PCE6-M: Highway and Railroad Engineering

Unit 2 | Geometric Design of

Highways:
Sight Distances
Learning Objectives
At the end of this module, the students will be able to:
• Discuss the driver, pedestrian, vehicle, and road
characteristics.
• Identify the factors affecting stopping sight distance and
typical assumptions related to these factors.
• Calculate required stopping sight distance as per AASHTO
Green Book.
• Explain the concepts of decision sight distance and passing
sight distance.
Four Main Components of Highway Mode of
Transportation

Drivers

Pedestrians

Vehicles **Bicycle is also becoming an important component in

the design of urban highways and streets.

To provide efficient and safe highway transportation, a

knowledge of the characteristics and limitations of each
Road of these components is essential.
 A. Driver Characteristics
▪ Problem: Varying skills and perceptual abilities of drivers
on the highway, demonstrated by a wide range of abilities
to hear, see, evaluate, and react to information.
The Human Response Process
Actions taken by drivers on a road result from their evaluation of and
reaction to information they obtain from certain stimuli that they see
or hear.
a. Visual Reception - The principal characteristics of the eye:
▪ visual acuity
▪ peripheral vision
▪ color vision
▪ glare vision and recovery
▪ depth perception
 A. Driver Characteristics
▪ Visual Acuity. Visual acuity is the ability to
see fine details of an object.
o Static acuity is the driver’s ability to identify an
object when both the object and the driver are
stationary
o Dynamic acuity is the driver’s ability to clearly
detect relatively moving objects, not necessarily
on his direct line of vision.
▪ Peripheral Vision. Peripheral vision is the
ability of people to see objects beyond the
cone of clearest vision. Although objects can
be seen within this zone, details and color are
not clear.
 A. Driver Characteristics

▪ Color Vision. Color vision is the ability to

differentiate one color from another.
▪ Deficiency in this ability (usually referred to
as color blindness) is not of great
significance in highway driving because Uni-Signal
other ways of recognizing traffic information
devices (e.g., shape) can compensate for it.

Philippine Signal Lights

 A. Driver Characteristics
▪ Glare Vision and Recovery
Glare is the loss of visual performance or discomfort
produced by an intensity of light in the visual field
greater than the intensity of light to which the eyes
are adapted.
Two types of glare vision:
1. Direct glare occurs when relatively bright light
appears in the individual’s field of vision.
2. Specular glare occurs when the image reflected
by the relatively bright light appears in the field of
vision.
Glare recovery is the time required by a person to
recover from the effects of glare after passing the
light source.
 A. Driver Characteristics
▪ Depth Perception. Depth perception affects the
ability of a person to estimate speed and distance.
▪ Standardization of traffic control devices (size, shape and
color) not only aids in distance estimation but also helps
the color blind driver to identify signs.
A. Driver Characteristics
b. Hearing Perception
▪ The ear receives sound stimuli, which is
important to drivers only when warning sounds
are detected (usually given out by emergency
vehicles).
▪ Loss of some hearing ability is not a serious
problem, since it normally can be corrected by
a hearing aid.
Perception-Reaction Process
The process through which a driver, cyclist or pedestrian evaluates and reacts to a
stimulus can be divided into 4 sub-processes:

Reaction/
Perception Identification Emotion
Volition
Perception-Reaction Process

Perception: the driver sees an object on the road.

Identification: the driver identifies the object and thus understands the
stimulus.

Emotion: the driver decides what action to take in response to the

stimulus.

Reaction/Volition: the driver actually executes the action decided

using the emotion sub-process.
Perception-Reaction Time

▪ The time that elapses from the start of perception to the end of
reaction is the total time required for perception, identification,
emotion, and reaction.
▪ It is an important factor in the determination of braking distances,
which in turn dictates the minimum sight distance required on a
highway and the length of the yellow phase at a signalized
intersection.
▪ Triggs and Harris: 85th percentile time to brake, varied from 1.26 to
over 3 seconds.
▪ AASHTO: stipulated 2.50 seconds for stopping-sight distances.
Example #1

▪ A driver with a PRT of 2.50 secs is driving at 65 kph when

she observes that an accident has blocked the road
ahead. Determine the distance the vehicle would move
before the driver could activate the brakes. (The vehicle
will continue to move during the PRT of 2.50 secs).
Perception-Reaction Distance = Speed x Perception-Reaction Time

Distance = (65 kph) * (2.50 secs) * (1000 m/km) * (1 hr/3600 secs)

= 45.14 meters
0.2778
 B. Pedestrian Characteristics
Pedestrian characteristics may influence
the design and location of pedestrian
control devices, such as signals, safety
zones and islands at intersections,
pedestrian underpasses, elevated
walkways, and crosswalks.
According to Rouphail et al, at intersections,
▪ Male walking speed: 5.41 kph
▪ Female walking speed: 5.08 kph
▪ For more conservative measurements, use 4.40 kph
average walking speed.
Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo, Japan
▪ Elderly pedestrians: 3.29 kph
▪ Persons with disability: 2.16 kph to 4.02 kph
Source: DPWH Highway Safety Design Standards Part 2
Road Signs and Pavement Markings Manual
Bicycle and Bicyclist Characteristics
In urban areas, bicycles are now an important component of the
highway mode. The basic human factors discussed for drivers also
apply to the bicyclist, especially with respect to PRT.

According to AASHTO “Guide for the Development of Bicycle

Facilities”, there are three classes of bicyclists:
A: Experienced or advanced
B: Less experienced bicyclists
C: Children riding on their own or with parents
Bicycle and Bicyclist Characteristics
A. Experienced or advanced: : Consider the bicycle as a motor
vehicle and can comfortably ride in traffic.
B. Less experienced bicyclists: Prefer to ride on neighborhood
streets and more comfortable on designated bicycle facilities.
C. Children riding on their own or with parents: Use mainly
residential streets that provide access to schools, recreational
facilities, and stores.
Minimum design speed for bicycles: 32-50 kph (level terrain);
upgrade speeds and intersections: 12 kph
C. Vehicle Characteristics
Criteria for the geometric design of highways are partly based on the
following characteristics of vehicles:
1. Static characteristics – include the weight and size of the vehicle
2. Kinematic characteristics – involve the motion of the vehicle
without considering the forces that cause the motion
3. Dynamic characteristics – involve the forces that cause the
motion of the vehicle
Design vehicle – used to determine criteria for geometric design,
intersection design and sight distance requirements.
C. Vehicle Characteristics
1. Static Characteristics
▪ The size of the design vehicle for a highway is an important factor
in the determination of design standards for several physical
components of the highway.
▪ These include lane width, shoulder width, length and width of
parking bays, and lengths of vertical curves.
▪ The axle weights of the vehicles expected on the highway are
important when pavement depths and maximum grades are being
determined.
AASHTO - 2011 - A_Policy_on_Geometric_Design_of_Highways
C. Vehicle Characteristics
1. Static Characteristics
As a general rule:
▪ A passenger car may be selected when the main traffic generator is a
parking lot.
▪ A two-axle single unit truck may be used for intersection design of
residential streets and park roads.
▪ A three-axle single-unit truck may be used for the design of collector
streets and other facilities where larger single-unit trucks are likely.
▪ A bus may be used in the design of highway intersections that are
designated bus routes and that have relatively few large trucks using
them.
Single-Unit Truck

