CHAPTER 1

Definition of Traffic Engineering

The Institute of Transportation Engineers defines traffic engineering as a subset of
transportation engineering as follows
Traffic engineering is that phase of transportation engineering which deals with the
planning, geometric design and traffic operations of roads, streets, and highways,
their networks, terminals, abutting lands, and relationships with other modes of
transportation.
The definition represents a broadening of the profession to include multimodal transportation
systems and options, and to include a variety of objectives in addition to the traditional goals
of safety and efficiency.
The traffic or highway engineer must understand not only the basic characteristics of the
driver, the vehicle, and the roadway, but how each interacts with the others. Information
obtained through traffic engineering studies serves to identify relevant characteristics and
define related problems. Traffic flow is of fundamental importance in developing and
designing strategies for intersection control, rural highways, and freeway segments.
Objectives of Traffic engineering
1. Safety
2. Speed
3. Comfort
4. Convenience
5. Economy
6. Environmental compatibility
Most of these are self-evident desires of the traveller.
Safety
The principal goal of the traffic engineer remains the provision of a safe system for highway
traffic. Driving under the influence (DUI) and driving while intoxicated (DWI) has resulted
in lowering of safety .The objective of safe travel is always number one and is never finished
for the traffic engineer.
Speed
Most of us want our trips to be fast, comfortable, convenient, cheap, and in harmony with the
environment. All of these objectives are also relative and must be balanced against each other

and against the primary objective of safety. While speed of travel is much to be desired, it is
limited by transportation technology, human characteristics, and the need to provide safety.
Comfort and convenience
Comfort and convenience are generic terms and mean different things to different people.
Comfort involves the physical characteristics of vehicles and roadways, and is influenced by
our perception of safety. Convenience relates more to the ease with which trips are made and
the ability of transport systems to accommodate all of our travel needs at appropriate times.
Economy
Economy is also relative. There is little in modern transportation systems that can be termed
cheap. Highway and other transportation systems involve massive construction,
maintenance, and operating expenditures, most of which are provided through general and
user taxes and fees. Nevertheless, every engineer, regardless of discipline, is called upon to
provide the best possible systems for the money.
Environmental compatibility
Harmony with the environment is a complex issue that has become more important over time.
All transportation systems have some negative impacts on the environment. All produce air
and noise pollution in some forms, and all utilize valuable land resources. In many modern
cities, transportation systems utilize as much as 25% of the total land area. Harmony is
achieved when transportation systems are designed to minimize negative environmental
impacts, and where system architecture provides for aesthetically pleasing facilities that fit
in with their surroundings.
The traffic engineer is tasked with all of these goals and objectives and with making the
appropriate tradeoffs to optimize both the transportation systems and the use of public funds
to build, maintain, and operate them.

Function of Traffic Engineer

The functions of traffic engineering include the following
1. Collection, analysis and interpretation of data pertaining of traffic
One of the important functions of traffic engineer is to organize and implement various
surveys and studies aimed at collection of data pertaining to traffic characteristics. Such
studies include
1. Origin and destination studies
2. Volume counts
3. Speed, travel time and delay measurements

4. Accident statistics
5. Parking characteristics
6. Pedestrian behaviour and use of streets
7. Capacity studies
8. Economic losses due to inferior traffic facilities
The data collected by the above studies are analysed by the traffic engineer and interpreted to
take advantages of the observed regularities. Accurate understandings of the scientific
phenomena behind these irregularities enable the traffic engineer to select appropriate
solution to problems

2. Traffic and Transportation planning

The traffic engineer is concerned with the preparation of traffic and transportation plans to
ensure a safe, orderly and fully integrated transportation system. This phase of activity
concerns itself with the relation of land use with transportation and study of travel
characteristics. Based on the analysis of the results of such study, mathematical models are
formulated to predict how a system will behave under a given set of conditions. Alternative
solutions for the development of street system are then thought out and are evaluated for their
comparative merits and demerits. The optimal solution is then selected and implemented.

3. Traffic Design
This part of the traffic engineers function concerns itself with geometric design of highway
and streets, intersection design, schemes for grade separated inter-changes, design of offstreet and on-street parking facilities and design of terminal facilities for trucks and buses. In
the field of geometric design, the functions of the highway engineer overlap and there is need
for closer co-operation and consultation between the two.

4. Measures for operation of traffic

For efficient and safe operation of traffic, the traffic engineer has to take recourse to a
number of measures such as:
Legislation and enforcement measures for regulating the driver, vehicle and road
users like the pedestrians, cyclists and motor-cyclists.

Management measures such as one-way streets, prohibited turnings at junctions and

tidal flow arrangements, exclusive bus lanes etc. with a view to get the maximum use
out of the available street facilities
Measures for regulation of parking of vehicles
Traffic control devices such as traffic signs, traffic signals, pavement markings and
channelization techniques to guide and secure the safe and efficient flow of traffic.

5. Administration
One of the functions of the traffic engineer is to organise and administer the various
programmes intended to secure safe and efficient traffic in towns and cities. In this field he is
closely associated with the legal and administrative framework of the city department dealing
with education and enforcement measures.

Scope of traffic engineering

Road traffic has been growing at a very rapid rate in India during the past three decades. The
number of motor vehicles has been growing at a rate of around 10 percent per annum. The
growth rate of various vehicles has been as under:
Cars: 7- 10 Percent
Buses:5-10 percent
Trucks:6-15 percent
Two wheelers: 15-17 percent
The production of motor vehicles has been growing at a rapid rate, as a result of this steep
growth of motor vehicle population, the traffic on the roads has been increasing, both in
terms of volume and intensity. The investment on roads have not kept pace with the growth
of traffic, with the result there is severe congestion on the roads. Speeds are low and vehicle
operation costs are high. Accident rate is usually high.
Traffic engineering measures provide a valuable tool to understand the problems and evolve
suitable measures to overcome the deficiencies.