Traffic Engineering

Introduction
Phase of engineering which deals with planning, geometric design and
traffic operations of roads, streets and highways, their network, terminals,
abutting lands, relationships with other modes of transportation for the
achievement of safe, efficient and convenient movement of persons and
goods
Increase in vehicular traffic

Congestion on roads

Delay in travel time

Affects the safe traffic movement

More accidents
 Importance of Traffic Engineering
To give increasing attention to the operational characteristics of highway
transportation and study the need for better features like

 Geometric Design
 Capacity
 Intersection
 Traffic regulation
 Traffic signals
 Traffic signs
 Roadway markings
 Parking
 Terminals
 Bus stops
 Street lighting
 Functions of a Traffic Engineer
1. Collection, Analysis and Interpretation of data pertaining to traffic
 Origin and Destination survey, traffic volume counts, capacity
 Speed, Travel time and delay measurements
 Accident Statistics
 Parking characteristics
 Pedestrian behaviour
 Economic analysis
2. Traffic and Transportation Planning
 Relation of land use and transportation
 Prediction of system by mathematical model
3. Traffic Design
 Geometric Design
 Interchanges
 Parking facilities
 Terminal facilities for bus and truck
 Functions of a Traffic Engineer contd.,

4. Measures for operation of traffic

 Legislation and enforcement measures
 Traffic management
 Parking regulations
 Traffic control devices
5. Administration
 Organize and monitor various programmes intended to secure safe
and efficient traffic in towns and cities
 Traffic Stream Characteristics
Traffic stream is characterized by 3 fundamental parameters

 Volume and flow rate

 Speed

 Density

Volume and Flow Rate (q)

It is defined as the number of vehicles passing a given point on a highway,

during the specified period of time.

∴ It is measured as “vehicles”, however it is represented as “vehicles per

unit time”.

Usually as veh/day or veh/hr.

Time headway (h)

The time gap between two successive vehicles at a given point on the
highway or lane is known as time headway.

Flow rate or volume q– veh/hr

1
∴ 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑤𝑎𝑦 ℎ =
𝑞

(sec/veh)
Speed

Different vehicles travel at various speeds, so the speed of the traffic

stream is represented by time mean speed or space mean speed.

Time Mean Speed (𝒗𝒕 )

The average speed of all vehicles passing a given point on a highway over a
specified time period.
𝑛
1
𝑣𝑡 = 𝑣𝑖
𝑛
𝑖=1
Space Mean Speed (𝒗𝒔 )

The average speed of all vehicles occupying a given section of highway on a

given instant or over a specified time period.

𝑛
𝑣𝑠 =
𝑛 1
𝑖=1 𝑣
𝑖
Density (k)

It is defined as the number of vehicles occupying a given length of

highway or lane.

Expressed as vehicles/km or vehicles/km/lane.

Space headway (s)

It is the space gap between two successive vehicles on a highway or lane.

Density (k) – veh/km

1
Space headway (s) =
𝑘

(m/veh)
Fundamental Relation of Traffic Stream

If two vehicles are travelling at a speed (𝑣) and a spacing (𝑠), then the time
headway (ℎ) between vehicles is:
𝑠
ℎ=
𝑣

1/𝑘
1/𝑞 =
𝑣

𝒒 = 𝒗𝒌
Fundamental diagrams
The diagrams showing the relationship between fundamental parameters
are known as fundamental diagrams, which are typically used to describe
the traffic stream behavior.

 Flow-density (𝑞 − 𝑘)
 Speed-density (𝑣 − 𝑘)
 Speed-flow (𝑣 − 𝑞)
Flow-density (q - k) curve
Characteristics
Flow-density (q - k) curve

 The relationship is normally represented by a parabolic curve.

 At jam density, flow will be zero because the vehicles are not moving.

 Critical density is the density between zero and jam density where
the flow is maximum.
Speed-density (v - k) curve
Characteristics
Speed-density (v k) curve

 At zero density, speed is free flow speed

 At jam density, speed becomes zero

 Most simple case is a linear

 Non-linear relationships also possible

Speed-flow (v - q) curve
Characteristics
Speed-flow (v - q) curve

 Flow is zero either because there is no vehicles or there are too many
vehicles in jam condition so that they cannot move.

 At maximum flow, the speed will be in between zero and free flow
speed
Fundamental diagrams