AASHTO - 2011 - A_Policy_on_Geometric_Design_of_Highways

Semitrailer

AASHTO - 2011 - A_Policy_on_Geometric_Design_of_Highways

C. Vehicle Characteristics
2. Kinematic Characteristics
▪ Acceleration capability is important in
several traffic operations, such as passing
maneuvers and gap acceptance.
▪ Study of the kinematic characteristics of
the vehicle primarily involves a study of
how acceleration rates influence the
elements of motion, such as velocity and
distance.
C. Vehicle Characteristics
3. Dynamic Characteristics
▪ Several forces act on a vehicle while it is in
motion:
o Air resistance
o Grade resistance
o Rolling resistance
o Curve resistance
C. Vehicle Characteristics
▪ Air Resistance – the force
required to overcome the
resistance of the air in front of it
as well as the force due to the
frictional action of the air around
it.
▪ Grade Resistance – when a
vehicle moves up a grade, a
component of the weight of the
vehicle acts downward, along the
plane of the highway. Grade
resistance is the force created
acting in a direction opposite that
of the motion.
C. Vehicle Characteristics
▪ Rolling Resistance – the sum
effect of the forces due to frictional
effect on moving parts of the
vehicle, and the frictional slip
between the pavement surface and
the tires.
▪ Curve Resistance – when a
passenger car is maneuvered to
take a curve, external forces act on
the front wheels of the vehicle.
Curve resistance is the sum effect
of the force components that have
a retarding effect on the forward
motion of the vehicle.
Sight Distances
 Sight Distance - Concepts
▪ Sight distance is the length of the roadway a
driver can see ahead at any particular time.
▪ Four basic aspects:
o Stopping Sight Distance (SSD) – applied to all
highways
o Decision Sight Distance (DSD) – applied at complex
locations
o Passing Sight Distance (PSD) – applied only to 2-
lane highways
o Intersection Sight Distance (ISD) – applied to stop-
and yield-, and uncontrolled intersections
Stopping Sight Distance (SSD)
▪ “The minimum sight distance required for a driver to stop a
vehicle after seeing an object in the roadway without hitting
the object.”
▪ In general, enough distance should be provided so that a
below average driver can stop.
▪ Greater lengths may be desirable.
Why is SSD important?
▪ Highways must be designed
so that there is adequate
stopping sight distance
▪ SSD influences:
o Length of vertical curves (night
time and day time driving,
underpass under bridge
structures)
o Length of horizontal curves
o Length of objects along
horizontal curves
Stopping Sight Distance (SSD)

DistanceStopping = DistancePerception/Reaction + DistanceBraking

Assuming PRT = 3 sec 𝑺𝑺𝑫 = 𝑫𝒓 + 𝑫𝒃

DistanceStopping = DistancePerception/Reaction + DistanceBraking

Perception-Reaction Time (PRT)
▪ PRT for a person is a function of complexity, amount of information,
and expectancy/alertness.
▪ Perception-reaction time 𝑡𝑟
▪ “Normal” reaction times range from 0.75 to 1.5 seconds
▪ Alerted (type urban street)
▪ 1.5 seconds (AASHTO Design)
▪ Un-alerted (type rural freeway)
▪ 2.5 seconds (AASHTO
- Design)
▪ Accounts for about 90-95% of drivers

▪ Speed u
▪ For highway design: use design speed
▪ For analysis/forensic: use actual or estimated speed
Example #2

▪ A driver travelling at 55 kph sees a blocked road ahead.

How many meters will the vehicle travel between the time
he notices the sign and the time the brakes are applied
(i.e., what is the perception-reaction distance 𝐷𝑟)?

Perception-Reaction Braking
Distance Distance
Example #2 (Continued)
A driver travelling at 55 kph sees a blocked road ahead. How many meters will the
vehicle travel between the time he notices the sign and the time the brakes are applied
(i.e., what is the perception-reaction distance 𝐷𝑟)?
▪ Find Perception-Reaction (PR) Distance:
𝐷𝑟 = 𝑢1 𝑡𝑟

Where:
𝑡𝑟 is the perception-reaction time
𝑢1 is the initial speed 1𝑘𝑚 1000𝑚 1ℎ𝑟 𝑚
𝑥 𝑥 = 0.2778
ℎ𝑟 1𝑘𝑚 3600𝑠𝑒𝑐 𝑠𝑒𝑐

Note: For use 0.2778 as multiplier for conversion of kilometers, meters, seconds and
hours.
Example #2 (Continued)
A driver travelling at 55 kph sees a blocked road ahead. How many meters will the
vehicle travel between the time he notices the sign and the time the brakes are applied
(i.e., what is the perception-reaction distance 𝐷𝑟)?

Calculate perception reaction distance 𝐷𝑟 .

𝐷𝑟 = 𝑢1 𝑡𝑟

Assuming perception-reaction time to be equal to 2.5 seconds,

𝐷𝑟 = 𝑢1 𝑡𝑟 = 55 𝑘𝑝ℎ ∗ 2.50 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑠 ∗ 0.2778 = 38.1975 𝑚.

