CE354: Transportation Engineering

Module 3: Traffic Engineering Principles

Traffic characteristics; components of traffic stream:
flow-speed-Density, measurement and analysis, q-
k-v relationships, design hourly volume, concept of
EPCU, capacity and level of service.
Parking studies and accident studies.
Design of intersections, at grade intersections,
channelized and rotary.
Introduction to grade separated intersections,
cloverleaf, trumpet, flyovers.

CSRK Prasad
Speed Studies
 Traffic Speeds
Spot speed: instantaneous speed of a vehicle
at a specified section or location
Average Speed: average of the spot speeds of
all vehicles passing a given point on the
highway
Time mean speed
Space mean speed
Running speed
Overall speed or travel speed
 Spot speed study
To use in planning traffic control and in traffic
regulation
To use in geometric design / for redesigning
existing highways / for deciding design speed for
new facilities
To use in accident studies
To study the traffic capacity
To decide the speed trends
To compare diverse types of drivers and vehicles
under specified conditions
Spot speed study - Enoscope
Spot Speed Study
 Recommended Spot Speed Study
Lengths (Base Length / Trap Lengths)

(27m)
(54m)
(81m)
Construct K classes for frequency distribution,
when the value of 2K first exceeds the number
of observations in the sample
2K Rule is a guide
Sturges Formula
 Speed & Delay Study
(Travel Time & Delay Study)
Provide
Running speeds, overall speeds, fluctuations in
speeds and delay between two stations of a road
Amount, location, duration, frequency and causes
of the delay in the traffic stream
Spots of congestion and the causes
Delays:
Fixed delays
Operational delays
 Speed & Delay Study
(Travel Time & Delay Study)
* Determines the amount of time required to travel
from one point to another on a given route. Often,
information may also be collected on the locations,
durations, and causes of delays

Indicate the level of service

Identify problem locations
Chapter 10 18
 Applications of travel time and delay data

Measure arterial
Many uses of
LOS
travel time data
Develop travel time
Identify problem contour maps, showing
locations where congestion takes
place.
Provide input to
traffic assignment Provide TT data for
models (TT used for economic evaluation of
routing decision transportation
making) improvements (user costs)
Chapter 10 20
 Field study techniques
Methods requiring a test vehicle:

Floating car The test car floats with the traffic. Attempts to
technique pass as many vehicles as those that pass the test
vehicle. (More or less average travel time. Meant
for 2-lane 2-way highways. Difficult on multilane
highways)
Maximum car Drive as fast as is safely practical in the traffic
technique stream without ever exceeding the design speed
of the facility. (About 85th percentile speed,
meaning 15th percentile travel time)
Average car Drive the test car at a speed that, in the opinion
technique of the driver, is the average speed of the traffic
stream (Get average travel time and less
stressful) Chapter 10 21
 Methods not requiring a test vehicle:
License-plate Each observer located at strategic points
observation record last 3 or 4 digits of license plates.
Need to synchronize the observers watch.
Interviews Ask the drivers!

Elevated Useful for short test sections

observations
Photographic Useful for short test sections
technique

Chapter 10 22
 Methods not requiring a test vehicle:

License-plate method NG for a

grid network too many routes

Use of ETC
for freeways

Bluetooth
technology

Chapter 10 23
 Average Journey Time

q = flow of vehicles
na = average number of vehicles counted in the direction of the stream
when the test vehicle travels in the opposite direction
ny = the average number of vehicles overtaking the test vehicle minus the
number of vehicles overtaken when the test car is in the direction of q
tw = average journey time, when the test vehicle is travelling with the
stream, q
ta= average journey time, when test vehicle is running against the stream
 Readings
Khanna, S.K., Justo C.E.G. and A. Veeraraghavan, 2013. Highway Engineering.
Nem Chand & Brothers, Roorkee
Kadiyali L.R., Traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning, Khanna
Publishers, New Delhi
http://slideplayer.com/slide/4323353/#
http://www.slideshare.net/monritche/frequency-distributions-and-graphs
http://www.slideshare.net/jasondroesch/gw-e8ch02?next_slideshow=1
www.et.byu.edu/~msaito/CE562MS/Lecture.../Chapter%2010-4e.pptx
http://www.slideshare.net/gauravhtandon1/transportation-engineering-i

20-12-2017 CSRK Prasad 26

 Contact:
csrk@nitw.ac.in
csrk_prasad@yahoo.com
0870-2462117 (O)
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