CE 4640: Transportation Design

Prof. Tapan Datta, Ph.D., P.E.

Fall 2002

Volume Studies
Intersection Studies
All movements in all possible directions at an intersection most complex

Small Network Studies

Amount and pattern of traffic flow over a network of street links and intersections Size may vary from a community CBD to a large city CBD Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT) estimated

Volume Studies
Statewide and Other Areawide Studies
Performed through ongoing traffic-counting program Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT) estimated

Cordon Studies
Considering an imaginary boundary around a study area of interest, generally, a CBD Data from all streets and highways crossing the cordon are collected

Volume Studies
Origin-Destination Studies
Where the vehicles are coming from and where they are going to Useful for the following:
Freeway interchanges Weaving areas Major activity centers Regional planning studies

Traffic Volume
Number of vehicles passing a given point or a section of a roadway during a specified time Data collected by
Manual counting Electro-mechanical devices

Traffic Demand
Number of vehicles that desire to traverse a particular section of roadway during a specified period of time
at present in future

Traffic Demand at Various Situations

Boottlenecks
Traffic volume reaches the capacity of the highway and queues develop behind such bottleneck

Alternative Routes
In case of congestion in main route, drivers seek an alternative route, which does not give a true demand of the main

Traffic Demand at Various Situations

Latent Demand
Due to extremely high congestion, driver chooses to either stay home or find an alternative destination or mode for the same purpose

Future Growth
Changes in travel behavior and available facilities with respect to time

Travel Time and Delay Surveys

Moving Observer stopwatch, pen and paper laptop PC instrumented vehicle => Chase car versus floating car techniques Stationary Observer number plate survey Field staff or optical character recognition from video Vehicle electronic tags Mobile phone

Origin-Destination Surveys
Want to determine the volume of traffic travelling between different points Local area traffic management Truck flows Network planning Techniques Number Plate Survey Elevated Observer Roadside Interview Postcard Survey Headlight Survey Windscreen Sticker Car Following Registration Address

Origin-Destination Survey Techniques

Elevated Observer Roadside Interview Postcard Survey Headlight Survey Windscreen Sticker Car Following Registration Address Number Plate Survey Most common Observe number plates at different locations and match them to determine origins and destinations

Number Plate Surveys

Need care in defining the cordon Setting the sampling rate Selecting number of characters to record Field data collection pen and paper cassette tape recorder laptop PC machine vision

Errors in O-D Surveys

Two sources misrecording spurious matchings Data recording errors Start-up and Shut -down errors

Parking Surveys
Distinguish between Parking Supply Surveys and Parking Demand Surveys revealed versus latent demand

Parking Supply Survey

Inventory Survey
Collect information on existing parking supply Number of spaces, and characteristics

Parking Demand Surveys

Cordon Counts Occupancy Survey Count of number of parked vehicles Patrol Survey Vehicles occupying particular spaces noted at regular intervals through survey period Provides information on Arrival and departure rates Parking accumulation Parking duration Spatial distribution Interviews

Outline
The Traffic Survey Process Counting and Classification Speed Studies Travel Time and Delay Studies Origin-Destination Studies

Counting and Classification

Two categories link counts one way or bi-directional turning movement counts

Classified counts
Separate count for each vehicle type

Methods
Manual Automatic
Axle Counters pneumatic tubes Vehicle counters Inductive loop detectors Magnetic Vehicle Imaging video-based vehicle detection

Managing the Inventory System

Advanced tools, like Geographic Information Systems (GIS) combines
Geographic data with latitude and longitude Roadway network data Transit network data Roadway inventory data Crash data Socioeconomic data Others

Population Characteristics Data

Data on the road users
Number of road users Vehicle type Roadways used Amount of driving (say, annual) Reaction time Crash experience Others

Population Characteristics Data

Sources of Data
Secretary of State State Police Interviewing drivers with a specific set of questions Others