Braking Distance
▪ Braking distance is the horizontal length needed to stop a vehicle after the brakes
have been applied.
▪ Braking distance is a function of:
o Speed u
o Friction (rolling/static) f – between tire and road surface
o Grade G – positive if upward grade, negative if downward
o Deceleration rate a
Braking Distance
▪ Three basic equations with respect to roadway design and crash re-
construction:
𝑢2 −𝑢1
▪𝑎 = → acceleration formula
𝑡
1
▪ 𝐷 = 𝑢1 𝑡 + 𝑎𝑡 2 → distance traveled (from velocity and acceleration)
2
▪ 𝑢2 2 = 𝑢1 2 + 2𝑎𝐷 → final speed (from distance and acceleration)
▪ Rearranging, 𝐷 = 𝑢2 2 − 𝑢1 2 /2𝑎 → general braking distance equation for no grade

▪ Five basic quantities:

▪ Distance (D), time (t), initial velocity (u1), final velocity (u2), acceleration/deceleration (a)
▪ Some measured, some assumed, some computed – rarely will you be able to measure
all in the field.
Braking Distance

▪ Using , 𝐷 = 𝑢2 2 − 𝑢1 2 /2𝑎 the general braking distance

equation:
▪ Re-arranging terms and incorporating gravitational constant g and an
adjustment for grade of roadway G, we obtain:

𝑢2 2 − 𝑢1 2
𝐷𝑏 =
𝑎
2𝑔 ±𝐺
𝑔

𝑎
Friction 𝑓 =
𝑔
Braking Distance
▪ If we take the gravitational constant g to be equal to 9.81 m/s2 ,
express u in terms of kph, and follow the AASHTO method of
expressing the friction factor f as a/g, we obtain:
𝑢2 2 −𝑢1 2 𝑢2
𝐷𝑏 = 𝑎 → 𝐷𝑏 =
2𝑔 𝑓𝑏±𝐺
2𝑔 ±𝐺
𝑔
𝑎
Friction 𝑓 =
𝑔

*b = braking efficiency 𝑢2 = final vehicle speed (m/s) = 0 (full stop)

Note: For uphill grade, use 𝑓 + 𝐺 and 𝑓 − 𝐺 for downhill grade, where G
is the absolute value of the grade.
Stopping Sight Distance
▪ Rate of deceleration:
▪ Normal → a = 3.4 m/sec2
▪ Emergency → a = 4.5 m/sec2

▪ Friction is a function of pavement condition (wet, dry), tire, and

roadway surface
▪ Good tires on good pavement → up to 0.85g deceleration Friction 𝑓 =
𝑎
𝑔
▪ Wet pavement → 0.40g (even with bald tires)

▪ Depends on weight, but some assumptions are made to arrive at a

standard equation
 Friction Speed (kph) f
30 0.40
▪ AASHTO recommended friction coefficients:
40 0.38
50 0.35
60 0.33
70 0.31
80 0.30
90 0.30
100 0.29
110 0.28
120 0.28
Generalized SSD Equation
𝑆𝑆𝐷 = 𝐷𝑟 + 𝐷𝑏

𝑢2
𝑆𝑆𝐷 = 𝑢𝑡𝑟 +
2𝑔 𝑓𝑏 ± 𝐺
Where:
SSD = stopping sight distance (m)
𝑡𝑟 = perception-reaction time (sec), usually 2.50 sec
𝑢 = initial vehicle speed (m/s)
𝑓= friction coefficient (a/g) (From AASHTO table)
𝐺 = grade in decimal format = +G uphill or –G for downhill
b = braking efficiency = 1.0
Example #3
▪ Calculate SSD for a vehicle travelling at 50 kph. Assume friction
factor to be 0.37, perception-reaction time of 2.5 seconds.

Total stopping sight distance or SSD is given by summing up

perception-reaction distance and braking distance:
𝑆𝑆𝐷 = 𝐷𝑟 + 𝐷𝑏
Since there is no braking efficiency mentioned, it is assumed that the
brakes are 100% efficient, so b = 1.0, while the road is at 0% grade
(road is flat, or level).
𝑢2
𝑆𝑆𝐷 = 𝑢𝑡𝑟 +
2𝑔(𝑓𝑏 ± 𝐺)
50𝑘𝑝ℎ ∗ 0.2778 2
= 50𝑘𝑝ℎ 0.2778 2.50 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑠 +
2(9.81)(0.37 ∗ 1.0 ± 0)
= 34.725 + 26.577 = 61.302 𝑚
Example #4
▪ Find the minimum sight distance to avoid head-on
collision of two cars approaching at 90 kph and 60 kph.
Assume perception-reaction time of 2.5 seconds, friction
factor of 0.70 and brake efficiency of 50% in either case.

For the 90 kph car,

𝑢2
𝑆𝑆𝐷90 = 𝑢𝑡𝑟 +
2𝑔(𝑓𝑏 ± 𝐺)
90𝑘𝑝ℎ ∗ 0.2778 2
= 90𝑘𝑝ℎ 0.2778 2.50 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑠 +
2(9.81)(0.70 ∗ 0.50 ± 0)
= 62.505 + 91.030 = 153.535 𝑚
Example #4 (Continued)
▪ Find the minimum sight distance to avoid head-on
collision of two cars approaching at 90 kph and 60 kph.
Assume perception-reaction time of 2.5 seconds, friction
factor of 0.70 and brake efficiency of 50% in either case.

For the 60 kph car,

𝑢2
𝑆𝑆𝐷60 = 𝑢𝑡𝑟 +
2𝑔(𝑓𝑏 ± 𝐺)
60𝑘𝑝ℎ ∗ 0.2778 2
= 60𝑘𝑝ℎ 0.2778 2.50 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑠 +
2(9.81)(0.70 ∗ 0.50 ± 0)
= 41.67 + 40.458 = 82.128 𝑚

Since they are about to meet at one point, the point of head-on collision,
the minimum sight distance should be 153.53 + 82.13 = 235.56 meters.
 Example #5
▪ Find SSD for a descending gradient of 2% for 80 kph
vehicle speed limit.
We can use the same formula for SSD. From table
of friction, the friction factor f for an 80 kph speed
limit is 0.30.

𝑢2
𝑆𝑆𝐷 = 𝑢𝑡𝑟 +
2𝑔(𝑓𝑏 ± 𝐺)
80𝑘𝑝ℎ ∗ 0.2778 2
= 80𝑘𝑝ℎ 0.2778 2.50 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑠 +
2(9.81)(0.30 ∗ 1.00 − 0.02)
= 55.56 + 89.91 = 145.47 𝑚

Vehicles traveling at 80kph speed has an SSD of 145.47 meters.

