TRAFFIC ENGINEERING STUDIES

2.1 : Traffic Flow

The result and analysis from the traffic survey can be
classified into three basic pattern namely:
1. Traffic flow in Hourly Basis this is the traffic flow
mostly for a day.
2. Traffic flow in Daily Basis this is the distribution
of traffic flow every day from Monday to Sunday in a
week.
3. Traffic Flow in Yearly Basis The traffic volume in
a day is added up for month and the distribution of
traffic volume in a year for every month.
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Generally the duration is calculated based from 1 hour,
1 day or 1 year.
Unit of traffic volume is either no. of vehicle or
passenger car unit (PCU).
Traffic can be divided into types and class of vehicles,
such as cars, motorcycle, lorries, truck, van, taxi and
bus.
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2.1.1: Passenger Car Unit (PCU)
The standard unit of measurement which is designed
to give the effect of an equivalent numbers of
passengers cars.
Basically passenger carrying vehicle is the large size
of traffic on the road.
Size of transportation involved influence the number
of traffic on a stretch of road hence the number of
passenger.
The PCU for a particular year of transport is different
in stretch of road and at junction.

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Convert the traffic volume veh/hr to passenger car
unit/hr. Say the traffic volume along a road in a town is
600 veh/hr.
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Vehicle No. of
vehicle /hr
PCU Value PCU/ hr
Motorcycle 150
Buses 50
Lorries 40
Van 60
Car/taxi 300
Total
2.2.1 Traffic Survey Methods for Volume and Speed
Studies.
Information from traffic survey data may be used for
intersection design, evaluate the effectiveness of
before-and-after up grading program of the road
(road safety and delay), and economic justification
for new road construction or upgrading.
Choice of traffic data collection technique depends on
data usage and the accuracy required and the cost
occur (economic). Method of data gathering
indirectly indicated by the sizze of traffic study,
which may be done manually or automatically.
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Period of count use of traffic data dictates the
durations of count requirement:
1. 12 hour counts start from 7a.m to 7p.m
2. 16 hour counts start from 6a.m to 10p.m
3. 24 hour counts start from midnight to midnight

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2.2.2: Methods of Measurement
Traffic volume counts are conducted using two basic
methods i.e manual and automatic. A description of
each counting method follows.
1. Manual Method
- Manual counting involves one or more persons
recording observed vehicles using a counter.
- The main advantages and disadvantages of manual
counts are:


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Advantages
Not required specialised
Accurate results
Easy to observed types of vehicles
Disadvantages.
Labour intensive
Expensive
Limitations of human factors
Cannot be used for long periods counting
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2. Pressure contact strip Method
- Usually two pneumatic tubes (lay across the
carriageway at a fixed distances)
- When a vehicle passes over the first tube, an air
impulse is sent instantly along the tube.
- When the same wheels depress the second tube the
timer is automatically stopped.
- The reading noted either by observer or by automatic
data recorder.

Advantages
Inexpensive
Portable
Not required specialised
Accurate results
Long life on low volume road

Disadvantages.
Wear and tear
Street cleaners
Vandalism
May disrupts traffic during installation

Loop detector usually hexagon shaped wires buried in
roadways, are the primary source of quantitative traffic
data. When a vehicle passes over a detector, its
metallic mass causes fluctuations in the detectors
inductance.
3. Manual method of spot speed data
- To observe the time required by a vehicle to cover a
short distances
- With the direct timing procedure
- To reference points where located at a roadway at a
fixed distance apart
- Observer starts and stops a stopwatch as a vehicle
enters and leaves the test section.

Other traffic flow apparatus/methods
- Radar speed meter method
- Sonic-detector method
- Time-laps camera method

2.2.4: Spot Speed studies

A spot speed study is a study of speed of traffic at one
point or spot on a traffic way.
To determine enforceable speed limits
The locations should be at minimum influence of the
observer and measuring equipment.
If not possible to measure all vehicle speed, select only at
random for example for every 10 vehicles
It consists of a series or a sample of observation of the
individual speeds at which vehicle are approaching an
intersection.
The observations are used to estimate the speed
distribution of the entire traffic stream at that location
under the conditions prevailing at the time of the study.
2.2.5 : Application of spot speed data
Speed is a primary factor in all modes of transportation
and it is a basic measure of traffic performance. Spot
speed data have many application such as:

1. For trends in the operating speeds of the different
vehicles types which are obtained from date
collected through periodic sampling at the selected
locations.
2. For speeds at the problems locations, to determine
whether speeds are too high and if complaints
received are justified.
3. For traffic operation:
- establish speeds limits
- Determining safe speeds at curves

4. For geometric design features

5. Research studies

Factors that influence spot speed are:
1. The driver including his trip, numbers of
passengers, residence
2. The vehicle including type, age, weight and horse
power
Definitions

