Principles of Transportation
Engineering
CETRAN30
Engr. Tony C. Abacan
CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
Traffic Engineering
Lecture 04
LEARNING OUTCOMES
This lecture aims that the students will be able to:
• Evaluate key traffic flow concepts such as stopping distance, braking distance,
and their applications in ensuring road safety.
• Differentiate and compute space mean speed, time mean speed, and mean
free speed, including their standard deviations, to assess traffic performance
and variability.
• Determine the capacity of roads and the impact of the peak hour factor on
traffic congestion and infrastructure planning.
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
• Analysis of vehicles traffic provides the basis for measuring the
operating performance of highways.
• Aspects that are addressed on traffic analysis:
• Vehicles per unit time
• Vehicle type
• Vehicle speed
• Variation of traffic flow
• In light with this, analysis of traffic flow and queuing provides
groundwork for quantifying measures of performance.
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Traffic Stream Parameters
Two types:
1. Uninterrupted Flow – traffic stream that operates free from the influence
of such traffic control devices as signals and stop signs.
2. Interrupted Flow – traffic streams that operate under the influence of
signals and stop signs.
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Uninterrupted Flow Interrupted Flow
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Interrupted Flow Interrupted Flow
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Uninterrupted Flow Interrupted Flow
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Environmental Condition
Environmental conditions can also affect the flow of traffic.
Night Driving Driving during fog Driving
during raining
Stopping Sight Distance (SSD)
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Stopping Sight Distance (SSD)
Stopping sight distance (SSD) is the minimum sight
distance for the driver to stop without colliding at any
point of the highway.
Sight distance is the length of road which is visible to
the driver at any instant.
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Stopping Sight Distance (SSD)
If we are driving at 80 mph, and suddenly we see an animal crossing, we
should be able to se them before so that we are able to react and apply
brake without colliding. This distance is known as stopping sight distance.
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Total reaction time of the driver
PIEV Theory
It is used to interpret the reaction time of a driver for
calculating sight distance/s in highway geometric design.
PIEV stands for perception, intellection, emotion, and volition
respectively.
• Perception: Sensation received by the brain
• Intellection: Understanding the situation (that you have to
apply the brakes)
• Emotion: Feelings (like sad, fear)
• Volition: Time taken for final action (applying brakes)
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Braking Distance
SD = safe stopping distance
= reaction distance (lag distance) + braking distance
𝑉2
r𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 = 𝑉𝑡 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 =
2𝑔𝑓
𝑉2
𝑆𝐷 = 𝑉𝑡 + (in meters)
2𝑔𝑓
where:
V = in m/s
t = reaction time
f = coefficient of friction
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Theoretical maximum capacity in vehicles per hour
1000𝑉
𝐶= 𝑆 = 𝑆𝐷 + 𝐿
𝑆
where:
C = capacity of traffic lane in vehicle/hour
V = speed of traffic, kph
S = average center to center spacing of
vehicle
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Example:
A driver travelling at 50 mph is 80 m. from a wall ahead. If
the driver applied the brakes immediately (perception time
is 2 seconds) and begins slowing the vehicle at 10 m/s2
(decelerating), find the distance from the stopping point to
the wall.
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Example:
A driver traveling at 50 mph sees a wall at a certain
distance ahead. The driver applies the brakes immediately
(perception time is 3 seconds) and begins slowing the
vehicle at 6 m/s2 (decelerating). If the distance from the
stopping point to the wall is 12 m., how far was the car
from the wall upon perception?
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Example:
Determine the safe stopping sight distance for a car
moving at a speed of 60 kph for a two-way traffic in a
single lane road. Perception plus action time is 2.5 sec.
and the frictional resistance is 0.60.
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Example:
Calculate the stopping sight distance on a highway at an
ascending gradient of 2% for a design speed of 90 kph
with a total reaction time of 2.5 sec. and a coefficient of
friction of 0.42.
Space Mean Speed – Time
Mean Speed
Mean Free Speed
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Traffic flow
It is the number of vehicle occupying a unit length of lane roadway at a
given instant, usually expressed as vehicle per kilometer.
Capacity
The maximum sustained 15 min. rate of flow, expressed in passenger
cars per hour per lane, which can be accommodated by a uniform
freeway segment under prevailing traffic and roadway conditions in one
direction.
Road Capacity
The maximum number of passenger cars that can pass a given point on
a lane or roadway during one hour under the most nearly ideal roadway
and traffic conditions which can possibly be attained.
