.

Guidelin·es for
Traffic Impact Assessment

Produc�d by In collaboration with

Road Engineering Association of Malaysia Jabatan Kerja Raya Malaysia

Extracts from this document may be reproduced except for commercial purposes, provided the source is acknowledged.
 CONTENT .
Page

Foreword IV

1. Preamble I

2. Objectives of these Guidelines 1

3. What is TIA? 2

4. Scope of TIA 2

5. TIA and the Legislation 3

6. Basic Process and Organisation 4

7. Parties Involved in TIA 5

Role of Developer 5

Role of Approving Authority 5

Role of TIA Assessor 6

8. Accreditation of TIA Assessor 7

9. When is TIATequired? 8

I 0. Guidelines for Performing TIA 9

11. Traffic Condition to be achieved by Mitigation Measures 9

12. Validity Period of TIA Study 10

Appendix 11 - 23

Acknowledgements 24

II
 CONTENT OF APPENDIX

GUIDELINES FOR TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT

.
Page

Al The General Approach 11

A2 Analysis of the Current Situation of the Study Area 12

A3 Trip Generation 13

A3.2 Non-site Traffic 13

A3.3 Site Traffic 14

Trip Generation ,,
' 14

Trip Distribution 16

Trip Assignment 18

A4 Network Condition and Impact Analysis 19

A4.l Definition of Terms 19

A4.2 Impact Analysis 20

A5 Mitigation Measures 21

A6 TIA Report 22

III
 FOREWORD

Road Engineering Association of Malaysia (REAM), through the cooperation and support
of various road authorities and engineering institutions in Malaysia, publishes series of
official documents on STANDARDS, SPECIFICATIONS, GUIDELINES, MANUAL
and TECHNICAL NOTES which are related to road engineering. The aim of such
publication is to achieve quality and consistency in the road and highway industry.

The cooperating bodies are:-

Public Works Department, Malaysia

Malaysian Highway Authority
Institution of Engineers, Malaysia
The Chartered Institution of Highway & Transportation (Malaysian Branch)

The production of such documents is carried through several stages. The documents are
initially compiled / drafted by the relevant Technical Committee and subsequently
scrutinised by the relevant Standing Committee of REAM. They are finally endorsed by
road authorities and practitioners of road engineering at a conference before publication.
"
'
The success of a Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) study and the follow-up actions
depend on the full cooperation of the Developer, Approving Authorities, as well as other
professionals involved in the project. Guidelines are dynamic in nature. As more
experience is gained through usage and more research done through time, appropriate
modifications will be made to these GUIDELINES as and when necessary. Users of this
document are most welcome to submit their views and suggestions for consideration.

ROAD ENGINEERING ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA

46A, Jalan Bola Tampar 13/14, Section 13, 40100 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: 603 - 5513 6521 / 603 - 5513 6522 Fax: 603 - 5513 6523
Email : ream@po.jaring.my Website : http://www.ream.org.my

IV
1. PREAMBLE
..
1.1 New development invariably results in additional generated tri.J?S that affect the
traffic condition of the existing road network. Each new development, or re­
development, will result in new traffic loads on the existing road network.
Unless such new loading is properly studied and addressed; the road network
will degenerate in capacity and efficiency, resulting in congestions and other
negative impact on the environment. A common method tliat is used to address
such problem is the TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT (TIA). It is a
systematic and scientific process whereby impact of the new generated traffic is
assessed and mitigation measures prescribed. TIA provides a common platform
on which both the developer and the approving authority work hand in hand to
ensure that development of towns and cities is controlled in an 9rderly manner.

1.2 The guidelines contained herein are the current best practice in the work of TIA
in Malaysia. They are, of course, subject to amendments and modifications
from time to time resulting from the experience of their usage through time.
This document should serve as the standard reference material for developers,
TIA practitioners and the approving authorities. For eas� of reference, the term
"these GUIDELINES", wherever it appears herein, means this whole document
inclusive of the Appendix.

2. OBJECTIVES OF THESE GUIDELINES

The objectives of these GUIDELINES are:

• To achieve uniformity in the practice of TIA in the country;

• To set the best practice of TIA;
• To standardise the preparation of TIA reports;
• To provide the necessary technical links with the Environmental Impact
Assessment and the Road Safety Audit; and
• To provide a basis for approving authorities in assessing and apportioning a
developer's contribution to road infrastructure improvements.

1
i'

3. WHAT IS A TIA?

3.1 TIA is an important tool used to determine the impact of tn;ffic generated from
a proposed site development project (upon full development) on the
surrounding road and transportation systems. It identifies the need for
mitigation measures for a transportation system to reduce ·congestion, as well as
to maintain or improve road safety. Although TIA does not replace area-wide
or regional transportation study, they provide the authorities, planners and
developers a framework in making critical land use and site planning decisions
regarding traffic and transportation issues. Local Authorities may also use TIA
as basis for assessing and apportioning a developer's contribution to road
improvements.

