Introduction to Traffic

Engineering
CIVE 5305
Fall 2016

Learning Objectives
Introduction to Transportation

Systems.
What is traffic engineering?
Emerging issues and trends in
traffic engineering.
Professional practice &
research opportunities
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Transportation Engineering
The application of technology and scientific
principles to planning, functional design,
operation and management of facilities for
any mode of transportation in order to
provide for the safe, rapid, comfortable,
convenient, economical and
environmentally compatible movement of
people and goods.
(Institute of transportation Engineering(ITE)
definition)

Traffic Engineering
It is concerned with safety of the public, the
efficient use of transportation resources,
and the mobility of people and goods by
road modes including non-motorized
modes.
Other features: environment, intermodal
(transit), intelligent transportation
systems(ITS), access management, congestion
management (to assure mobility).
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Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)

Definition of Traffic Engineering:

the phase of transportation

engineering that deals with the
planning, geometric design and traffic
operations of roads, streets and
highways, their networks, terminals,
abutting lands, and relationship with
other modes of transportation.
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The Transportation System

exists to move people and goods,
to enable economic activity, and to
provide for public needs.
All functions of society depend
upon the transportation system.
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Transportation Modes (Source: Roess et al)

Transportation Modes (from Roess et al)

Transportation Modes (Roess et al)

Importance of Road Traffic in Canada

Overall transportation system is road
transportation-dominated
Passenger Transportation: Passenger-km basis
(Urban, intercity, rural)
Ranks:
1. Automobile ~ 90%
2. Air ~ 6%
3. Public transit (bus & rail)
4. Intercity rail
~4%
5. Intercity bus
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Importance of Road Traffic in Canada (Cont.)

Freight transportation: Rank on tonne basis
1. Truck
2. Rail
3. Domestic marine
4. Air freight
Note: Truck is a short haul mode.

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Key Elements of Traffic Engineering

(Source Roess et al 2014)

1. Traffic system/facility planning and design

2. Traffic studies and characteristics

3. Performance evaluation
4. Traffic control

5. Traffic operations and management

6. Transportation systems management
7. Integration of intelligent transportation systems
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Issues and Trends in Traffic Engineering

Urban traffic congestion & mobility (sustainable
traffic for congested areas within designated time
periods)
Growth management tied to level of service
impacts
Condition of Infrastructure rehabilitation needs
Aging populations
Safety & security
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Issues and Trends in Traffic Engineering

Sustainability issues: economic, social,
energy& environment

Road modes are the major users of

petroleum fuels and are responsible for a
relatively high proportion of emissions.
Access management & equity of access (a
social factor)
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Issues and Trends in Traffic Engineering

Impacts of telecommunications

Intelligent transportation systems

Attention to intermodalism & multimodal
transportation (including non-motorized
travel)

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Traffic & Environment

Emissions

- Air quality pollutants (NOx, VOC, CO, PM)

- Greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4,N2O)

Noise
Land & water pollution
Etc.
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Sustainable Transportation

Technology Factors

Problems
Limited supply of worlds
non-renewable resources (e.g. petroleum,
rare earths).
Rapidly increasing demand

Problems (Continued)
87% of the energy used/yr is
non-renewable (including
fossil fuels & nuclear energy)
Serious emission problems
around the world (air pollutants &
greenhouse gases)
Health & environmental problems

Problems (Continued)
Transportation in Canada
accounts for:
- Approx. 35% of domestic
secondary (end use) energy
- Approx. 77% of petroleum fuels
- Approx. 25% of greenhouse gas
emissions (GHG)

Sources of GHGs in Canada (Present)

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Sustainable Transportation
Does not endanger public health or
ecosystem
Meets the mobility needs consistent
with:
- Renewal resources consumption at
below their rates of regenarion
- Non-renewable resources
consumption at below their rates of
renewable substitutes.