Operational Data
Volume data
Using traffic counters Manual counting

Speed data
Using speed gun at a spot

Density data
Calculated using volume and speed data

Operational Data
Travel Time and Delay data
By traveling through a specific roadway

Headway and Spacing data

Using electro-mechanical device

Special Purpose Data

Crash data
From the department of State Police

Parking studies
Manual survey and interview

Pedestrian studies
Manual survey and interview

Older driver studies

Driver and crash information and interview

Purpose of Traffic Studies

Data collection
Manually Using any device From available hard copy or electronic data

Data reduction
Compiling raw data into a shorter form

Data analysis
Analytical process to interpret the data

Traffic Stream Parameters

Macroscopic
Traffic stream as a whole

Microscopic
Individual vehicle characteristics

Macroscopic Parameters
Flow (Q)
number of vehicles traversing a point of roadway per unit time (vehicles/hour)

Density (K)
number of vehicles occupying a given length of lane or roadway averaged over time (vehicles/mile)

Speed (V)
distance traversed by a vehicle per unit time (miles/hour)

Moving-vehicle technique
West

X X
East

Y Y

Volumes

Vw

( N e + Ow Pw ) 60 =
Te + Tw

Ve

( N w + Oe Pe ) 60 =
Te + Tw

Average travel times

60(Ow Pw ) Tw = Tw Vw

60(Oe Pe ) Te = Te Ve
(Review Example 4-6)

Problem 9-12: This is a case of planning analysis given v

and LOS, find number of lanes needed
Step 1: Compute heavy vehicle adjustment factor

f HV =

1 1 + PT ( ET 1) + PR ( ER 1)

Step 2: Assume number of lanes (freeway >= 4 lanes 2 lane each way minimum) and compute 15-min peak passenger-car equivalent flow rate. Hint 1: Design volume of a freeway is given for each direction. Hint 2: Highest freeway lane capacity is about 2300 pcphpl.

V vp = PHF N f HV f p
Step 3: Compute free flow speed given BFFS (70 mph in this case) and number of lanes used in Step 2 and other data.

FFS = BFFSi f LW f LC f N f ID
Step 4: Compute density using vp and FFS and determine LOS to see if computed LOS meets the desired LOS. (Tab 9-33) Repeat steps 2 to 4 till design LOS is met.

D=

vp FFS

Signals
Traffic signals should not be installed unless one or more of the warrants are met Engineering studies should be performed and compared with warrants
analysis should consider effects of right turn volumes proportion subtracted from volumes should be based on engineering judgement

Warrant 1: Minimum Vehicular Volume

Number of lanes for moving traffic at each approach Major Street 1 2 or more 1 2 or more Minor Street 1 1 2 or more 2 or more

Vehicles per hour on Vehicles per hour on higher major street volume minor street approach (total of both approaches) (one direction only) 500 600 500 600 150 150 200 200

Warrant 1: Minimum Vehicular Volume

Satisfied when the volumes given in the table exit
on major street and on the higher volume minor street for any 8 hours of an average day

When 85th percentile speed of major street exceeds 40 mph

70 % of the requirements may be used

Warrant 2: Interruption of Continuous Traffic

Num ber of lanes for m oving Vehicles per hour on Vehicles per hour on higher traffic at each approach m ajor street volum e m inor street approa (total of both approaches) (one direction only) M ajor Street M inor Street 1 1 2 or more 1 1 2 or more 2 or m ore 2 or more 750 900 750 900 75 75 100 100

Warrant Applies where traffic volume on major street is so high that traffic on minor intersecting street experiences excessive delay.