3.2 Traffic should be one of the major considerations in the planning of new
developments or upgrading of existing developments. TIA should start at the
early planning stages of a project, including site selection stage. Early
participation of TIA Assessor will contribute towards the preparation of a more
responsive and cost-effective site plan. The developer should have TIA
undertaken prior to submitting his development project plan to the approving
authority. He needs to communicate with the approving authority to obtain
specific TIA requirements.

4. SCOPE OF TIA

Setting the scope for TIA allows for appropriate consideration of the data to be
collected, area to be studied and methodology to be adopted.

The scope of a TIA should contain at least the following key elements:

• Definition of the study area/boundary.

• Determining existing traffic pattern, which includes primary and
secondary data collection.
• Information on land use and development in surrounding area of project.
• Trip forecasting with sequential steps of trip generation, trip distribution and
trip assignment.
• Analysis of impacts of projected generated traffic in area of study.
• Mitigation measures for all negative impacts.

2
5. TIA AND THE LEGISLATION

5.1 Road Transport Act 1987, Act 333 Section 85(1) states that:

No person shall:-

(a) construct any access road (including paths, driveways or other means of
access, whether public or private) to join any road:
(b) construct a drain to join a drain constructed alongside a road;
(c) carry out any works of any description in, upon, over or under any road,

unless plans containing details of the layout thereof (including such particulars
as may be prescribed) have been submitted to and approved by the Minister
charged with the responsibility for works in relation to a Federal road, or the
appropriate authority in relation to a road other than a Federal road, and the
Minister or the appropriate authority, as the case may be, may refuse such
application or allow it on such conditions as he or it may impose.

And subsection (8) further states that:

The Minister or the appropriate authority, as the case may be, may make rules
to regulate and control the carrying out or construction of any works referred
to in subsection (1).

It is quite clear, from the above Road Transport Act that submission would
have to be made and approval sought from the appropriate approving
authorities before any connection or change to an existing road system can be
made. . At the same time, the responsibilities to regulate and control such
activities -0r works rest with the designated authorities as well. TIA is one of the
bases that will assist the authority concerned in considering and approving the
application.

5.2 According to the guidelines entitled "Penambahbaikan Sistem Penyampaian

Prosedur dan Proses Cadangan Pemajuan Serta Perlaksanaan Pusat Setempat"
published by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, a developer, in
submitting his application for planning permission, must include in his
submission a document called Development Proposal Report (Laporan
Cadangan Pemajuan). This Report is required under section 21A of the Town
and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172). In the Guidelines for preparing the
Development Proposal Report, the Town and Country Planning Department
requires that a report on "Sistem laluan (lebuhraya, jalan utama) rizabnya
serta ekses keluar masuk. Dari penemuan analisis bahagian ini dan
befgantaung kepada saiz pemajuan, pihakberkuasa perancang tempatan
boleh mengarahkan suata laporan 'Penilaian Kesan Trafik' disediakan,jika
perlu. "These GUIDELINES will assist the approving authority in determining
when a TIA is required and the details of report to be submitted.

3
I'

6. BASIC PROCESS AND ORGANISATON

6.1 The general process in which TIA is involved in the application for Planning
Permission is depicted in Figure 6.1.
i,

6.2 TIA study shall only be carried out by an Accredited TIA Assessor.

Commencement of development planning

Developer to engage consultants, including

TIA Assessor

Preparation of preliminary site layout plan

Carry out TIA

Review and modify site layout plan where

necessary

Finalise TIA report

if layout plan is modified

Include in Development Proposal
Report (Laporan Cadangan
Pemajuan) for submission to
Approving Authority for Planning
Permission

If only mitigation
measures are modified

>------.i TIA report returned to Developer

with queries or comments
Not
acceptable

OK

Approving Authority
to proceed with
approval process

Figure 6.1: TIA in Planning Permission Application Process

4
7. PARTIES INVOLVED IN TIA

7.1 The main parties involved in the TIA Process are: (1) the Developer, who is the
owner of the development or re-development project, or any party appointed by
the owner to carry out the project on his behalf; (2) the Approving Authority,
who can be the local authority or the respective road authority; and (3) the TIA
Assessor, who must be an Accredited TIA Assessor.

Role of the Developer

7.2 The Developer shall be responsible for engaging an Accredited TIA Assessor to
carry out the TIA for his development or re-development. Each new
development or re-development proposal, which is expected to generate added
vehicular trips exceeding the trigger level (refer to section 9.2), shall require a
TIA report to be submitted together with the planning application.

7.3 The Developer shall liaise with the Approving Authority at the early stage of
planning the development in order to ensure that the . type and scale of the
proposal is suitable for the site under consideration. They must also liaise with
road and transport authorities to demonstrate the traffic planning for the
development and to identify any possible adverse traffic impacts. This process
of early consultation with the approving authority is likely to save time and
costs so that planning application could progress more speedily.

