University of Duhok

College of Engineering
Civil Department
Fourth Year Students
2020-2021

Traffic Engineering
Lecture 1

Lecturer: Dr. Nasreen A. Hussein

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Structure of the lectures
• General Overview
• Characteristics of traffic system components
• Traffic measurement procedures
• Traffic flow models
• Capacity and level of service of multilane highways
• Traffic signals
• Capacity and level of service of signalized intersections
• Design of parking facilities
• Road accidents and analysis
• Traffic intersection control (traffic signs and road markings)

References
• Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), 1997, 2000. Transportation Research Board, USA.
• Louis J. Pignataro, 1973, Traffic Engineering Theory and Practice.
• Fred L. Mannering and Walter P. Kilareski, 2012. Principles of Highway Engineering and
Traffic Analysis.
• Donald Drew, 1968, Traffic Flow Theory and Control.
• Ernest Davies, 1963, Traffic Engineering Practice.
• Martin Wohl, 1967, Traffic system analysis.
• Kadiyali, LR, 1987, Traffic Engineering and Transportation Planning.
• O’Flaherty, C. A, 2006, Transport Planning and Traffic Engineering.
• Garber N. J and Hoel L. A, 2009, Traffic and Highway Engineering.
• Rogers, M, 2003. Highway Engineering.

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Overview of traffic engineering:
The phase of transportation engineering that deals with the planning, geometric design and
traffic operations of roads, streets, and highways, their networks and relationship with other
modes of transportation to have safe, efficient and economic movement of persons and goods.
Traffic Stream Components and their characteristic are based on Roadway network (Grid or ring
and radial) and road ways (highways and street).

Functional Classification of Highways:

1- Principle Arterial

• Freeway, express way, other

• High design speed >120 km/hr
• Long distance
• Full control of access
• Design level of service B
2- Minor Arterial
• Moderate design speed ~ 100 km/hr
• Design level of service = B-C
3- Collector
• Design speed ~ 80km/hr
• Level of service C –D
4- Local
• Design speed ~ 20-40 km/hr
• Local street – urban area (area with population) > 5000 capita
• Local road - rural area (area with population) < 5000 capita

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Highway classification according to geometrical design feature

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Elements of traffic Engineering:
1. Road users (drivers and pedestrians)
2. Vehicles
3. Roadway

The four main components of highway mode of transportation are the driver, the pedestrian, the
vehicle, and the road. The bicycle is also becoming an important components in the design of
urban highways and street. In order to provide efficient and safe highway transportation, a
knowledge of the characteristic and limitation of each of these components is essential. It is also
important to be aware of the inter relationship that exists among these component to determine
the effect, if any, that they are exists. Their characteristics are also of primary importance when
traffic engineer measure such as traffic control are to be used on highway mode.

1. Road user characteristics: (Drivers-Pedestrians)

Driver Characteristics
 Psychological factors:
 Intelligence: ability to adapt, adjust and learn
 Experience
 Emotional and attitude
 Maturity
 Physical factors
 Clear vision
 Peripheral vision
 Hearing
 Depth perception
 Glare vision
 Color
 Reaction to external stimuli

 Perception-Reaction process
Perception-Reaction process (reaction to external stimuli). Reaction involves a series of events:

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  Perception (Sees or hears an object)
 Identification (Identify situation, realize that the object is on the road)
 Emotion (the time to decide how to react, on course of action, stop, change lane, …)
 Volition (time required to implement decision, for example, the time to engage the
brakes)

PIEV Time: (The total time required to perceive and complete a reaction to a stimulus is the sum
of times necessary for perception, identification, emotion and volition). In other words it
represents how quickly a driver can respond to an emergency situation. Perception- Reaction
time varies among drivers (0.5-5 seconds) and depends on age, fatigue, alcohol/drugs,
expectancy and complexity of situation. AASHTO recommends PIEV time of 2.5 seconds.

Pedestrian characteristics
Pedestrian speed is probably the most important characteristic of a pedestrian facility that is
affected by individual pedestrian behavior and habit.