Negative gradient -2% was used since the area is located at a descending slope.
Decision Sight Distance (DSD)
“Distance required for a driver to detect an unexpected or otherwise
difficult-to-perceive information source or hazard in a roadway
environment that may be visually cluttered, recognize the hazard of
its threat potential, select an appropriate speed and path, and initiate
and complete the required safety maneuvers safely and efficiently.” –
AASHTO
Distinction between SSD and DSD
Stopping sight distance
Stopping sight distance is
used when the vehicle is
traveling at design speed,
and one clearly discernable
object or obstacle is
presented in the roadway.
The vehicle must decelerate
to a stop at an acceptable
rate to avoid the object.
Decision sight distance
Decision sight distance
applies when conflicts are
numerous, conditions are
complex, driver expectancies
may vary, or visibility to traffic
control or design features is
impaired.
 When to use DSD
▪ Use at complex or unexpected situations where:
▪ Driver error is likely
▪ Substantial vehicular control is required

▪ Allow enough time to perform evasive maneuvers

▪ Allows additional sight distance over SSD to increase margin of error
▪ Stopping is not necessarily required or desirable

▪ Examples:
▪ Interchanges or intersections where unusual maneuvers are required
▪ Change in cross sections/atypical road design (e.g., lane drops/additions, toll
plazas)
▪ Areas with considerable “visual noise”
Decision Sight Distance

Steep vertical curve

Decision Sight Distance

Horizontal curves “side roads”

Types of Decision Sight Distance
Five types of “avoidance maneuvers”
▪ Stopping
o A, rural road, t = 3.0 seconds*
o B, urban road, t = 9.1 seconds*

▪ Speed/Path/Direction change
o C, rural road, t = 10.2 to 11.2 seconds**
o D, suburban road, t = 12.1 to 12.9 seconds**
o E, urban road, t = 14.0 to 14.5 seconds**

*t = pre-maneuver time only (braking time not included)

**t = total pre-maneuver and maneuver time
 Decision Sight Distance

Stopping
A, rural road
B, urban road

Speed/Path/Direction change
C, rural road
D, suburban road
E, urban road

Note: avoidance maneuvers: A (3.0s), B (9.1s), C (10.2-11.2s), D (12.1-12.9s)

and E (14.0-14.5s)
Generalized DSD Equation
DSD for avoidance maneuvers A and B:
𝑢2
𝐷𝑆𝐷 = 0.278𝑢𝑡 + 0.039
𝑎
Where:
DSD = stopping sight distance (m)
𝑡 = pre-maneuver time (sec), from Table 3-3
𝑢 = design vehicle speed (kph)
𝑎 = deceleration rate, usually 3.4 m/sec2
Generalized DSD Equation
DSD for avoidance maneuvers C, D, and E:

𝐷𝑆𝐷 = 0.278𝑢𝑡
Where:
DSD = stopping sight distance (m)
𝑡 = total pre-maneuver and manuever time (sec), from Table 3-3
𝑢 = design vehicle speed (kph)
Example #6
▪ Calculate DSD for a vehicle travelling at 50 kph. Assume avoidance
maneuver is Type A.

𝑢2
𝐷𝑆𝐷 = 0.278𝑢𝑡 + 0.039
𝑎

𝑡 = 3 secs (from Table 3-3)

𝑢 = 50 kph
𝑎 = 3.4 m/sec2

(50𝑘𝑝ℎ)2
𝐷𝑆𝐷 = 0.278 50𝑘𝑝ℎ (3𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑠) + 0.039
3.4𝑚/𝑠 2

= 41.7 + 28.68 = 70.38 m

Example #7
▪ Calculate DSD for a vehicle travelling at 50 kph. Assume avoidance
maneuver is Type C.

𝐷𝑆𝐷 = 0.278𝑢𝑡

𝑡𝑚 = 10.2 to 11.2 secs (from Table 3-3)

𝑢 = 50 kph

𝐷𝑆𝐷 = 0.278 50𝑘𝑝ℎ (10.2𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑠)

= 141.78 𝑚
Passing Sight Distance
“The minimum sight distance required on a two-lane, two-way
highway that will permit a driver to complete a passing maneuver
without colliding with an opposing vehicle and without cutting off the
passed vehicle.”

d1 = Perception-Reaction-
Acceleration Distance
d2 = Distance Traveled
during occupancy of the left
lane
d3 = Clearance Distance
d4 = Opposing Vehicle
Encroachment Distance
Passing Sight Distance
 Homework #3

A driver is driving at 75 kph when a dog suddenly appeared and

stopped at the middle of the road. Determine the distance the
vehicle would move before the driver could activate the brakes.
Assume PRT is 2.50 secs.
 Homework #3

If the friction factor is 0.30 and brake efficiency is 45%, determine

the braking distance.
 Homework #3
If the vehicle is 250 m away when the driver sees the dog, will the
dog be hit by the vehicle?
Reference
▪ Garber & Hoel, 2015: pp. 57-98 (Ch. 3: Characteristics of the Driver, the
Pedestrian, the Vehicle and the Road)
PCE6-M: Highway and Railroad Engineering

Unit 2 | Geometric Design of

Highways:
Sight Distances
Learning Objectives
At the end of this module, the students will be able to:
• Discuss the driver, pedestrian, vehicle, and road
characteristics.
• Identify the factors affecting stopping sight distance and
typical assumptions related to these factors.
• Calculate required stopping sight distance as per AASHTO
Green Book.
• Explain the concepts of decision sight distance and passing
sight distance.
CE 6: Highway and Railroad Engineering

Unit 1 | Introduction to
Transportation
Engineering
Learning Objectives
At the end of this module, the students will be able to:
• Discuss what are the disciplines related to
transportation engineering
• Discuss the transport systems in the Philippines
• Define traffic management
TRANSPORTATION
ENGINEERING
What is Transportation?

Transportation moves people and

goods from one place to another
using a variety of vehicles across
different infrastructure systems.
What is Transportation Engineering?
“Transportation engineering is the
application of technology and
scientific principles to the planning,
functional design, operations, and
management of facilities for any
mode of transportation in order to
provide for the safe, rapid,
comfortable, convenient,
economical, and environmentally-
capable movement of people and
goods.”
Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)
What is Transportation System?
• The transportation system is a functional system
that provides a service (the movement of goods
and people from place to place).
• It is an essential feature in the economy and the
personal lives of people everywhere, most
especially in the developed nations.
• A highly developed transportation system makes
possible the abundance and variety of goods and
the high levels of personal mobility that are the
hallmarks of a wealthy society.
• At the same time, the transportation system is a
major source of resource consumption and
environmental impact.
How does it look like in other countries?
How does it look like in other countries?
How does it look like in other countries?
How does it look like in the Philippines?
Components of Transportation System
• Physical Facilities | including streets, roads, and highways, railroads,
airports, sea and river ports, pipelines and canals
• Fleets | a number of vehicles, vessels, and aircraft
• Operating bases and facilities | including vehicle maintenance
facilities and office space
• Organizations | Facility-oriented organizations or Operating
organizations
• Operating Strategies | including vehicle routing, scheduling, and
traffic control
Effectiveness of Transportation System

