Transportation Flow Systems

Course Features
 Lecture notes
Course Highlights
This course site features lecture notes and readings, along with other materials used by students in the course.
Course Description
Design, operation, and management of traffic flows over complex transportation networks are the foci of this course.
It covers two major topics: traffic flow modeling and traffic flow operations. Sub-topics include deterministic and
probabilistic models, elements of queuing theory, and traffic assignment. Concepts are illustrated through various
applications and case studies. This is a half-term subject offered during the second half of the semeste

Description
Design, operation, and management of traffic flows over complex transportation networks. Covers two major topics:
traffic flow modeling and traffic flow operations. Includes deterministic and probabilistic models, elements of queueing
theory, and traffic assignment. Concepts and methods are illustrated through various applications and examples.

Requirements
You are responsible for completing three and a half problem sets and one quiz. Unless otherwise instructed, the
writing of the assignments is required to be individual.

Grades
Problem Sets: 70% (you may use a one time 48-hour extension)
Quiz: 30%

Readings
There is no textbook that completely covers the material of the subject. Additional materials will be given out in class.

The Five Twos in 1.225

 Two type of flows: Air and Road
 Two types of problems: Modeling and Operation Problems
 Two levels of analyses: Component Level and Network Level
 Two time-scale of analyses: Static vs. Dynamic
 Two type of approaches/tools: Analytical and Simulation-based

Academic Honesty
The MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering adheres to the strictest standards of academic honesty.
An important aspect of achieving these standards is to be sure that students are aware of expectations of faculty as
regards academic honesty. This statement is an attempt to clarify the faculty's expectations in this subject.

Assignments
Assignments performed by students for submission have a dual purpose. They are intended as educational devices,
including the teaching of skills such as working in teams. They are also evaluation tools for the faculty in judging the
quality of performance of individual students. Our policies are intended to balance these two purposes and, unless
otherwise stated, apply to all assignments.
Students currently taking this class can work together to conceptualize general approaches to assignments.
However, unless otherwise specified for a particular assignment, the work you submit should be done completely on
your own. This includes text, numerical calculations, mathematical derivations, diagrams, graphs, computer programs
and output, references, and any written source you use in your submission. It is inappropriate to use assignments
submitted in previous years as a source.
Quiz
All work on a quiz should be performed only by you.
If you have any questions about how these policies relate to a specific situation, you should speak to Professor
Chabini or Professor Odoni for clarification.

Students enrolled in 1.225J were able to purchase a 'course reader' containing the required readings listed
below.  Additional reference texts were put on reserve at MIT's libraries.

Contents of Course Reader

LEC # / REC 
TOPICS READINGS
#

Part I:
  Traffic Flow  
Modeling

Daganzo, C. F. Fundamentals of
Introduction Transportation and Traffic
L1 Cumulative Operations. Chapters 1 and 2. Pergamon
Plots Press-Elsevier Science, 1997. Pp. 11-
20 and 25-29.

Odoni, A. R., J. M. Rousseau, and N. H. M.

Wilson. "Models in Urban and
Air Transportation." Chapter 5
in Handbooks in Operations Research and
Airport
Management Science: Volume 6
L2 Runway
Operations Research and the Public
Capacity
Sector. Edited by S. M. Pollock, M. H.
Rothkopf, and A. Barnett. North-Holland
Press-Elsevier Science B. V., 1994. Pp.
107-128. (Except subsection 2.4)

L3 Modeling Gabard, J. F. "Car-Following Models."

Road Traffic In Concise Encyclopedia of Traffic &
Transportation Systems. Edited by M.
Papageorgiou. Pergamon Press, 1991. Pp.
65-68.

Daganzo, C. F. "Fundamental Diagrams."

In Fundamentals of Transportation and
Traffic Operations. Pergamon Press-
LEC # / REC 
TOPICS READINGS
#

Elsevier Science, 1997. Pp. 80-93.