Warrant 2: Interruption of Continuous Traffic

Satisfied when, the volumes given in the table exist
on the major street on the higher-volume minor street the signal installation will not seriously disrupt progressive traffic flow for each of any 8 hours of an average day

When 85th percentile speed of major street exceeds 40 mph

70 % of the requirements may be used

Warrant 3: Minimum Pedestrian Volume

Warranted where the pedestrian volume crossing the major intersection or mid-block location during an average day is:
100 or more for each of any four hours, or 190 or more in any one hour

The pedestrian volume of the major street may be reduced as much as 50% of the values given above when predominant pedestrian crossing speed is below 3.5 ft/sec

Warrant 4: School Crossing

Warranted at an established school crossing when a traffic engineering study of the frequency and adequacy of gaps in a traffic stream shows that the number of adequate gaps in the traffic stream during the period when the children are using the crossing is less than the number of minutes in the same period.

Width of street T = 3 + + 4 F where F =( Number of children per group - 1 ) (2) 5 A minimum of 50 children should be utilizing the crossing before applying this warrant.

Warrant 5: Progressive Movement

Warranted in order to maintain proper grouping of vehicles and effectively regulate group speed The warrant is satisfied when:
on a one-way street or a street which has predominantly unidirectional traffic on a two-way street adjacent signals do not provide the necessary degree of platooning and speed control, and the proposed and adjacent signals could constitute a progressive signal system Should be based on the 85th percentile speed unless study indicate other speed is more desirable

Warrant 6: Accident Experience

This warrant is satisfied when:
Adequate trial of less restrictive remedies with satisfactory observance and enforcement has failed to reduce the accident frequency; and Five or more reported accidents, of types susceptible to correction by traffic signal control, have occurred within a 12-month period; and There exists a volume of vehicular and pedestrian traffic not less than 80 percent of the requirements specified in the warrants; and Any signal installation will not seriously disrupt progressive traffic flow.

38

Middlebelt Road

28 27 5

N
Five Mile Road
24

20

21

34 2 33 1 17 12 16 29 22 40 37 9

6 13

25

41 14 32 8 11 35 19 30 3 7

10 18

26 36 15 4 23 39

31

Collision Diagram for Five Mile Road and Middlebelt Road for 1999
Rear-End Backed Into Head On Angle Left-Turn Head-On Sideswipe

LEGEND

Fixed Object Parked Vehicle Pedestrian Other Injury Fatality

Wyoming Avenue

04/09 09/27 09/09 02/01 01/16 02/14

N
McNichols Road

09/13

11/05 10/12 05/05 03/21 06/15 01/27 06/09 11/23 03/06 01/13 04/03 12/08 06/18 11/25 11/20 02/14 02/17 09/20 01/12 04/24 05/23 01/23 10/01 12/24 06/20 11/10 11/10 01/03 11/07 01/04 08/17 12/04 08/17 10/21 12/19 06/20 07/14 12/04 05/22 01/13 12/31 11/16 01/21 05/22 11/17 05/06 08/27 07/06 07/14 08/31 09/29 10/31 11/14 07/03 02/20 11/05 07/08 07/14 01/26 06/15 06/06 04/04 01/27 08/12 07/15 04/27 09/03

06/19

07/27 10/30 03/8

01/06 09/10

11/28 09/25

12/22

Collision Diagram for Wyoming Avenue and McNichols Road for 1997
Rear-End Backed Into Head On Angle Left-Turn Head-On Sideswipe

LEGEND

Fixed Object Parked Vehicle Pedestrian Other Injury Fatality

Warrant 7: Systems Warrant

A major route has one or more of the following characteristics:
It is part of the street or highway system that serves as the principal network for through traffic flow; It includes rural or suburban highways outside of, entering, or traversing a city; It appears as a major route on an official plan, such as a major street in a transportation study

Warrant 8: Combination of Warrants

Signals may be justified where no single warrant is satisfied but where Warrants 1 and 2 are satisfied to the extent of 80 percent or more of the stated values

Warrant 9: Four Hour Volumes

Satisfied when, each of any four hours of an average day the plotted points representing the vehicles per hour on the major street (total of both approaches) and the corresponding vehicle per hour on the higher volume minor street approach (one direction only) all fall above the curve in Figure 4-3 for the existing combination of approach lanes.