7.4 TIA Assessor should be appointed by the Developer at the planning stage of the
project so that professional inputs with regards to traffic issues can be used by
the planners/architects to develop the preliminary site/layout plans. This is
important as it will avoid the undesirable situation where traffic requirements
are incorporatedin the plan as an after-thought.

7.5 The Developer shall not interfere with the professional work of the TIA
Assessor. The Developer shall implement the mitigation measures adopted by
the Approving Authority.

Role of the Approving Authority

7.6 The term "Approving Authority" in these GUIDELINES refers to the local
authority or the road authority, or both, whichever is applicable according to the
situation. Each authority has its own power to control according to the law.

5
7.7 Approving Authority has a regulatory role in the TIA process in relation to
land-use planning, and roads and transport infrastructure development. It
should encourage pre-application discussions with the peveloper to steer the
TIA study, including giving direction on sources of informa.tion, good practice
i
advice, and clear guidance on what the Developer may bt expected to provide
in accordance with the transport strategy of the authoricy. TIA report will
provide the Approving Authority with the relevant input, relating to traffic
situation forecast and mitigation measures, for the Authority's consideration of
the Developer's application for planning approval. Where appropriate,
Approving Authority may use information in the TIA report as a basis for
levying fees from developers for future infrastructure improvements.

7.8 Where an Approving Authority does not have in-house capacity to evaluate
TIA reports, it may engage an independent Accredited TIAAssessor to evaluate
the reports on its behalf.

Role of TIA Assessor

7.9 TIA Assessor can be an individual or a team of spe9ialists of a firm led by an

Accredited TIA Assessor.

7.10 Traffic/Road Engineering Consultant of the development project who has been
commissioned by the Developer to also carry out the TIA shall act
independently in his role as TIA Assessors. By virtue of his profession, he shall
directly or indirectly look after the interests of the general public and the local
community.

7.11 TIA Assessor shall evaluate the planning and design of the project in promoting
sustainable modes of transportation. Optimisation of road capacity by means of
traffic managetr).ent measures should not be ignored.

6
8. ACCREDITATION OF TIA ASSESSOR

8.1 Qualifications
'.
Any person who wishes to be accredited as a TIA Assessor must have the
following qualifications: · ·

(a) be registered with the Board of Engineers, Malaysia, as a Professional

Engineer (Civil) for at least two (2) complete calendar years;

(b) have at least ten (10) years total working experience (8 years for those
with recognised post graduate qualifications);

(c) have a minimum of three (3) years experience in traffic engineering and a
minimum of three (3) years experience in practical traffic impact
assessment; and

(d) have attended a formal training course, and pass a Competency Test in
Traffic Impact Assessment conducted by the tBoard of Engineers,
Malaysia, or any organisation appointed by the Board to conduct the Test.

8.2 Registration of Accredited TIA Assessor

Accreditation shall be carried out by the Board of Engineers, Malaysia. The
Board shall maintain a current register of Accredited TIA Assessors. This
register shall be accessible to the public.

7
.., \

9. WHEN IS TIA REQUIRED?

9.1 General

It is necessary to know when a traffic impact assessment ·is required. This is

because not all developments will cause significant"· impact on their
surroundings, especially those in the rural areas. Gene!ally, the criteria for
warranting a TIA are as follows:

• When a development generates a specified number of peak hour trips;

• When a development generates a specified number of daily trips;
• When a development contains a specified number of dwelling units or
specified built-up floor area;
• When a development occurs in a sensitive area; or
• When the Appropriate Authority considers it necessary under unusual
situation.

9.2 Criteria and T rigger Levels r

The criteria and their corresponding trigger levels for warranting a TIA shall be:

No. Criteria Trigger Levels

Peak Hour Trip Generation 150 added vehicles per hour

1.
(Commuter peak) (2-Way)

Off-Peak Hour Trip Generation

200 added vehicles per hour
2. (Generator peak occurs at the
' (2-Way)
off-peak period)

3. Size of residential development 200 dwelling units

45,000 sq.ft.
4. Size of Commercial development
(gross floor area)

Note: Trip Generation Rates shall be based on the Malaysian Trip Generation
Manual published by the Highway Planning Unit of the MinistJy of Works,
Malaysia.

A� the four (4) criteria must be tested, and if any one of the criteria for the
proposed development reaches the prescribed trigger level, then a TIA study is
required. However, in specific cases where the Approving Authority deems
necessary, TIA may be imposed even if the trigger level has not been reached.

8
10. GUIDELINES FOR PERFORMING TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Traffic impact assessment shall be carried out in accordance with tlie guidelines given
··
in the Appendix.
I.