Cohen, S. "Flow Variables." In Concise

Encylopedia of Traffic & Transportation
Systems. Edited by M. Papageorgiou.
Pergamon Press, 1991. P. 142.

R1 Recitation 1  

Sheffi, Y. Urban Tranportation

Networks. Prentice-Hall, 1985. Chapter 1.
Subsection 1.20.
Network Larson, R. C., and A. R. Odoni. Urban
Model and Operations Research. Prentice-Hall, 1981.
L4
Shortest Chapter 6. Pp. 359-379.
Paths Burkard, R. E. "Shortest Path Algorithms."
In Concise Encyclopedia of Traffic  and
Transportation Systems. Edited by M.
Papageorgiou. Pergamon Press, 1991. Pp.
461-468.

Sheffi, Y. Urban Tranportation

Networks. Prentice-Hall, 1985. Chapter 1.
Pp. 2-26. (Except transit related
materials)
Traffic
L5
Assignment Daganzo, C. F. "Equilibrium Analysis."
Chapter 5 in Fundamentals of
Transportation and Traflic
Operations. Pergamon Press-Elsevier
Science, 1997. Pp. 198-209.

R2 Recitation 2  

Daganzo, C. F. Fundamentals of
Introduction
Transportation and Traffic
L6 to
Operations.Pergamon Press-Elsevier
Optimization
Science, 1997. Chapter 3. Pp. 47-65.
LEC # / REC 
TOPICS READINGS
#

Part II:
  Traffic Flow  
Operations

Wattleworth, J. A. "Peak-Period Analysis

and Control of a Freeway
System." Highway Research
Record (1967): 1-10.

Papageorgiou, M. "A New Approach to

Highway Time-of-Day Control Based on a Dynamic
Control: Freeway Traffic Model." Transportation
L7
Ramp Research 14B (1980): 349-360.
Metering
Makigami, Y. "On-Ramp Control:
Coordinated Time-of-Day Strategies."
In Concise Encyclopedia of Traffic  and
Transportation Systems. Edited by M.
Papageorgiou. Pergamon Press, 1991. Pp.
285-289.

Hillier F. M., and G. J. Lieberman.

"Queueing Theory." Chapter 15
Queuing
L8 in Introduction to Operations
Theory
Research. McGraw-Hill, 1995. Pp. 661-
732.

R3 Recitation 3  

Hillier F. M., and G. J. Lieberman.

Simulation "Simulation." Chapter 21 in Introduction
L9
Models to Operations Research. McGraw-Hill,
1995. Pp. 900-934.

Webster, F. V. "Traffic Signal

Control of
Settings." Road Research Technical Paper
L10 Isolated
No. 39. Her Majesty's Stationary Office,
Signals
London. 1958. Pp. 1-24.
 LEC # / REC 
TOPICS READINGS
#

R4 Recitation 4  

Odoni, A. R. "Issues in Air Traffic Flow

Management."

Barcelo, J. "Traffic Management Systems."

In Concise Encyclopedia of
Operational Traflic and  Transportation
Problems in Systems. Edited by M. Papageorgiou.
L11
Traffic Pergamon Press, 1991. Pp. 541-550.
Systems
Stathopoulos, A. "Route Guidance,
Collective.'' In Concise Encyclopedia of
Traffic  and Transportation
Systems. Edited by M. Papageorgiou.
Pergamon Press, 1991. Pp. 412-416.

Air Traffic
L12 Operation  
Problems

Wrap-up
L13 Lecture  
Quiz Review

  Quiz  

Additional Reference Texts

Daganzo, Carlos F. Logistics Systems Analysis. Springer-Verlag, 1991.
Watson, H. Computer Simulation in Business. John Wiley & Sons, 1981.
Nersesian, R., and G. Boyd Swartz. Computer Simulation in Logistics. Quorum Books, 1996.
Smith, J. U. M. Computer Simulation Models. Griffin & Co. 1968.
Highway Capacity Manual. Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, 1985.