Warrant 9: Four Hour Volumes

85th percentile speed exceeds 40 mph, the four hour volume requirement is satisfied when the plotted points referred to fall above the curve in Figure 4-4 for the existing combination of approaches.

Warrant 10: Peak Hour Delay

Satisfied when these conditions exist for one hour of an average weekday
Total delay experienced by traffic on a side street controlled by STOP sign equals or exceeds four vehicle-hours for a one-lane approach and five vehiclehours for a two-lane approach, and The volume on the side street approach equals or exceeds 100 vph for one moving lane of traffic or 150 vph for two moving lanes, and The total entering volume services during the hour equals or exceeds 800 vph for intersection with four (or more) approaches or 650 for intersections with three approaches.

Warrant 11: Peak Hour Volume

Satisfied when, the plotted point representing the vehicle per hour on the major street (total of both approaches) and the corresponding vehicles per hour of the higher volume minor street approach (one direction only) for one hour of an average day falls above the curve in Figure 4-5 for the existing combination of approach lanes When the 85th percentile speed exceeds 40mph, peak hour volume requirement is satisfied when the plotted point falls above the curve in Figure 4-6 for the existing combination of approach lanes

Example Problem
12-Hour Traffic Volumes
M-29 TRAFFIC VOLUMES (TOTAL OF SB WESTERN DRIVEWAY APPROACH VOLUMES EB AND WB DIRECTIONS OF (VPH) TRAFFIC) VPH (Source-1999 MDOT Count ) 597 642 900 910 831 878 958 994 983 889 684 488 % Of 24 Hour Volume Expected Traffic Volume 6.5 126 8.4 163 8.2 160 7.5 146 7.8 152 9.5 185 10.4 202 11 214 8.3 161 5.3 103 4.3 84 1.8 35

Existing Volumes on Major Street and Predicted Volumes on Minor Stre

TIME

10.00-11.00 AM 11.00-12.00 PM 12.00-1.00 PM 1.00-2.00 PM 2.00-3.00 PM 3.00-4.00 PM 4.00-5.00 PM 5.00- 6.00 PM 6.00- 7.00 PM 7.00- 8.00 PM 8.00- 9.00 PM 9.00- 10.00 PM

Lane Configuration

WESTERN

M-29

SPEED LIMIT = 50 mph

Warrant #1 is met
M-29 TRAFFIC VOLUMES (TOTAL OF EB AND WB SB WESTERN DRIVEWAY DIRECTIONS OF TRAFFIC) APPROACH VOLUME VPH (VPH) (Source- 1999 MDOT Count) 597 642 900 910 831 878 958 994 983 889 684 488 126 163 160 146 152 185 202 214 161 103 84 35 Warrant Met= Warrant No. 1 Volume Criteria (Major Street= 420 Minor Street= 140)

TIME

10.00-11.00 AM 11.00-12.00 PM 12.00-1.00 PM 1.00-2.00 PM 2.00-3.00 PM 3.00-4.00 PM 4.00-5.00 PM 5.00- 6.00 PM 6.00- 7.00 PM 7.00- 8.00 PM 8.00- 9.00 PM 9.00- 10.00 PM

Warrant #2 is met
M-29 TRAFFIC VOLUMES (TOTAL OF EB AND WB SB WESTERN DRIVEWAY DIRECTIONS OF TRAFFIC) APPROACH VOLUME VPH (VPH) (Source- 1999 MDOT Count) 597 642 900 910 831 878 958 994 983 889 684 488 126 163 160 146 152 185 202 214 161 103 84 35 Warrant Met= Warrant No. 2 Volume Criteria (Major Street= 630 Minor Street= 70)

TIME

10.00-11.00 AM 11.00-12.00 PM 12.00-1.00 PM 1.00-2.00 PM 2.00-3.00 PM 3.00-4.00 PM 4.00-5.00 PM 5.00- 6.00 PM 6.00- 7.00 PM 7.00- 8.00 PM 8.00- 9.00 PM 9.00- 10.00 PM