11. TRAFFIC CONDITION TO BE ACIDEVED BY MITIGATION MEASURES

'
BASELINE TRAFFIC MINIMUM TRAFFIC CONDITION
CONDITION IN IAY** (LOS) AFTER MITIGATION
(LOS) MEASURES***
A . D
B D
C D
D D
E D (exception E)*
F D (exception E)*
* See sections 11.3 and 11.4 below.
** IAY means Impact Analysis Year.
*** These requirements are applicable to road segments andi.each element of
the intersections individually.
See section A4. l in Appendix for definition of terms.

11.1 Traffic condition in the existing road network affected by the impact of the traffic
from the new development will invariably become inferior to the Baseline Traffic
Condition in IAY. Mitigating measures are supposed to restore the level of service
of the existing roads to their baseline conditions. The minimum traffic condition to
be achieved after mitigation measures are in place shall be as shown in the table
above.

11.2 For roads with Baseline Traffic Condition in JAY at LOS of A, B, C or D, the
minimum traffic condition after mitigation measures shall have LOS of D. LOS D is
considered to be the lower bound level at which roads operate satisfactorily. Roads
with LOS A, B or C can be allowed to take in more traffic until the LOS drops to D.

11.3 Where the Baseline Traffic Condition in JAY is at LOSE, the target mitigated LOS
shall also be D. However, where site condition is very restrictive and the Approving
Authority is convinced that the highest LOS achievable after mitigation measures is
level E, the Approving Authority may consider allowing an exemption of the LOS
D requirement.

11.4 Where Baseline Traffic Condition in IAY is at LOS F, it indicates that the existing
road network, or part of it, is already below acceptable operating condition. New
traffic should not be allowed to enter the road network. In general, Approving
Authority should not consider approving any new development that will cause
negative traffic impact to the existing network unless the developer can
demonstrates that he can, and undertakes to, upgrade the existing roads to achieve
the requirement in the table above.

9
12. VALIDITY PERIOD OF TIA STUDY

If the time lapse between the dates of a TIA study and its suhmission is more than
two (2) years, the TIA must be updated to reflect the latest traffic conditions of the
locality. Not withstanding the abovementioned time lapse, th� A'j:>proving Authority
may ask for an updated TIA whenever it deems necessary. . .·.

10
 APPENDIX

GUIDELINES FOR PERFORMING TRAFFIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Al. THE GENERAL APPROACH

Al. 1 Traffic impact assessment must be performed professionally, always with

public interest in mind. There must not be any predetermined objectives for
which results and analyses are biased. The main objective of a TIA is to have
a professional evaluation on the potep.tial impacts the proposed development
may have on the transportation and traffic infrastructure in its vicinity. In
the event of negative impacts being forecast, the TIA assessor must then
propose ·the most appropriate mitigating measures to - achieve the
requirements stated in Section 11.

Al.2 The steps required in a TIA are generally as follows:

demarcation of the study area (to consult and ob,tain approval from
the Approving Authority);
evaluation of the current traffi c condition of the road network within
the demarcated study area;
acquisition of information on the proposed and adjacent developments;
estimation of the trips that will be generated upon completion and full
occupation of the development;
distribution and assignment of the generated traffic;
analysis of the traffic and transportation condition of the study area
upon completion and full occupation of the development;
proposal of measures to mitigate the negative impacts; and
production of the TIA report.

11
A2. ANALYSIS OF THE CURRENT SITUATION OF THE STUDY AREA

A2. l The analysis of the current situation of the study area is.'important as it will
serve as the base-line situation for determining the impacts,. of the proposed
development. This base-line analysis should cover issues listed and
elaborated in Table 2.1.

Table 2.1: Data Required for the Base-line Situation Analysis

Category Data

- Current land-use (type and density) in vicinity of area

- Estimated increase in land-use activity and size:
Land use - Anticipated development projects and planned completion
dates, type and its density
- Information pertaining the proposed development
- Information from structure and local plans
r
- Information on current and future demographic patterns
Demographics
(to include socio-economic information)

- The current traffic volume (daily and peak rates)

- The traffic volume from several previous years (to get the
trend of changes)
Traffic Volume
- Turning movements at junctions
- Traffic volume fluctuation according to time and season.
- Traffic volume forecast from other reliable source(s)

- The current road characteristics (road type, width, number

ap_d direction of lanes, exit and entry points, internal
circulation, access control).
- Road hierarchy and the controlling authority
Transportation - Traffic signal locations, coordination and timing
System - Local and regional plans
- Public transport service and usage
- Parking information
- Road furniture
- Other relevant information

- Origin and destination information

Other Traffic
- Modal split information
Data
- Road accident record

12
 A2.2 Peak hours of travel activities in the study area have to be identified. It is
during these peaks that impacts are studied. A 16-hour survey shall be
carried out, usually from 6am to 1Opm. In less busy areas, especially where
there are minimal night activities, a 12-hour survey may be acceptable.
From either the 12- or 16- hour survey, the peak hours are identified. The
survey should be conducted on a typical working weekday. •However, for
proposed development with retail component having a gros� floor area of
100,000 sq. ft. or more, an additional survey should be carried out during
weekend. The choice between Saturday and Sunday as weekend depends on
the nature of development (i.e, which of these two days has more activity).
Surveys should not be conducted in irregular seasons when travel pattern is
not normal (e.g. during school �olidays, major festivals or religious
festivities). Prior approval on the date of survey(s) from the Approving
Authority must be obtained.