Effectiveness is described in terms of the accessibility of the

mode, the level of mobility it provides, and its productivity.
• Accessibility refers to the cost of getting to and from a place to
another and depends primarily on geographical extensiveness.
• Mobility is described in terms of speed or travel time.
• Productivity refers to some measure of the total amount of
transportation provided per unit time. The amount of transportation
is usually thought of as the product of the volume of goods or
passengers carried and distance.
What are its Related Disciplines?
There are 5 branches in Civil
Engineering that is closely related to
transportation engineering, that is:
• Highway Engineering
• Railway Engineering
• Port and Harbor Engineering
• Airport Engineering
• Pipeline Engineering
Highway Engineering
Railway Engineering
Port and Harbor Engineering
Airport Engineering
Pipeline Engineering
What are the roles of Transportation Engineers?
The transportation engineer is the professional who is
concerned with the planning, design, construction,
operations, and management of a transportation system.

Responsibilities:
1. Assist society in selecting the appropriate
transportation system consistent with its economic
development, resources, and goals.
2. Construct and manage the system in a safe and
efficient manner.
3. Ensure that the system functions efficiently from an
economic point of view, and that it meets external
requirements concerning energy, air quality, safety,
congestion, noise, and land use.
Specialties within Transportation Engineering
Philippine Road
Transport Network
Department of Public Works and Highways
▪ Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) - the
main infrastructure arm of the country
1st Minister: Maximo Paterno (Ministry of Public Works and
Communications in 1899)
1st Secretary: Rogaciano Mercado (newly-constituted Department
of Public Works and Highways in 1986)
Incumbent Secretary: Mark A. Villar
▪ Six (6) bureaus, nine (9) services, seventeen (17) regional
offices, one (1) Unified Project Management Office
(UPMO), and one hundred eighty-three (183) district
engineering offices
Department of Public Works and Highways
▪ DPWH is responsible for the planning, design, construction and
maintenance of vital infrastructures such as roads, bridges, flood
control systems, water resource development projects and other
public works geared towards the attainment of sustainable growth
and development.
▪ The main societal goal of the DPWH:
o contribute to the sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction
o improve the country’s global competitiveness through the construction and
maintenance of the country’s national roads, bridges and public works
o provide access to major airports, seaports/RORO ports, markets, production
areas, strategic tourist destinations and economic centers throughout the
country
The Philippine Road Transport Network

▪ Total road length: 33,018.25 km

(as of 2019)
▪ Breakdown:
o Concrete (21,646.10 km;
65.56%)
o Asphalt (10,440.98 km;
31.62%)
o Gravel (889.21 km; 2.69%)
o Earth (41.96 km; 0.13%)
Functional Classification of Highways
▪ Highways are classified based on
two primary functions:
1. Mobility – ability of traffic to pass
through a defined area in a
reasonable amount of time.
2. Accessibility/ Connectivity –
measurement of road’s capability
to provide access to and between
land use activities within a
defined area.
Expressways
National Roads
Provincial Roads
Municipal and City Roads
Barangay Roads
Functional classification based on proportion of service
(From: Virginia Department of Transportation – Functional
Classification Comprehensive Guide)
Road Classification
▪ Republic Act No. 917 (known as the Philippine Highway Act) enacted in 1953
▪ Executive Order (EO) No. 113, Series of 1955 – criteria for classification of national
roads and for reclassification from local roads to national roads.
▪ Executive Order (EO) No. 124, Series of 1987 – DPWH was given the power to
classify roads and highways, and to provide and authorize the conversion of roads
and highways from one category to another.
▪ April 2002 – a Technical Working Group (TWG) was established in connection with
the New Planning Process under NRIMP-1, where the main recommendation was to
transfer over 10,000 km. of national roads to the Local Government Units (LGU’s) but
this did not materialize.
▪ June 2009 – a memorandum was approved by then Secretary Hermogenes E.
Ebdane, Jr. relative to the Department’s criteria/guidelines on road functional
classification. National roads were classified in relation to its functionality to the local
road network into Primary (which is further categorized into: North-South Backbone,
East-West Lateral, Other Roads of Strategic Importance) and Secondary Roads.
Road Functional Classification
(Superseded by the New Road Classification System)
▪ National Primary Roads
o The North-South Backbone was the main trunk line
from northernmost Luzon down to Southern Mindanao
interconnecting major islands
o East-West Laterals were the roads traversing the
backbone and across the islands.
o Other Roads of Strategic Importance were direct access
to important centers and areas vital for regional
development and emergencies.

▪ National Secondary Roads were other roads which

complemented national arterial roads that provided
access to other major population and production
centers.
DPWH Road Classification
▪ On April 14, 2014, a memorandum was issued by Secretary Rogelio
L. Singson regarding the new Road Classification System as well
as the Route Numbering to all primary roads that has been
extended to secondary roads at present.
▪ This new Road Classification and Route Numbering System was
then implemented and incorporated in the Road and Bridge
Information Application (RBIA) in compliance to the said
memorandum.
 New Road Classification System
National • Directly connects major cities ( at least around 100,000 people)
Primary Cities within metropolitan areas are not covered by the criteria
National • Directly connects cities to National Primary Roads, except in metropolitan areas
Secondary • Directly connects major ports and ferry terminals to National Primary Roads
DPWH • Directly connects major airports to National Primary Roads
• Directly connects tourist service centers to National Primary Roads or other National Secondary Roads
• Directly connects cities (not included in the category of major cities)
• Directly connects provincial capitals within the same region
• Directly connects major National Government Infrastructure to National Primary Roads or other National
Secondary Roads
National Tertiary • Other existing roads under DPWH which perform a local function

Provincial • Connect cities and municipalities without traversing National Roads

Roads • Connect to National Roads to barangays through rural areas
• Connect to major provincial government infrastructure
Municipal • Roads within Poblacion
LGU and City Roads • Roads that connect to Provincial and National Roads
• Roads that provide inter-barangay connections to major Municipal and
• City Infrastructure without traversing Provincial Roads
Barangay Roads • Other Public Roads (officially turned over) within the barangay and not covered in the above definitions

Expressways Highways with limited access, normally with interchanges; may include facilities for levying tolls for passage in
an open or closed system.
Route Numbering System (RNS)
▪ The details of the road classification and numbering can be viewed through this
web link: https://www.dpwh.gov.ph/dpwh/gis/rbi
▪ The RNS has been devised for Expressways, Primary Roads and Secondary
Roads at present.
▪ It may be expanded to the Tertiary class at a later date.