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Time headway
The difference between the time the front of a vehicle arrives at a
point on the highway and the time the front of the next vehicle
arrives at the same point.
Space headway
The distance between the front of a vehicle and the front of the
following vehicle.
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Highway traffic movement
These are fundamental traffic maneuvers that describe how
vehicles interact with each other at specific points on the roadway.
1. Merging: The process by which a vehicle in a traffic stream joins
another traffic stream moving in the same direction such as a
ramp vehicle joining a freeway stream.
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Highway traffic movement
These are fundamental traffic maneuvers that describe how
vehicles interact with each other at specific points on the roadway.
2. Diverging: The process by which a vehicle in a traffic stream
leaves that traffic stream, such as a vehicle leaving the outside
lane of an expressway.
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Highway traffic movement
These are fundamental traffic maneuvers that describe how
vehicles interact with each other at specific points on the roadway.
3. Weaving: The process by which a vehicle first merges into a
stream of traffic obliquely crosses that stream, then merges into
a second stream moving in the same direction.
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Time Mean Speed
The arithmetic mean of speeds of all vehicles passing a point during
a specified interval of time.
σ 𝑢𝑖
𝜇𝑡 =
𝑛
where:
𝜇𝑖 = observed speed of ith vehicle
n = no. of vehicles observed
𝜇𝑡 = time mean speed
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Space Mean Speed
The arithmetic mean of speed of vehicles occupying a relatively
long section of street or highway at a given instant. It is the average
of vehicle speeds weighted according to how long they remain on
the section of the road.
𝑛𝑑 σ𝑆
𝜇𝑠 = =
σ 𝑡𝑖 𝑛𝑡𝑖
where:
d = length of roadway section
n = no. of vehicles observed
𝑡𝑖 = observed time for the ith vehicle to travel a distance “d”
σ 𝑆 = sum of distances covered by the cars in “t” sec.
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Variance of the space distribution of speeds
2
𝜎𝑠
𝜇 𝑡 = 𝜇𝑠 +
𝜇𝑠
where:
𝜎𝑠2 = variance of the space distribution of speed
𝜎𝑠 = standard deviation
𝜇𝑡 = time mean speed
𝜇𝑠 = space mean speed
Time Mean Speed, Space Mean Speed, and
Variance of the Space Distributions of Speeds
Example:
Three cars travel over a 60 m. section of highway at
constant speeds of 19, 20, and 25 m/s.
• Compute the time mean speed for this condition.
• Compute the space mean speed for this condition.
• Compute the variance of the space distribution of speeds.
Space Mean Speed vs Distance
Example:
From the following data of a freeway surveillance, there
are 5 vehicles under observation and the following
distances are the distance each vehicle had traveled
when observed every 2 seconds.
Vehicles Distance (S) m.
1 24.4
2 25.8
3 24.7
4 26.9
5 22.9
Density of Traffic vs Time Mean Speed and Space
Mean Speed
Example:
Two sets of students are collecting traffic data at the two
sections A and B 200 m apart along a highway.
Observation at A shows that 5 vehicles pass at that
section at intervals of 8.18 sec., 9.09 sec., 10.23 sec.,
11.68 sec., and 13.64 sec. respectively. If the speeds of
the vehicles were 80, 72, 64, 56 and 48 kph, compute the
following:
• Density of traffic in vehicles per km
• Time mean speed in kph
• Space mean speed in kph
Volume of Traffic
Example:
The spacing of the cars moving along the same lane of an
expressway is 40 m. center to center. If the average
velocity of the car is 80 kph, determine the volume of
traffic.
Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Peak Hour Factor
Ratio of design hour volume to the peak 15-minute flow
rate (typically 0.8 and 0.95) and describes how peaked the
traffic volume is within the peak hour of travel.
𝑉
𝑃𝐻𝐹 =
𝑉15 × 4
Peak Hour Factor
Example:
Compute the peak hour factor if the hourly volume of
traffic is 1800 vehicles/hour and the highest 15 min.
volume is 750.
Capacity of Roads
Example:
Private cars are moving at an average speed of 60 kph
along an expressway. The cars have maintained an equal
spacing of 16 m. center to center. Calculate the capacity
of the single lane in vehicles per hour.
Capacity of Roads
Example:
A car has an average speed of 50 kph and a length of 4.2 m.
The car is moving along a single lane roadway. If the driver’s
reaction time is 0.8 sec., compute the capacity of the single
lane in vehicles/hour.
Traffic Engineering
End of Lecture 04