A3. TRIP GENERATION

A3.1 Reliable estimate of the increase in traffic trips that will be caused by the
proposed development is one of the key parameters that will determine the
quality of the TIA. Generally, there are two categorie,$ of increased trips:
NON-SITE TRAFFIC and SITE TRAFFIC. Each ot these will be dealt
with below.

A3.2 Non-Site Traffic

A3.2.l Non-site traffic includes all through trips of which neither the
origin nor the destination is in the development site. This is
usually the case for a development located by an existing main
road, or whose access(es) leads to an existing main road. In
?rder to estimate the future through traffic in the existing main
road, a historical trend in traffic volume changes of that road is
needed. · The average annual growth is usually applied to the
current volumes to estimate the future traffic volume for the
Impact Assessment Year.

A3.2.2 Generally, the main source of this information is the "Road

Traffic Volume Malaysia" (RTVM), published annually by the
Highway Planning Unit (HPU) of the Ministry of Works.
RTVM, however, does not include traffic data of roads under the
jurisdiction of local authorities and rural roads. Information for
such roads is usually unavailable, unless there is an initiative by
the relevant road authority to collect them. TIA assessor should
make necessary enquiry with the relevant road authority for
possible availability of such information. Where such data is
absolutely not available, or the available data is more than two
years old, a traffic count shall be conducted and an estimated
growth rate applied. The basis of estimating the growth rate shall
be made known in the TIA report.

13
 A3.2.3 It is important to establish as reliably as possible the baseline
network traffic conditions (i.e. considering Non-Site traffic only)
for the Submission Year (SY) and that for the �Impact Analysis
Year (IAY). These JAY baseline traffi� c.onditions would
represent the future scenario "without". the proposed
development (i.e. with Non-Site traffic only). This scenario will
be compared against a future scenario "with" the proposed
development ( i.e. with Non-Site traffic and Site traffic taken
together) to det�rmine the impact due to the proposed
development.

A3.2.4 The IAY baseline n�twork conditions may be extrapolated by

applying past growth rates (i.e. growth rates based on past
trends) over the existing baseline traffic conditions. This
approach assumes that the pattern and the rates of traffic growth
in the study area in the future are similar to those of the past
years. In the absence of a computerised traffic model which
could account for both spatial and temporal variations, this
approach of extrapolation may be accepted.
�
A3.2.5 Where the JAY baseline network conditions can be derived from
a computerised traffic model of the study area, method as given
in A3.2.4 should not be used. A well-developed and correctly
validated traffic model would be used to project the IAY
baseline network conditions. The pattern of travel demand may
be estimated by zone (spatial variation) and by time period
(temporal) variation, such as morning peak, evening peak and off
peak periods.

A3.3 Site Traffic

Trip Generation
A3.3.l Site traffic refers to the traffic generated by the proposed
development. It is estimated by means of trip rates or trip
regression equations, which relate estimated volume of generated
trips to one or several independent parameters. The trip rates or
trip equation vary with the type and size of the development as
well as with different periods of a day and week. The estimated
trips are in units of vehicle trips. Impacts and mitigating
measures are based on the worst conditions at peak periods. The
estimation of peak hour trips is, therefore, particularly important.

14
A3.3.2 The independent parameters are: the number of units of
dwelling, commercial or public/institutional buildings for the
proposed land use; total floor area; gross leasable floor area
(GLFA); total development area (usually used for large
development) and others (e.g. number of staff, number of
residence, number of students, etc). The v�iues for these
parameters should be extracted from the proposed· development
plan.

A3.3.3 Trip rates are simple ratio of trips per unit of selected parameter
(e.g. trips per unit of semi detached house), while trip equations
are regression equations. which relates the two values. Such
equations are derived from actual surveys carried out for trip
generation analysis.

A3.3.4 Site Traffic is the estimate of the number of additional trips

produced and attracted by the proposed development.
Irrespective of the number of phases the development will be
implemented, Site Traffic shall be estimated for the full
completion of the development.
.
A3.3.5 The most current version of The Malaysian Trip Generation
Manual (MTGM) published by the Highway Planning Unit of
the Ministry of Works, Malaysia, shall be used as the main
reference for trip generation rates.

A3.3.6 Equations provide more accurate estimates and must always be

used if available.

A3.3.7 The vehicular trips need to be converted into passenger car

equivalent (pcu) values before the subsequent steps of trip
distributfon and trip assignment can proceed. The pcu/vehicle
conversion factors for various types of vehicle are given in Table
A3.3:7. For any conversion factor which is not available in the
Table, the TIA assessor can select a suitable factor by making
reference to other authoritative sources. Such reference sources
must be declared in the TIA report.