Warrant #9 is met
M-29 TRAFFIC VOLUMES (TOTAL OF EB AND WB SB WESTERN DRIVEWAY DIRECTIONS OF TRAFFIC) APPROACH VOLUME VPH (VPH) (Source- 1999 MDOT Count) 597 642 900 910 831 878 958 994 983 889 684 488 126 163 160 146 152 185 202 214 161 103 84 35 Warrant Met= Warrant No. 9 Volume Criteria (Major Street= 875 Minor Street= 80)

TIME

10.00-11.00 AM 11.00-12.00 PM 12.00-1.00 PM 1.00-2.00 PM 2.00-3.00 PM 3.00-4.00 PM 4.00-5.00 PM 5.00- 6.00 PM 6.00- 7.00 PM 7.00- 8.00 PM 8.00- 9.00 PM 9.00- 10.00 PM

Warrant #11 is not met

Volumes on the major road do not meet the requirements. M-29 TRAFFIC VOLUMES Warrant Met=
TIME

(TOTAL OF EB AND WB SB WESTERN DRIVEWAY Warrant No. 11 Volume DIRECTIONS OF TRAFFIC) APPROACH VOLUME Criteria (Major Street= VPH (VPH) 1200 Minor Street= 100) (Source- 1999 MDOT Count)
597 642 900 910 831 878 958 994 983 889 684 488 126 163 160 146 152 185 202 214 161 103 84 35

10.00-11.00 AM 11.00-12.00 PM 12.00-1.00 PM 1.00-2.00 PM 2.00-3.00 PM 3.00-4.00 PM 4.00-5.00 PM 5.00- 6.00 PM 6.00- 7.00 PM 7.00- 8.00 PM 8.00- 9.00 PM 9.00- 10.00 PM

Left-Turn Phasing Warrants at Signalized Intersections (ITE Journal April 1986)

Warrants based on accidents (most widely used) 3-5 left-turn crashes/year Warrants based on volumes cross product of left turn*opposing volume
2 lane exceeds 30,000-50,0000 4 lane exceeds 50,000-100,000

minimum left-turn hourly volumes

exceeds 125 vph

minimum left-turn volume per cycle

exceeds 2 vehicles/cycle

Left-Turn Phasing Warrants at Signalized Intersections (ITE Journal April 1986) Warrants based on Delays/Queues
left-turn vehicle delay- exceeds 2 vph left-turn vehicle delay- exceeds 35 sec/veh vehicle queue- more than 10% left at end of through phase vehicle delay- exceeds 2-3 cycles left-turn storage- exceeded by left-turn demand

Left-Turn Phasing Warrants at Signalized Intersections (ITE Journal April 1986) Other warrants
geometric design- sight distance inadequate signal system- progressive movement/adjacent intersection phasing traffic conflict- exceeds 10-14/hour approach speed- of opposing traffic exceeds 45 mph

Warrant Based on Accidents

3-5 left-turn crashes per year

Correctable LTHO crashes/year 4 Correctable LTHO crashes/2 years 6

Warrant Based on Volumes

Product of left-turn and opposing volume
2 lanes exceeds 30,000-50,000 4 lane exceeds 50,000-100,000

Number of Opposing Lanes 1 2 3

Product 45,000 90,000 135,000

Warrant Based on Volumes

Sum of left-turn and opposing volume
Number of Opposing Lanes 1 2 3 Sum 500 900 1,000

Example Problem
Product Rule 180*590 = 106,200 For 2 opposing lanes, yes the left-turn phase is warranted ( 90,000). Sum Rule 180 + 590 = 770 For 2 opposing lanes, left-turn phase is not warranted (< 900)

180 vph 590 vph

Warrant Based on Volumes

Minimum left-turn hourly volume Minimum left-turn volume per cycle

exceeds 2 vehicles/cycle exceeds 125 vph

Warrant Based on Delay

Maximum allowable delay = 96 sec/veh Or Minimum total delay = 1.5 vehicle-hour