Transportation engineering

Traffic stream flow models

Dr. Lina Shbeeb

Traffic stream flow models

When we analyse traffic flow we are concern with the interaction between different vehicles in the traffic stream Traffic condition varies from almost free flow (relatively few vehicles are occupying the roadway to highly congested conditions( roadway is jammed with slow vehicles) The determinant of traffic flow models is the car-following rule adopted by drivers in an attempt to maximize their speed while maintaining an acceptable level of safety. Basic variables that describe the prevailing condition within traffic stream are
Traffic flow Traffic concentration Traffic speed
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Notation used in relationship among speed, spacing and acceleration

V= initial speed of the two vehicles dl= deceleration rate of the leading vehicle df= deceleration rate of the following vehicle =perception reaction time x= safety margin after stop L=length of vehicle N= number of vehicle in train (N=1 for cars

Dr. Lina Shbeeb

Vehicle flowing concepts

v 2 L v 1
Spacing S

Direction of travel

1
v2 2dl

v2 2df

=perception reaction time

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Vehicular stream models

The braking distance of the leading vehicle is

If the perception reaction time and braking distance of the following vehicle is included, then the total distance covered by the following vehicle is

v2 xl = 2d l

v2 x f = v + 2d f In terms of the initial spacing, length of vehicle and safety margin and xl

x = s + xl NL xo By equating the lastf two equations, the spacing is estimated by

v2 v2 s = v + + NL + x 2d f 2d l
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Traffic flow types

Uninterrupted flow (Freeway) Interrupted flow (Arterials with traffic light signal) Vehicles in uninterrupted flow conditions are spaced so to provide ample time and distance for a following vehicle to perceive and react to decelerate safely without colliding with a leading vehicle that suddenly decelerate and stop. The choice of the spacing between vehicle as shown in the next slide is function of the deceleration that took place. There are three values of deceleration that are relevant to the operations safety level
dn= normal or comfortable deceleration (safest condition operation) de = emergency deceleration (low level of safety if the spacing is selected so that the following vehicle need to apply emergency braking) = instantaneous or stonewall stop

Combination of leading-following vehicle deceleration are give in Table 3.2.1 and their relation to the spacing versus speed are given in Figure 3.2.2

Dr. Lina Shbeeb

Dr. Lina Shbeeb

Stream variables
Flow (q) The equivalent hourly rate at which vehicles pass a point on a highway during a time period less than 1 hour
q = (n x 3600) T Where; n=# of vehicles passing a point in T seconds q=equivalent hourly flow rate (veh/hour)

Density (k) veh/mi The number of vehicles traveling over a unit length (usually 1 mile) of a highway at an instant in time Speed, u (mph or fps): Distance traveled by a vehicle during a unit of time. Speed at anytime t is the slope of the time-space diagram
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Density (k)
Concentration Number of vehicles traveling over a unit length of highway at an instant in time Usually veh/mile or vpmpl Example:
4 vehicles over 600 feet of roadway Over a mile k = 4 veh. x 5280 feet = 35.2 veh/mi
600 ft mile

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Speed (u)
Time mean speed (ut )
Arithmetic mean of the speeds of vehicles passing a point on a highway during an interval of time (radar gun or road tube study)

1 n u t = ui n i =1
Where; n = # of vehicles ui = speed (ft/sec or mi/hr)
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Speed (u)
Space mean speed (us )
Harmonic mean of the speeds of vehicles passing a point on a highway during an interval of time (total distance traveled by 2 or more vehicles dived by time required to travel that distance)

us =
Where; n = # of vehicles

nL
n

t
i =1

(ft/sec)

ti = time to cross section of highway (sec) L=length (ft)

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Space vs. Time Mean Speed Example

For a 500-foot section, the following were measured
Vehicle 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Measured Time to Travel 500 ft Measured Velocity (mph) (sec) 6.0 6.5 5.3 5.8 5.9 6.1 5.7 5.2 5.5 5.4
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63 58 60 65 64 61 66 72 68 69
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Space vs. Time Mean Speed Example

Calculate time mean speed and space mean speed.
1 n ut = ui n i =1
ut = 63+58+60+65+64+61+66+72+68+69 = 64.5 mph

10

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Space vs. Time Mean Speed Example

Calculate space mean speed.

us =

nL

t
i =1

us =

(500 ft) ( 10 ) = 85.61ft/sec=58.4 mph 6.0+6.5+6.3+5.8+5.9+6.1+5.7+5.2+5.5+5.4

us < ut (always)
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Time Headway (h)

The difference between the time the front of a vehicle crosses a point on the highway and the time the front of the next vehicle crosses the same point (seconds)

t1

h = t2 t 1

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Space Headway (s)

The distance between the front of a vehicle and the front of the following vehicle (ft)

(s)
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Gap
The distance between the back of a vehicle and the front of the following vehicle (ft)

(d)
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Line A-A: Stationary observers whose location does not change with time

Line B-B: Arial photograph of the stream at a given instant

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Flow-Density Relationships
q = k us us = q s s = 1/k k = q t h = t s
q = flow k = density us = Space mean speed s = Average space headway h = Average time headway t = Avg. travel time for unit distance

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Flow-Density Example
If the spacing between vehicles is 500 feet what is the density? s = 1/k k = 1/s = 1 veh/500 feet = 0.002 vehicles/foot = 10.6 veh/mile If the space mean speed is 45.6 mph, what is the flow rate? q = kus = (10.6 veh/mile)(45.6 mph) = 481.5 veh/hr

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Traffic Flow Diagrams

Explains the relationship between density (k), flow (q), and speed (u) Density is the number of vehicles physically occupying the roadway, flow is vehicles moving past a point per unit time So a number of vehicles can occupy the roadway and have a low flow rate

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Greenshield Linear Model

u speed (mph)

k u = u f 1 k j

0 0

km C o n c e n t r a t io n ( v e h / m i)

kj

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Greenshields Linear Model Continued

q
m

Flow (veh/hr) 0

km C o n c e n t r a t io n ( v e h /m i)

kj

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Greenshields Linear Model Continued

q
m

Uncongested flow
0 km

Congested flow
kj

Flow (veh/hr) 0

C o n c e n tr a tio n ( v e h /m i)

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speed (mph)

Uncongested Flow um Congested Flow

0 0 F lo w ( v e h /h r)
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General rule
Car following rule: Traffic experts suggest that keeping a distance of one car length for each 10mph increment of speed. This result distance is the safe gap that should be at least provided between vehicles

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Example
A driver that follow the car following rule. The car length
he/she uses is 15 ft. develop the equations of stream flow.

Solution:
The safe spacing is function of speed to determine the length of the gap plus the car length.
15 + 1.5u u s = L + L = = mi / veh 5280 10 1 3500 k= = = 3500 = uk + 10k s u + 10 q = uk = 3500 10k If we use u instead of k then q will be q = 3500 10 x3500 10 + u

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