15
 Table A3.3.7: PCU Conversion Factors

Equivalent Value in pcu ··

Type of Vehicle Rural Urban Round-About ·\ Traffic Signal
1
Standard > Standard'> Design'> , . Design2)
. '
Passenger Cars 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
Motor Cycles 1.00 0.75 0.75
. 0.22
Light Vans 2.00 2.00 2.00 1.00
Medium Lorries 2.50 2.50 2.80 1.19
Heavy Lorries 3.00 3.00 2.80 2.27
Buses 3.00 3.00 2.80 2.08

Reference: 1) ''A Guide on Geometric Design ofRoads", Road Engineering

Association of Malaysia, 2002
2) Highway Capacity Manual Malaysia, HPU, 2006

Trip Distribution

A3.3.8 Each trip has two ends: an origin and a destination, or commonly
called an 0-D pair. In the trip generation process, only the
number of trip ends in the proposed development is estimated,
i.e. the number of trips produced (out-going) by the development
and the number of trips attracted (in-coming) to the development
are calculated. Trip ends are connected to form trip interchanges
or 0-D pairs. Trip distribution models are formulated to predict
zone-to-zone trip interchanges.

A3.3.9 In a traffic model, the results of trip distribution process would

take the form of a zone-to-zone trip matrix of 0-D pairs for the
study area. It provides the number of trips originated from a
particular traffic zone and how many of these trips are
distributed to all other zones in the study area. Traffic modelling
can take the form of a sophisticated computer model or a simple
model using manual computation.

16
A3.3.10 In manual computation, the trip distribution stage would involve
the estimation of how the trip ends so generated by the proposed
development are to be distributed to the different siccess routes
associated with the development. Both the out-going trips and
the in-coming trips have to be considered, forming a two-way
trip interchanges with these access routes. A corrtmon approach
is to distribute these trip ends proportionally t9 the observed
traffic volumes on these access routes. The basis of this approach
rests on the assumption that the propensity or the likelihood for a
trip to access the proposed development via a certain route is
directly proportional to the traffic volume on that route. In other
words, it is assumed that an access route with a higher traffic
volume would tend to· channel more access traffic to the
development than one with a low traffic volume.

A3.3.l 1 In performing trip distribution with computer, a common basis for

converting zone-to-zone trip productions and trip attractions into
trip interchanges is the Gravity Model. The Gravity Model
rests on two principal assumptions:

(a) A trip produced in one zone is more I1kely to be attracted

to another zone which has a higher number of trip
attractions;

(b) Similarly, a trip produced in one zone is also more likely to

be attracted to another zone which is closer to it (which is
analogous to Newton's law of gravity, hence the name
Gravity Model).

for computer modelling, there are several proprietary software

packages available in the market. TIA Assessor must obtain the
agreement of the Approving Authority on the usage of any
particular software.

A3.3.12 Computer traffic modelling shall be employed for any proposed

development that has a Gross Floor Area (GFA) of 1.8 million sq.
ft. or generates a two-way traffic volume of 3,000 vehicle trips
per hour or more. For a proposed development the GFA or
generated traffic of which both fall below the respective
threshold, however, manual computation can be accepted.

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Trip Assignment
A3.3.13 At this stage, the total volume of trips produced by and attracted
to the proposed development, and their directions of flow would
have been determined. The subsequent step is the assignment
process whereby the generated trips are as$igned to the road
network in the study area. This process . is: ,essential before
assessment of impact on the road network in. the study area can
be carried out. The aim of assigning the generated trips is to
estimate the volume of traffic in the ImpaGt Analysis Year (IAY)
at affected roads and junctions.

A3.3.14 Trip assignment models are formulated to predict the number of

trips using various routes and, hence the traffic on the links and
intersections of a road network. They help to determine, for a
particular set of trip interchanges or 0-D pairs,-which set of links
or roadways within the road network in the study area will be
used to reach the desired destinations. The assumption for most
assignment or route choice models is that people will choose the
route which offers the shortest travel time (or, incurs the least
cost of travel). In accordance to this principle, trip interchanges
may then be assigned onto the set of routes dynamically or
sequentially (as the preferred routes become increasingly
congested, other routes may become attractive as alternatives.)
For the use of computer software for trip assignment, clause
3.3.12 applies.

A3.3.15 For developments which are relatively small in scale, the volume
of traffic distributed in accordance with section Trip
Distribution above may be assigned directly onto roads in the
study area to obtain the total traffic volume on the affected roads
in IAY. (As these road links are, in general, located in the close
vici7:ity of the proposed development, the assumption here is not
about optimized travel times as route choices as in a typical
traffic model, but more on the availability of access routes and
th_eir relative popularity as an access choice.)