Classification Numbering
National Primary Nos. N1 to N49 for the "main" routes or
corridors, i.e. those connecting 3 or more
cities
Nos. N50 to N99 for other primary routes
connecting two cities
National Secondary Nos. 100 to 999
Expressways E1, E2, E3, etc
National Primary Roads
▪ National primary roads form parts of the main trunk line system and directly connect 3 or
more major cities and metropolitan areas with a population of at least 100,000.
▪ North-south backbone roads are known as the main trunk line and the east-west lateral
roads traverse the N-S backbone.
National Primary Roads
▪ Highways numbered in a pentagonal black-
on-white highway shields similar to Australian
highway signage.
▪ Route numbering system of DPWH is as
follows:
o N1 to N49 are main routes, or known as
priority corridor roads; these are national
primary roads that connect 3 or more cities.
o N50 to N99 link two cities.
National Route 1 (N1)
▪ National Route 1 (N1) is also known as the Pan-
Philippine Highway and Daang Maharlika. It is a
3,517 km network of roads, bridges and ferry
services that connect major island groups of the
country.
▪ N1 north and south terminus are in Laoag,
Ilocos Norte, and Zamboanga City, respectively.
▪ Maharlika Highway (Laoag to Guiguinto)
▪ Cagayan Valley Road (Lal-lo to Tuguegarao)
▪ MacArthur Highway (Guiguinto to Caloocan)
▪ Epifanio de los Santos Avenue
▪ Maharlika Highway (Muntinlupa to Zamboanga
City)
National Route 2 (N2)
▪ National Route 2 (N2) is also known as the Manila
North Road (MNR, MANOR) and MacArthur
Highway. It is a 500 km-two-to-six-lane road.
▪ N2’s north and south terminus are in Laoag, Ilocos
Norte and Guiguinto, respectively.

N1
N2

N1
National Secondary Roads
▪ National secondary roads complement
with primary roads as access
provisions to other major population
centers.
▪ They directly link smaller cities and
provincial capitals, airports, seaports
and tourist centers to primary roads.

Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City is part of a national

secondary road network having a designation of N170.
National Secondary
▪ Secondary roads have been given 3-digit numbers:
1. The first digit of the Secondary route corresponds to the number of
Primary Road to which it connects. Example: N102 connects N1,
N405 connects N4.
2. If a Secondary route connects two Primary routes, the first digit of
the Secondary route corresponds to the first digit of the lowest
Primary route. Example: if a 2nd route connects N3 and N4, its
number is N3xx.
3. “Major” Secondary routes have been numbered in multiples of 10
(e.g. N410, N420…)
4. Gaps have been left in the scheme to accommodate future
expansions (e.g. there may be N410, N411, N412, and the next
route is N420, leaving a gap N413-N419 for future use.
5. Most islands have unique 1st and 2nd digits. For example, the
island of Bohol is 85, so 2nd routes are numbered as 850, 851, 852,
etc. Siquijor is 86 (i.e. 860, 861, 862, etc.)
National Secondary Roads
▪ In Valenzuela, there are two
national secondary roads:

oN118 – Maysan Road, Paso

de Blas Road, Bagbaguin
Road, Gen. Luis St.

oN128 – Mindanao Avenue

Kilometer Posts/ Markers
▪ Kilometer posts are the concrete markings that
you can see on the sides of the road.
▪ These act as mini landmarks and has distance
information written on it.
▪ They're usually colored with yellow and white
paint to make them easily visible to driver's and
passenger's eyes.

K – Kilometer
0036 – Distance from KM 0
P – Initial of the next town, municipality, city
6 – Distance to the next town, municipality, city

Left Side – headed towards Manila

Right Side – going farther from the capital
Metro Manila Arterial Road System
▪ Metro Manila has a total road length of 4,800
km. Major roads form circumferential and
arterial patterns which follows the
development of Metro Manila.