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Issues and Challenges

Sustainable Transportation (Source: The Centre for
Transportation www.cstctd.org)

A sustainable transportation system is one that:

allows the basic access needs of individuals and
societies to be met safely and in a manner
consistent with human and ecosystem health,
and with equity within and between generations.
is affordable, operates efficienctly, offers choice
of transport mode, and supports a vibrant
economy.
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Issues and Challenges

Sustainable Transportation (Cont.)
limits emissions and waste within the
planets ability absorb them, minimizes
consumption of non-renewable resources,
limits consumption of renewable resources
to the sustainable yield level, reuses and
recycles its components, and minimizes the
use of land and production of noise.
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Transportation and GHGs

Approx. 50% of GHGs (transportation) - urban
centres
Approx. 75% from passenger cars and light trucks
Approx. 35% of urban GHG emissions from
Toronto, Montral and Vancouver

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Moving Toward Sustainable Transportation:

Road Mode Examples
Vehicle fuel efficiency
Efficient operations
Alternative Fuels (e.g. ELECTRICITY, ethanol,
natural gas, hydrogen, biodiesel)
Advanced technology vehicles: hybrid, electric,
fuel cell
Urban public transit
Non-motorized transportation
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For a detailed study of sustainable transportation, an

understanding of Fuel, Vehicle & Infrastructure Cycles is
necessary

Material Production
Through Vehicle
Assembling
Feedstock

Transport-

Recovery

ation

Fuel

Production

Infrastructure Construction,
Operation, Maintenance
& Recycling

Transport-

ation

Vehicle

Operation
Vehicle

Maintenance,
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Disposal& Recycling

Professional Practice of Traffic

Engineering
Examples

Toll Traffic Management at the New Windsor-Detroit Border

Crossing Bridge
Bridge authority
A nearly $1-million contract to
studying tolling options
determine the best way to toll
for new Windsormotorists and warn them about
Detroit crossing
traffic congestion on the muchanticipated Windsor-Detroit
bridge
Delcan Corporation to come
up with a preliminary design
for both tolling and intelligent
transportation systems that will
warn drivers about poor
weather, traffic accidents and
other congestion problems
once the bridge is open.
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Examples of Expertise of Consulting

Companies
Traffic planning

Courtsy: DelCAN
Corporation

Infrastructure implementation, management and

operation

Advancing the efficiency, reliability, safety, security

and value of transportation systems
Evolving technologies and increased demand for
intelligent sustainable solutions.
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Intelligent Transportation Systems

Operational Systems

Freeway Traffic Management + Toll

Systems
Traffic Signal Management
Advanced Traveler Information
Traffic Centre to- Center
communications

ITS Systems
Implementation

Tunnel and Bridge Control Systems

Transit Systems
Cell Probes, Connected vehicles

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Los Angeles Regional Integration of

ITS

Better service to the traveling

public; very large
transportation information
sharing and distribution
network in North America

Courtsey: Delcan
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Vancouver Gateway Program

Vancouver Gateway Program

Create a more efficient highway

network that will keep pace
with economic and residential
growth in Metro Vancouver, the
industrial heartland of the
province and the country's
most important Pacific gateway

Courtsey:
DELCAN
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National Traffic Control

Centre (NTCC) England
It is the Highways Agencys
flagship traffic management
service providing strategic
traffic management across
the entire English motorway
and principal road network.
The NTCC monitors a road
network of approximately
5130 miles with 4000 traffic
monitoring sites.

Courtsey: IBI Group

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Courtse
Courtsy: iTrans HDR
Roadway operations assignments from
the selection and application of new
technologies, to signal timing and policy
reviews, to road maintenance contract
preparation.
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Transportation
Planning
Transportation Design

Intelligent
Transportation Systems

Courtsy:
AECOM
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Research in Traffic Engineering

Convergence of advanced technologies (i.e.,
connected vehicles) and methodologies (Also
see U. of Quebec Seminar)
Advances in traffic flow theory, operational
capacity, performance of facilities
Modelling stochastic nature of traffic and
facility performance
Integrated control of freeway and arterial
network

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Research in Traffic Engineering

(Continued)
Assessing ITS under uncertainty (Example:
What is the worth of gains in reliability of travel
time under uncertainty?)
Pedestrian and bicycle interface with motor
vehicle traffic
Modelling and testing of ITS-enabled real-time
investigations of delay, queues, etc.
ETC, ETC.

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Highway Capacity Manual HCM(2000) => 2010 What

is New in HCM (2010)?

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HCM (2010) Units & Conversions

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