A3.3.16 For the purpose of traffic impact analysis, modal split between
private and public transport shall not be considered. In other
words, there shall be no reduction in the projected generated
traffic due to the anticipated usage of public transport. However,
this rule does not apply to integrated public transport hub
development and transit oriented development (TOD). A TOD is
a mixed-use residential or commercial development designed to
maximize access to public transport. It must contain specific
features to encourage transit ridership. It is usually developed at
an existing transit station or simultaneously with the
development of a new transit station which will become
operational when the proposed TOD is completed.

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A4. NETWORK CONDITIONS AND IMPACT ANALYSIS
A4.1 Definitions of Terms Used Herein

S ubmission Year (S Y) The calendar year in which the Deyeloper submits

his Development Proposal Report to J�e Approving
A uthority for Planning Permission. ·

Completion Year (CY) The calendar year in whicp. the proposed

development is fully completed and operational. If
the project is divided into phases, CY refers to the
year the final phase is completed and operational.

Impact A nalysis Year (a) If CY is less than 10 years from SY, then IAY
(IAY) shall be 10 years from SY; or
(b) If CY is more than 10 years from SY, then the
IAY shall be the same year as CY.

Designated Locations (1) All points of connection between the

development and the existing road network; and
(2) Sections of existing road, junctions and
locations of traffic conflict which are identified
by the A pproving Authority in the existing
network for traffic impact analysis. [In doing so,
the approving Authority shall take into
consideration: (a) the routes which will be used
by the generated traffic to and from the project;
and (b) the diminishing impact of the generated
traffic as it spreads over the road network.]

Baseline Traffic ' The traffic conditions (LOS) in the Impact Analysis
Conditions in IAY Year at designated locations of the road network
within the demarcated study area taking into
consideration only the non-site traffic growth in the
network from SY to JAY, excluding the effect of the
generated traffic from the development.

Development Impacted The traffic conditions (LOS) in IAY at designated

Traffic Conditions in locations of the road network within the demarcated
IAY study area, taking into consideration both the Non­
Site traffic growth from SY to IAY in the network as
well as the Site-Traffic generated from the
development in IAY.

Minimum traffic The level of service as shown in the Table in Section

condition (LOS) after 11 for each of the Designated Locations to be
mitigation measures achieved at JAY with mitigation measures.

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A4.2 . Impact Analysis
A4.2.1 The traffic impact caused by the proposed development is
defined as the negative change in the LeveJ of Service (LOS)
indicated by the comparison of the Baseline Tr�ffic Conditions
in IAY against the Development Impacted Traffic Conditions in
•.
IAY.

A4.2.2 Unless otherwise agreed between the Traffic Impact Assessor and
the Approving Authority, the computation of LOS shall be
based on the recommendations of the latest version of the
HIGHWAY CAPACITY MANUAL published by
TRANSPORTATION· RESEARCH BOARD of The National
Academies of USA, with appropriate modifications given in the
latest version of the Highway Capacity Manual _(HCM) Malaysia
published by the Highway Planning Unit, Ministry of Works,
Malaysia.

A4.2.3 The traffic impact shall be examined at each and every one of the
designated locations. These designated locations shall include:

(1) all points of connection between the development and the

road network, and

(2) sections of existing or future roads, junctions and locations

of traffic conflict in the study area that have been identified
and agreed prior to the study by the Approving Authority
and the TIA assessor.

A4.2.4 For each individual intersection, LOS of each lane group of all
approaches shall be presented individually. Overall LOS of an
intersection, though useful as an indicator of the overall
performance of that intersection, is not relevant in the TIA study.
Apart from the LOS, the respective degree of saturation (v/c
ratios) as well as the maximum queue lengths shall also be
computed and presented.

A4.2.5 LOS of junctions and mid-block shall be analysed individually.

When a segment (the one-directional distance from one
signalised intersection to the next) of a road is less than 300m,
the adjacent junctions shall be analysed together, taking into
account the mutual influence of the junctions and paying
particular attention to queue lengths.

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 Note:
• Level of Service (LOS) provides an indication or measure of fhe operational
condition of the facility concerned A range from ''A" to ''F" is applicable;
LOS ''A" represents an excellent level of operational conclition, while LOS
''F" an undesirable, exceedingly congested and failed situatiOlJ..

• Volume I capacity ration (vie ratio) or degree of saturation gives a measure

of the level of utilisation of the facility. It indicates how much spare
capacity or how saturated thefacility has become.

• Queue length computation provides information on the length of storage

lane required in junction design.· When designed appropriately, storage lane
helps to avoid one trajjic movement from obstructing the other at an
inte,:section.

• Where dedicated storage lane for the vehicles queuing for turning is not
available or inadequate, one possible mitigating measure is to re-compute
the LOS with the turning vehicles sharing the lanes with the through traffic.