 Pedestrian walking speed: 0.9- 2.5 m/sec (depending on age)

 Signal design: 1.2 m/sec

2- Vehicle characteristics

Criteria for the geometric design of highways are partly based on the static, kinematic, and
dynamic characteristics of vehicles. Static characteristics include the weight and size of the
vehicle, while kinematic characteristics involve the motion of the vehicle without considering the
forces that cause the motion. Dynamic characteristics involve the forces that cause the motion
of the vehicle. Since nearly all highways carry both passenger-automobile and truck traffic, it is
essential that design criteria take into account the characteristics of different types of vehicles.

 Vehicle types and dimensions,

 Turning radii and off tracking,
 Resistance to motion,
 Power requirements (weight/power ratio)
 Acceleration performance and deceleration performance.

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3- Roadway characteristics
 Road function and class
• Movement of vehicles
• Movement of non-vehicular traffic
• Parking
 Road Geometry
• Horizontal and vertical alignment
• Grade
• Cross sectional design
 Road surface characteristics
• Skid resistance
• Roughness
• Rutting

Traffic stream parameters

The traffic stream includes a combination of driver and vehicle behavior. It is influenced not only
by the individual characteristics of both vehicle and human but also by the way a group of such
units interacts with each other. The traffic stream parameters can be macroscopic which
characterizes the traffic as a whole or microscopic which studies the behavior of individual vehicle
in the stream with respect to each other.

 Macroscopic parameters include:

• Speed, v
• Flow, q
• Density, k

 Microscopic parameters include:

• Headway, h
• Spacing, s

Speed Studies:
Speed:
It is defined as the rate of motion in distance per unit of time. It can be expressed in miles per
hour (mi/h), kilometers per hour (km/h), meter per second (m/s) or feet per second (ft /sec).
Mathematically speed or velocity v is given by,

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 𝑑
v=
𝑡

Where, v is the speed of the vehicle in m/s, d is distance traveled in m in time t seconds.
Spot speed
It is the instantaneous speed of a vehicle at a specified location of road.
Overall travel speed (journey speed)
Is the effective speed of the vehicle on a journey between two points and is the distance between
two points divided by the overall travel time (the time of travel including stopped time).
Running speed (without stops)
The distance divided by the running time (the time the vehicle is in motion).
The running speed will always be more than or equal to the journey speed, as delays are not
considered in calculating the running speed.
Design speed
It is the maximum safe speed that can be maintained over a specified section of highway. It is a
selected speed used to determine the various geometric design features of highways (20-130
km/hr).
for example :

- Principle Arterial = ≥ 120km/hr

- Minor Arterial = 80 km/hr

- Collector = 60 km/hr
- local street = 20-40 km/hr

Time mean speed (vt)

It is the sum of distances on a highway traversed by a set of vehicles divided by the total of
given intervals of time needed by each vehicle to traverse the corresponding distance.

Space mean speed (vs)

The total of given distances on a highway travelled by a set of vehicles divided by the sum of
the times all vehicles take to traverse that distance.

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Example (1): Three vehicles are recorded to traverse distances of 100m, 120m and 110m within
given interval time of 5 sec, 6 sec and 4 sec respectively. Find time mean speed and space
mean speed for these three vehicles.

Answer:
* Estimation of time mean speed:
Vehicles Distance (m)
1 100
2 120
3 110
Time (sec) Speed (m/s)
5 100/5=20
6 120/6=20
4 110/4= 27.5

Average time mean speed (vt)= (20+20+27.5)/3= 22.5 m/s

* Estimation of space mean speed:

Average space mean speed (vs)= Total distance/ Total time
vs = (100+120+110)/ (5+6+4)= 22 m/s

Example (2): Three vehicles (A, B and C) traveled a same distance of 25km during 28, 29, 30
minutes, respectively. Given that each one of these vehicles has stopped at a check point for
about 5 minutes, estimate average running and journey speeds.
Answer:
Journey speeds:
 Journey speed of vehicle A= 25/(28/60)=53.57 km/hr
 Journey speed of vehicle B= 25/(29/60)=51.72 km/hr
 Journey speed of vehicle C= 25/(30/60)=50.00 km/hr
Average Journey speed= (53.57+51.72+50)/3=51.72 km/hr

Running speeds
 Running speed of A= 25/((28-5)/60)=65.22 km/hr
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  Running speed of B= 25/((29-5)/60)=62.5 km/hr
 Running speed of C= 25/((30-5)/60)=60 km/hr
Average running speed= (65.22+62.5+60)/3=62.57 km/hr

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