Traffic Flow Characteristics

• Speed and Travel Time

​-speed of travel is a simple and widely used measure of the
quality of traffic flow.
​-basically, speed is the total distance traversed divided by the
time of travel.

3 Classes or Measures of Speed Travel

• Spot Speed
• Overall Speed
• Running or Operating Speed
• Spot Speed

Space-mean Speed – define as the arithmetic mean of speeds of

all vehicles occupying a relatively long section of street or
highway at a given instant.
​ ​ ​
where:
​ ​=sum of all time observations
​ ​n=no. of vehicles
​ ​d=length of a segment of the road
​ ​=space mean speed

Time-mean Speed – define as the arithmetic mean of speeds of

all vehicles passing a point during a specified interval or time.
​ ​ ​ ​=
Example:
The following data were observed for four vehicles traversing a
distance of 2 mile segment of the Mandaue Reclamation
project.

a. Compute the space mean speed of this vehicle,

b. Estimate the time mean speed of these vehicles.
Vehicle TiTime (min.)
A 1.2
B 1.4
C 1.5
D 1.6

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 Solution:
a. Space-mean Speed
n=4, d=2
=1.2+1.4+1.5+1.6=5.7
= 1.404 miles per minute
= 1.404 (60) = 84.24 mi/hr,

b. Time-mean Speed
=
=

= 2.84

= = 0.747 miles/min.

= 0.71 (60) = 42.59 mph (time speed)

Variance of the space distribution of speed - for general purpose

usage, no distinction is normally made between time-mean and
space mean speeds. Space mean speed and time mean speed are not
equal.
​ ​=
Example:
The following data were obtained from a freeway surveillance
of 5 vehicles passing through a certain point of the freeway
with the individual spot speeds. It is required to determine the
variance about the space mean speed.

Vehicle No. Spot speed (kph)

1 21.07
2 27.66
3 30.14
4 25.27
5 25.8

Solution:

=21.07+27.66+30.14+25.57+25.80=130.24

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 = = 26.05 kph
; =0.1947
= = 25.68 kph
= ; 26.05 =

Traffic Volumes and Rate Flow

Traffic volume – is defined as the number of vehicles that pass a
point along a roadway or traffic lane per unit time.

Average Daily Traffic (ADT) – is the number of vehicles that pass

a particular point on a roadway during a period of 24 consecutive
hours averaged over a period of 365 days.

Rate Flow – accounts for the variability or the peaking that may
occur during periods of less than 1 hour. The Highway Capacity
Manual uses a peak hour factor (PHF) to relate peak rates of flow to
hourly volume. PHF is defined as the ratio of total hourly volume to
the maximum rate of flow within the hour.

Traffic index for n years:

Total yearly equivalent wheel loads (EWL) = sum of products of
ADT and EWL
EWL for n years:
​ ​EWL = (Total yearly EWL) n
​ ​r = rate of increase in traffic in percent
​ ​n = future period in years

Traffic index ( T.I.)

T.I.=1.35
Example:
Calculate the traffic index valve for 10 years period using the
following data. Assume 60% increase in traffic volume in 10
years.

No. of axles ADT(both directions) EWL(equivalent wheel load)

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 2 700 330
3 300 1070
4 100 2460
5 20 4620

Solution:
ADT ​ ​EWL ​ ​Product
700 ​X ​330 ​ = ​231000
300 ​X ​1070 ​= ​321000
100 ​X ​2460 ​= ​246000
20 ​X ​4620 ​ = ​ 92400

​total yearly EWL ​= ​890400

EWL for the 10 year period = (60% increase in the traffic)

​EWL = 890400 (10) = 11,575,200
Traffic index=1.35
Traffic index=1.35=8.08

Design repetitions:
​Design repetition = a x b x c x d x e
​Where:
​ ​a = ADT (average daily traffic)
​ ​b = % in total Traffic
​ ​c = no. of days/year=365
​ ​d = no. of years
​ ​e = equivalent load factors

Example:
Calculate the design repetitions for 10 years period equivalent
to2268 kg wheel load if the mixed traffic (ADT) in both
directions is 1860 vehicles per day. The details of distribution
of different wheel loads of commercial vehicles are given
below for a four lane road.
Wheel load(kg) Average Daily Traffic Equivalent load factors % in total traffic volume
2268 1860 1 25
2272 1860 2 12
3175 1860 4 9
3629 1860 8 6
4082 1860 16 4
4536 1860 32 2

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 4990 1860 64 1

Solution:
​ ​Total estimated repetitions (2 direction) = 2206450

​ ​wheel load per lane = = 5516062.5

Rate of Flow
​ ​
​ ​ = rate flow in vehicles/ hour
​ ​ = density in vehicles/hour/mile
​ ​ = space mean speed

Example:
Data on traffic passing thru an intersection indicates that
vehicles moved at a space mean speed of 40 mph where the
density is 22 vehicles per hour per mile. Compute the rate of
flow in vehicles per hour.

Solution:
=
=22(40)
=880 vehicles per hour

Peak Hour Factor:

​ ​PHF =
Example:
Compute the peak hour factor (PHF) if the hourly volume of
traffic is 1800 vehicles per hour and the highest 5 min. volume
is 250.
Solution:
​For one hour = 60 min.
​ ​ (there are 12-5 mins.in one hour)
​ ​PHF = = 0.60
Traffic Density – is defined as the average number of vehicles
occupying a unit length of roadway at a given instant. Density is
generally expressed in units of vehicles per mile (veh/mi) or
(veh/km).