▪ C-x – Circumferential/ coastal roads

▪ R-x – Arterial/radial roads
Metro Manila Arterial Road System
▪ Original numbering scheme 1-60 for Manila was done
in 1940 under the administration of Manuel Quezon,
with numberings very similar to US Highway
numbering system:
a. Highway 1 – Admiral Dewey Boulevard (now
Roxas Boulevard)
b. Highway 50 – Calle Manila (now Taft Avenue)
c. Highway 54 – Calle 19 de Junio (now EDSA)
▪ In 1945, as part of expansion of Manila, city planners Highway 1
Louis Croft and Antonio Kayanan devised a proposal Highway 54
of laying 10 radial roads and 5 circumferential road,
hence started the Metro Manila Arterial Road System. Highway 50
Circumferential Roads
▪ Circumferential roads are numbered with C-1 as
the innermost and outermost is C-6.
a. C-1: Recto Avenue, P. Casal St., Ayala Blvd., Finance
Dr., P. Burgos Ave.
b. C-2: Capulong St., Tayuman St., Lacson Ave., Quirino
Ave.
c. C-3: C-3 Rd., 5th Ave., Sgt. E. Rivera Ave., Gregorio
Araneta Ave., Metro Manila Skybridge, South Ave.,
Ayala Ave. Ext., Gil Puyat Ave.
d. C-4: C-4 Rd., Paterio Aquino Ave, Samson Rd., EDSA
e. C-5: NLEX-Karuhatan Link, NLEX-Mindanao Ave. Link,
Congressional Ave., Luzon Ave., Tandang Sora Ave.,
Katipunan Ave., Bonny Serrano Ave., E. Rodriguez
Ave., C.P. Garcia Ave., C-5 Rd. Ext.
f. C-6: Southeast Metro Manila Expressway (currently
under construction)
Radial Roads
▪ Radial roads are numbered R-1 through R-10, and
arranged in a counterclockwise pattern, where R-1 is the
southernmost and R-10 is the northernmost. The radial
roads never intersect one another and they do not intersect
C-roads twice.
a. R-1: Bonifacio Dr., Roxas Blvd., Manila-Cavite
Expressway, Anterio Soriano Highway
b. R-2: Taft Ave., Elpidio Quirino Ave., Diego Cera Ave.,
Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay-Talisay Rd.
c. R-3: SLEX, STAR Tollway
d. R-4: Pasig Line St., Kalayaan Ave., M. Concepcion Ave.,
Elisco Rd., Highway 2000 Phase 1
e. R-5: V. Mapa St., P. Sanchez St., Shaw Blvd., Pasig
Blvd., Ortigas Ave. Ext., Taytay Diversion Rd., Manila
East Rd.
Radial Roads
▪ Radial roads are numbered R-1 through R-10, and
arranged in a counterclockwise pattern, where R-1 is the
southernmost and R-10 is the northernmost. The radial
roads never intersect one another and they do not intersect
C-roads twice.
f. R-6: Legarda St, Magsaysay Blvd., Marikina-Infanta
Highway
g. R-7: Lerma Ave., España Blvd., Quezon Ave., Elliptical
Rd., Commonwealth Ave., Quirino Highway, San Jose del
Monte-Norzagaray Rd.
h. R-8: Quezon Blvd., A. Mendoza St., Dimasalang St., A.
Bonifacio Ave., NLEX, SCTEX,TPLEX
i. R-9: Rizal Ave. (Avenida Rizal), MacArthur Highway,
Pugo-Rosario Rd.
j. R-10: Mel Lopez Blvd. (formerly Marcos Rd.), Manila-
Bataan Coastal Rd. (under construction)
Philippine Expressway Network
▪ The Philippine expressway network is a controlled-
access highway network managed by DPWH. This
consisted of all expressways and regional high
standard highways (HSH) in the country.
▪ HSH provide high level of traffic services by assuring
high-speed mobility to support socio-economic
developments in regions they serve.
o Expressways/ Arterial high standard highways
(HSH-1) – multi-lane divided toll roads which are
privately maintained under concession from the
government. They have limited access, with
interchanges and including facilities for levying tolls
for passage.
o Regional high standard highways (HSH-2) - multi-
lane arterial roads with bypasses, grade separation
and service roads that connect expressways and
mostly partially-controlled.
Philippine Expressway Network
Presently, there are 6 discontinuous network of
expressways:
1. E-1: Quezon City to Rosario, La Union: North
Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Subic-Clark-Tarlac
Expressway (SCTEX), Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union
Expressway (TPLEX)
2. E-2: Makati to Batangas City: C-5 Southlink
Expressway, Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway
(MCX), Skyway (MMS), South Luzon Expressway
(SLEX),and Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR
Tollway)
3. E-3: Parañaque to Kawit, Cavite: Manila-Cavite
Expressway (CAVITEX/Coastal Road)
4. E-4: Olongapo to Mabalacat, Pampanga: Subic-
Clark-Tarlac Expressway Hermosa-Mabalacat
Segment (SCTEX) /Subic Freeport Expressway
(SFEX)
Philippine Expressway Network
5. E-5: Quezon City to Navotas: NLEX Mindanao
Ave. Link (NLEX Segments 8.1), NLEX
Karuhatan/MacArthur Highway Link (NLEX
Segments 9), and NLEX Harbor Link (NLEX
Segments 10)
6. E-6: Parañaque to Pasay: Ninoy Aquino
International Airport Expressway (NAIAX)
7. Unnumbered:
o Kawit, Cavite to Binan: Cavite-Laguna Expressway
(CALAX)
o Tarlac City to San Jose, Nueva Ecija: Central Luzon
Link Expressway (CLLEX)
o Makati to Muntinlupa: Metro Manila Skyway System
(MMSWS)
 Philippine Expressway Network
Expressways

Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) 2018–2022 Under-construction 2022

Davao City Expressway Proposed

Metro Cebu Expressway 2018–2022 Under-construction 2022
Luzon Spine Expressway Network
C-5 Southlink Expressway 2016–2022 Under-construction 2022
Cavite–Laguna Expressway (CALAX) 2018–2023 Under-construction September 2023
Cavite–Tagaytay–Batangas Expressway Proposed
Central Luzon Link Expressway (CLLEX) 2017–2021 Completed July 15, 2021
Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 2014–2021 Completed January 15, 2021
Skyway Extension 2019–2021 Under-construction 2021
North Luzon East Expressway (NLEE) Under-construction
NLEX Harbor Link 2014–2020 Completed June 15, 2020

NLEX Harbor Link Extension to Anda Circle Proposed

NLEX–SLEX Connector Road 2019–2022 Under-construction March 2022

Plaridel Bypass Road (Phase 2 and 3) 2014–2020 Completed December 2020
Quezon–Bicol Expressway Proposed

Southeast Metro Manila Expressway (SEMME) 2018–2022 Under-construction 2022

SLEX Toll Road 4 2019–2022 Under-construction 2022

SLEX Toll Road 5 Proposed
Subic Freeport Expressway Expansion 2019–2021 Completed February 19, 2021

Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway (TPLEX) Extension Proposed

Philippine Railway System
Railway System in the Philippines
▪ Currently, the country has a railway footprint of only of 76.9 km and serving mostly transport
passengers within Metro Manila and Laguna.

▪ The government targets to build and lay the groundwork for approximately 1,200 kilometers
of railways by 2022 and beyond, which will benefit around 4.5 million passengers per day.

Philippine
Heavy Rail National
Railways

Rails LRTA System

(Line 1, Line 2)
Light Rail

MRT Line 3
History of the Railway System in the Philippines
Spanish Regime

Horse Drawn Streetcars

▪ 1878 - Leon Monssour, the official of the Department of Public

Works of Spain, submitted a proposal to Madrid for the Manila
streetcar system

▪ 1882 - the entreprenuer Jocobo Zobel de Zangroniz, together

with Spanish engineer Luciano M. Bremon and Madrid banker
Adolfo Bayo, formed the La Compaña de Tranvias de Horse-drawn tranvias along the streets of Escolta, Manila (Photo is
Filipinas, which operated the concession awarded by the Property of Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries).
government.

Plan for the 1st and 2nd class carriages for a

tramway (Source: Gardner, 2004).
History of the Railway System in the Philippines
Spanish Regime

Steam Powered Trains

▪ 1902 - Two steam railroads were in operation in the Philippines,

both in the island of Luzon.