AS. MITIGATION MEASURE

A5.1 Where the analysis shows that there will be negative impact, mitigation
measures must be proposed to upgrade the road facilities at that location so
as to achieve the requirements set out in Section 11 of these Guidelines.
This proposal, the costs of design and construction of which shall be borne
by the Developer, shall be included in the submission for Planning
Permission.

A5.2 In developing mitigation measures, possible improvements in relation to site

access, geometry, traffic signal timing, new facility, traffic management and
other operational issues should be investigated.

AS .3 When reasonable improvements cannot sufficiently mitigate the resulting

impacts from the development, a review of the proposed development in
terms of project size, land use, development density or plot ratio shol.lld be
carried out, with a view to lessen or reduce the level of such impacts to
within the acceptable level.

A5.4 In the case where the IAY baseline traffic conditions (from the "without
development" scenario) is already lower than LOS E, then it is an indication
that the existing network cannot sustain additional traffic load from any new
• development. In such a case, the TIA assessor should advise the developer
to reconsider the proposed development until such time or situation when the
existing transport network may be upgraded and the traffic conditions have
improved to a level higher than the acceptable level. Otherwise, the
Developer would have to undertake the upgrading works himself.

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 A5.5 A preliminary design drawing of the upgraded facilities shall be presented in
A3 size paper. The design shall comply with the relevant standards
published by the Road Engineering Association of Malaysia.
•C

A5.6 The drawing shall show the boundaries of land �quired, indicating
additional land to be acquired where necessary. '·

AS. 7 The TIA Assessor shall submit design calculations together with the drawing
to demonstrate that the requirements of Section 11 of these Guidelines can be
achieved by the mitigation. This includes a re-computation of the traffic
condition of the Designated Locations after incorporating the proposed
mitigation measures.

A6. TIA �PORT

A6.1 The final TIA report shall contain at least the items listed below. The
TIA Assessor shall have the liberty to modify or include further items where
deemed necessary.

Executive Summary "

'
- Brief description of proposed development
- Summary of traffic impact analysis
- Brief description of proposed mitigation measures and the extent they
can mitigate the impact

Introduction
- Description of proposed development
- Traffic impact study methodology

Defining the study area/boundary

- Scope of study
- Records of discussions and agreement with Developer and Approving
Authority
- Description of road network within the agreed area of study
- Map of road network in area of study

Determining existing traffic

- Description of traffic generators in and around the study area
- Identification of other developments with planning approval but not
yet implemented
- Identification of committed transportation projects in the study
area.
- Identification of designated links and intersections
- Examination of historical data (including traffic accident)
- Volume survey of current traffic flows in designated links and
intersections within the study area
- Survey of pedestrian flows at critical locations

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Land use study
- Description of current planning policies of the Approving Authority for
the site of the proposed development including parking standards
- Description of current usage of the site of proposed dev�lopment
- Description of land use of the proposed development, including
�.
site
area and development phasing
- Breakdown of types and units ofbuilding in the propos·ed development
- Site. and layout plans

Trip Generation
- Computation of trip generation (non-site traffic and site traffic)
- Estimation of trip generation ·for peak hours (with weekday and
development peak if necessary)
- Justification of the values used
- Computation of peak traffic volume, i.e. combination of Site and Non-
Site traffic
- Specification of trip attraction by phase (if appropriate)
- Justification for methodology adopted for trip distribution and
assignment
- Estimation of traffic growth rate over time for b0th Site and Non-Site
traffic

Impact Analysis
- Description of capacity analysis technique
- Details of traffic impact analysis result
- List oflocations where mitigation oftraffic impact needs to be addressed

Mitigation Measures
- Description of proposed mitigation measures
- Preliminary plans of mitigation measures
- Details of computations and analysis showing that the mitigation criteria
as given in Section 11 of these Guidelines have been met

Conclusions

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
'L

The following persons are members of the committee which produced tJlis document
"Guidelines for Traffic Impact Assessment". Their contribution, singly and severally, are
deeply appreciated. �·

Datuk Ir. Md Amir bin Kasim Chairman

Dato Ir. Chew Swee Hock Deputy Chairman
Ir. Chin Kar Keong
Ir. Dr. Tai Tuck Leong
Prof. Dr Ahmad Parhan bin Mohd Sadullah
Prof. Dr. Wan Hashim bin Wan Ibrahim
Prof. Dr. Meor Othman bin Hamzah
Prof. Madya Ir. Adnan bin Zulkiple ,
'
Ir. Shamsuddin bin Sabri
Ir. Alan Wong
Dr. Madzlan bin Napiah
Ir. Dr. Leong Siew Mun
Dato Ir. George George
Encik Goh Bock Yen
Puan Jamariah binti Isam.
Encik Husin bin Abdul Rahman
Ir. Johari bin Embi
Puan Noraini binti Roslan
Puan Maizura binti Madzalan
Dato r Ir. Han Joke Kwang
Ir. Lee Ho Sing
Ir. Aik Siaw Kong
Ir. Tai Meu <;:'.hoi

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