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 K =
​where:
k = density of traffic in vehicles /km
q = flow of traffic in vehicles/hr
= space mean speed in kph
or
K =
=
Example
There are 5 vehicles passing a certain point on the observation
road in a period of 20 sec. It is required to determine the
density of traffic per length of roadway with the given spot
speeds.

Vehicle Time of Passing Spot speed (kph)

1 1.62 sec. 34.2
2 6.16 sec. 42.2
3 8.60 sec. 46.3
4 13.07 sec. 41.1
5 15.77 sec. 43.4

Solution:
​Flow of traffic = vehicles per second

​Flow of traffic = (0.25) (3600)

​ ​ q = 900 vehicles/hr

Space mean speed:

; = = 0.122

== 40.98 kph
K =
K = = 21.96 vehicles/km
Example
Since it is not possible to measure density directly at a point, a
measure called lane occupancy has been developed for freeway
surveillance. If six vehicles are distributed along a highway 300
m. long have lengths of 5.68m,6m,13.7m,4.6m,5.4m, 6.7m
respectively, Compute the density of traffic in vehicles/km.

Solution:

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 ​ ​=
​ ​ = 0.136
=
Ave. length of vehicle = = 6.89 m
Density of traffic = = 20 vehicles/km

Spacing and Headway

Spacing – is simply the distance between successive vehicles,
typically measured from front bumper to front bumper. The
average spacing is the reciprocal of density and is often
referred to as space-headway.
Headway – is the time between the arrival of successive vehicles at
a specified point, and the average time headway is the
reciprocal of the volume.

Spacing of Vehicles
No. of vehicles per km =
Average density = number of vehicles per kilometer
Spacing of vehicles =
Example
Determine the appropriate spacing of vehicles center to center
in a certain lane if the average speed of the cars using that
particular lane is 40kph and the volume of traffic is 800
vehicles per hour.

Solution:
​No. of vehicles per km = 20 (average density)

​Spacing of vehicles = 50 m.(center to center)

Min. time headway

​ ​
where:
= time headway in sec.
C = capacity in sec.
C =
V = average velocity in kph
S = spacing between cars
S = Vt + L

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 t = reaction time in sec.
L = length of one car in meters
Example:
Compute the minimum time headway for cars moving at an
average speed of 80 kph. The average length of cars is 4.5 m.
and the reaction time is approximately 0.7 sec.

Solution:
S = Vt + L S=
C= = = 3988 veh / hr
: = = 0.903 sec.
Capacity of a single lane in vehicles per hour:
​S = Vt + L
S = average center to center spacing of vehicles in meters
V = average speed of cars in meters
T = reaction time in seconds
L = length of one car in meter
C = capacity of a single lane in vehicles/hour
​C =
Example:
The speed of a car moving on a single lane is 60 kph. If the
length of the car is 4.2 in. and the value of the reaction time is
0.7 sec. Compute the average center to center of the cars in
meters and compute the capacity of the single lane in vehicles
per hour.

Solution:
Average center to center spacing of cars:
S = Vt + L ; S = (0.7) + 4.2 = 15.87 m
Capacity of single lane in vehicles/hr:
C = 3781 veh/hr

Signalize Intersection Saturation Flow Rate Adjustment Factors

Example:
Determine the capacity of the south approach lanes for a

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 signalized intersection given the following conditions:
Two approach lanes, 11 ft wide, 10 percent heavy vehicles, 2
percent downgrade along the south approach, Location in the
central business district, No buses stopping in the intersection,
No parking permitted, Through traffic only, Cycle length =
60 sec. Effective green ratio = 0.45.

Solution:
S=1900 x 2 x x x 0.900

S = 3036 veh/hr

= (3036) (0.45) = 1366 vehicles/hr

Accident rates for 100 million vehicle miles of travel (HMVM)

for a segment of a highway:
​ ​R =
Where:
R = the accident rate for 100 million vehicles miles
A = the number of accidents during period of analysis
ADT = average daily traffic
N = time period in years
L=length of segment in miles

Example
A 20 mile section of the Cavite Coastal Road had the following
reported accidents including property damage only accidents
(PDO). It is required to compute the accidents rates for injury
accidents for a period of 5 years from 1980.
Property Average daily
Year Fatal Accidents Injury Accidents
damage(PDO) traffic
1980 3 40 110 12000
1981 1 52 215 12500
1982 5 60 170 16000
1983 8 74 250 13500
1984 7 96 160 14000

Solution:
No. of Fatal Accidents = 3 + 1 + 5 + 8 + 7 = 24
No. of injury accidents = 40 + 52 + 60 + 74 + 96 = 346
A = injury accidents includes fatal accidents

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 A = 346
Ave. ADT = = 13000
R =
R= 72.92 HMVM
Accident rates per million entering vehicles (MEV) for an
intersection
​ ​R =
Example:
Compute the average daily traffic entering intersection if the
accident rate is 7877 per million entering vehicles (MEV) if the
total number of accidents during a period of 8 years is 2300.

Solution:
R =
7877 = (ave. daily traffic)

Severity Ratio
​ ​severity ratio =

Example:
Date on a traffic accident recorded for the past 5 years on a
certain stretch of a 2 lane highway is tabulated as follows.

Year Property damage Injury Fatal

1960 110 42 4
1961 210 54 2
1962 182 60 5
1963 240 74 7
1964 175 94 6

Solution:
​severity ratio =
== 0.275

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