v.
n (L C) 5(2.44 3)
vs = = = 13.88 m/s = 49.97 km/h
(Assume that the loop-detector length is 3 m and the average length
of vehicles is 8 ft).
to 1.96

a)
q = 6.01 49.97 = 300.3 veh/hr
Sto = 0.34 + 0.38 + 0.40 + 0.32 + 0.52 = 1.96 sec

T = 60 sec

LO = 1.96
100% = 3.27%
60

BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

8) CLEARANCE (c)
Clearance is ......
Clearance (m) / Gap (s)
the distance (meters) between successive vehicles in a traffic
stream, measured from front bumper to back bumper.

9) GAP (g)
Gap is ......
the corresponding time (seconds) between successive vehicles
as they pass a point of a roadway.

g = h (L/v) where g = mean gap (sec)

L = mean length of vehicles (m)
c = g x v c = mean clearance (m)
h = mean headway (sec)
v = mean speed (m/s) Spacing (m) / Headway (s)

BDD/BFC32302/1B 2
 BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

CATEGORIES OF TRAFFIC FLOW CATEGORIES OF TRAFFIC FLOW

UNINTERRUPTED FLOW INTERRUPTED FLOW

Occurs on facilities that have no fixed elements (such as traffic Occurs on facilities that have fixed elements causing periodic
signals or stop signs) external to the traffic stream, that cause interruptions to traffic flow.
interruptions to traffic flow.
Traffic is stopped or significally slowed down periodically
Traffic flow conditions are thus the result of interactions among irrespective of how much traffic exists.
vehicles in the traffic system and between vehicles and the
geometric characteristics of the roadway/guideway system. The driver expects to be required to stop as and when required by
fixed elements that are part of the facility
The driver of the vehicle does not expect to be required to stop by
factors external to the traffic stream Interrupted Flow facilities:
Signalized streets, Unsignalized streets with stop signs, Arterials,
Pedestrian walkways, Bicycle paths.
Uninterrupted Flow facilities:
Expressways, Exclusive bus lanes, Rail Transit Lines *Note:
Uninterrupted/Interrupted Flow are terms that describe the facility, and
not the quality of flow!

BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel

Answer This! TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

What type of facilities are these? UNINTERRUPTED TRAFFIC FLOW MODEL

Uninterrupted flow facility or Interrupted flow facility?
Speed (km/hr)

C
D

Normal flow

Forced flow
A
UNINTERRUPTED FLOW INTERRUPTED FLOW
FACILITY FACILITY Congestion Capacity
Flow (veh/hr)

BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

SPEED, FLOW and DENSITY relationship
Imagine several vehicles, driven by rational drivers along a section of
freeway. Speed, v Speed, v

As vehicles speed and spacing increases, the speeds approach the free
speed, and drivers adopt their own speed when uninfluenced by other A

vehicles in the traffic stream (point C). v = A Bk

A/2
The dashed curve represents the normal flow behaviour if all drivers
were to have the same free speed (point D). A/B
Density, k Flow, q

It has been observed that drivers are uninfluenced by other vehicles in Flow, q

the traffic lane at flows about half the capacity flow (point B).
A2/4B

Maximum traffic density occurs (point A) when traffic has virtually

come to a complete stop.

In the forced flow region, each vehicle adopts its minimum spacing and
clearance distance.
Density, k
A/2B A/B

BDD/BFC32302/1B 3
 BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

Speed-Density relationship Flow-Density relationship

BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

Speed-Flow relationship
Maximum flow (qmax) occurs at optimal speed (vm) and optimal density
(km).

qmax = vm x km

= vf x kj
2 2

= vf x kj
4

BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel

EXAMPLE QUESTION

A traffic stream is moving at a steady state when entering a

mountain grade. Upon entering the grade, the speed, density
and flow are 72 km/h, 25 veh/km and 1800 veh/hr respectively.
On the grade, a truck drops to a speed of 15 km/h causing traffic
to bunch up to a density of 85 veh/km. When the truck pulls
over, traffic accelerates to the maximum flow until steady state
flow conditions resume.
Calculate
(a) the flow of traffic behind the truck on the mountain grade
(b) the jam density and free flow speed for this road
(c) the density and speed when traffic resumes a steady state flow
(d) the maximum flow

BDD/BFC32302/1B 4