1. Speed rate of movement of a vehicles expressed in
kilometer per hour.
2. Average spot speed the arithmetic mean of speeds
of all traffic at a specified point.
3. Overall travel time the time of travel including
stop and delays
4. Overall travel speed the speed over a specified
section of highway
5. Running speed the average speed maintain over a
particular distance which the vehicle is in motion
6. Running delays delay caused by interference
between components of traffic (stream flow,
parking)
7. Design speed - the speed determined for design as
related to the physical features of a highway that
might influence vehicle operation.
8. Arithmetic mean speed the speed obtained when
the sum of all values divided by number of
observation

Arithmetic mean speed,

x = fv
n
Where:
f = frequency of observation
v = mean speed
n = number of observation
9. Time mean speed the arithmetic mean of speeds
of all vehicles passing a point during specified
interval of time
10. Space mean speed the arithmetic mean of speeds
of vehicles occupying a relatively long section of
street or highway at a given instant
11. Median speed middle value when all speed values
are arrayed in ascending order
12. Modal speed value with the highest frequency of
observations
13. The roadway geographic location
Median speed = L + [n/2 f
L
] x c
[f
m
]
Where:
n= total number of observation
L = Lower bound of the group in which the median
in
f
L
= cumulative number of observation up to the
lower bound of the group in which median has
f
m
= number of observation in the group which
median lies
c = speed interval of the group
14. The traffic include volume and density
15. The environment season whether
16. Standard deviation which measure of the spread of
the individual speeds.
Standard deviation,
s = (fv
2
) - (fv)
2

(n-1) n(n-1)

Where:
f = frequency of observation
v = mean speed
n = number of observation
Speed
Group
Mean
Speed, v
Frequency,f

v
2
f.v f.v
2
10-14.9 12.5 0
15-19.9 17.5 6
20-24.9 22.5 8
25-29.9 27.5 29
30-34.9 32.5 60
35-39.9 37.5 63
40-44.9 42.5 74
45-49.9 47.5 29
50-54.9 52.5 19
55-59.9 57.5 10
60-64.9 62.5 2
65-69.9 67.5 0
TOTAL
From the table find the following:
1. Arithmetic mean speed
2. Median
3. Standard deviation
Speed
Group
Mean
Speed, v
Frequency,
f
v
2
f.v f.v
2
10-14.9 12.5 0 156.25 0 0
15-19.9 17.5 6 306.25 105 1837.5
20-24.9 22.5 8 506.25 180 4050
25-29.9 27.5 29 756.25 797.5 21931.25
30-34.9 32.5 60 1056.25 1950 63375
35-39.9 37.5 63 1406.25 2362.5 88593.75
40-44.9 42.5 74 1806.25 3145 133662.5
45-49.9 47.5 29 2256.25 1377.5 65431.25
50-54.9 52.5 19 2756.25 997.5 52368.75
55-59.9 57.5 10 3306.25 575 33062.5
60-64.9 62.5 2 3906.25 125 7812.5
66-69.9 67.5 0 4556.25 0 0
TOTAL 300 22775 11615 472125
1. Arithmetic mean speed,
x = fv
n
= 11615 / 300
= 38.72 km/h

2. Median speed = L + [n/2 f
L
] x c
[f
m
]
= 35 + [300/2 103] x 4.9
63
= 38.66 km/h
3. Standard deviation,
s = (fv
2
) - (fv)
2

(n-1) n(n-1)
= [472125 / 299] - [(11615)
2
/ 300(299)]
= 8.66 km/h

Parking Studies
Any vehicle traveling on a highway will at one time or another
be parked for either a relatively short time or a much longer
time, depending on the reason for parking.
The provision of parking facilities is therefore an essential
element of the highway mode of transportation.
The need for parking spaces is usually very great in areas
where land uses include business, residential, or commercial
activities.
The growing use of the automobile as a personal feeder service
to transit systems (park-and-ride) has also increased the
demand for parking spaces at transit stations.
Types of
Parking
Facilities
On-Street Parking
Facilities
Off-Street Parking
Facilities
On-Street Parking Facilities
These are also known as curb facilities. Parking bays are
provided alongside the curb on one or both sides of the street.
These bays can be unrestricted parking facilities if the
duration of parking is unlimited and parking is free, or they
can be restricted parking facilities if parking is limited to
specific times of the day for a maximum duration.
Parking at restricted facilities may or may not be free.
Restricted facilities also may be provided for specific
purposes, such as to provide handicapped parking or as bus
stops or loading bays.
Off-Street Parking Facilities
These facilities may be privately or publicly owned; they
include surface lots and garages. Self-parking garages require
that drivers park their own automobiles; attendant-parking
garages maintain personnel to park the automobiles.