Steam-powered tranvia that served Malabon and Tondo from 1888 to 1898. Service originated
from Tondo at 5:30 a.m. and ended at 7:30 p.m., while trips from Malabon were from 6:00 a.m.
until 8:00 p.m., every hour in the mornings and every half hour beginning 1:30 p.m in the
afternoons if there were many passengers. Photo taken in 1883. (Source: Minuesa, R., 2011 via
flickr.com)
Manila to Dagupan (Ferrocaril de Manila-Dagupan), in the province of
Pangasinan, and is operated by the Manila and Dagupan Railway Company,
Limited or the Manila Railroad Company, now Philippine National Railways
(Source: Gardner, 2004).
History of the Railway System in the Philippines
American Regime
Electricity-Powered Tranvia
▪ March 24, 1903 - A 50-year franchise was awarded to the
Manila Electric Railway and Light Company, a New Jersey
Company (now more commonly known as Meralco) to
supersede the entire railway system running around Manila -
taking over the properties of La Compaña de las Tranvias de
Filipinas.
▪ 1907 – The Panay Line started its construction connecting Iloilo
City and Roxas City. This was the first railway line that was built
outside of Metro Manila. In 1911, the Cebu Line became
operational alongside Panay Line.
▪ 1930 – The road networks improved, together with the An old photo of an open-sided tranvia or tramvia (electric street
development of gasoline powered bus services. Meralco tram) along Escolta, Manila. The tranvia service started in 1905
continued the tranvia system but already stopped its expansion. during the American era. It was operated by the Manila Electric
Just like in other cities in many countries, the emergence of Railroad and Light Company (the same Meralco we know today.)
The tranvia operated until just before World War 2 (WWII) broke.
automobiles led to the decline of railways. (Source: Philippine-history.org, 2014)
History of the Railway System in the Philippines
Japanese Regime

Destruction of Railways

▪ 1942 – The Manila-Dagupan Line was a witness of

the tortures of Filipinos and American soldiers by the
Japanese colonizers. From Bataan, the death march
ended in San Fernando, where the prisoners of war
were compacted inside the “Death Trains” bound to
Capas, Tarlac.

▪ WWII – The service deteriorated due to poor

maintenance and floods in 1943.

▪ Battle of Manila in 1945 – The system was totally

destroyed, when Manila was considered as the
second-most destroyed city, after Warsaw in Poland. The devastation brought by war pulverized the centuries-old
The Cebu Line’s bridges, tracks and Central Station Intramuros (Source: Nostalgia Filipinas, 2012).
were all struck by bombs with damage so extensive
that the railway never recovered.
History of the Railway System in the Philippines
The Philippine Republic
▪ Meralco concentrated on providing electricity to the
city.
▪ Army jeeps were used in replacement of the horse-
drawn streetcars to serve as public transportation
system in the large sections of the Metropolis.
▪ 1960s – The steam railway lines extended to San
Fernando in La Union, San Jose in Nueva Ecija, the
lakeshore towns of Laguna, Bicol Cavite and
Batangas.
▪ 1972 – A system of expressway and railway network,
to match that of Tokyo’s, was proposed in Manila.
This included a 135.1 kilometer of subway.
A 1969 proposal plan of a monorail along Taft Avenue. Photo
above shows the Manila City Hall at right and the Post Office and
▪ 1977 – There was also a proposal to have a street- Intramuros at the left (Source: Correos Filipinas, 2015).
level tramcar system along Rizal and Taft Avenue
under the MMETROPLAN study.
History of the Railway System in the Philippines
The Philippine Republic

▪ 1979 – Decision to build LRT Line 1, a 15-kilometer fully-

elevated railway line, was realized and pushed through,
since the public transport was already nearing its
saturation point and still barely meets the commuter
demand.

▪ 1981 – LRT 1 line started its construction. The

government-owned Construction Development
Corporation of the Philippines (now the Philippine
National Construction Corp.) was the sole contractor for
the project.

▪ 1988 - Manila-Dagupan Line of the PNR was totally shut

down. This was due to inability to cope with the demand
competition with automobile transport and the LRT Line 1 Opening day of Carriedo Station, when new roof-
maintenance issues with the cars and railways, which ventilated Light Rail No 1048 awaiting departure from Baclaran
station (Source: lindsaybridge on flickr, 1985).
limits the efficiency and comfort that it offers to
commuters.
History of the Railway System in the Philippines
The Philippine Republic

▪ 1996 – LRT Line 3 (MRT 3) was constructed by the private

company, Metro Rail Transit Corporation (MRTC). In this BLT
(build-lease-transfer) project, the railway facilities will be leased
to DOTC for 25 years following construction, and they will then
be transferred to DOTC (Tiglao, 2007).

▪ 1997 – LRT Line 2 started with the Katipunan Station, which is

the only underground stop. The line expanded a distance of
13.8 kilometers with 11 stations, run east to west following
Marcos Highway, Aurora Boulevard, Ramon Magsaysay
Boulevard, Legarda Street and Claro M. Recto Street. A
footbridge along the Araneta Center, Cubao, was constructed in
March 2005, linking LRT Line 2 and MRT Line 3. MRT 3 North and southbound trains of the Metro Rail Transit 3
travel along Edsa near Boni Avenue. (Source: Bacasmas, Edwin.
2015)
▪ 1998 – Massive rehabilitation, track improvement, and
expansion of stations were made in LRT 1, including provision
of the second-generation cars which have air conditioning
system.
History of the Railway System in the Philippines
The Philippine Republic

Rail-Based Transport System

▪ 2010 – The 23-kilometer span of EDSA has a train service, with

completion of the 5.4-km North Loop. However, the interface to
connect LRT Line 1 and LRT Line 3 (MRT 3) to work as one
single loop is still unfinished.

▪ 2012 – Manila has a 50-km urban rail line which accommodates

less than 10% of the daily trips in Manila.

The Railways of Metro Manila show on a wider view, where the Orange
(PNR) line extends up to Alabang, Parañaque, though in reality it extends
down to Legazpi City, Albay (Source: Philippinerailways, 2011).
Philippine National Railways
▪ The state-owned Philippine National Railways (PNR) is the sole operator of the most
extensive intra-island railway on Luzon.
▪ It operates two commuter rail services:
o Metro Manila
o Bicol Region
Philippine National Railways
▪ Commuter stations of the PNR are as follows. Italics are either under construction, not yet
operational, or closed.
1. New Clark City, 16. 10th Ave., 33. Sucat,
Pampanga Caloocan Muntinlupa
2. Clark IA 17. 5th Ave. 34. Alabang
3. Clark 18. Solis, Manila 35. Muntinlupa
4. Angeles 19. Tutuban 36. San Pedro,
5. San Fernando 20. Blumentritt Laguna
6. Apalit 21. Laong Laan 37. Pacita MG
7. Calumpit, 22. España 38. Santa Rosa
Bulacan 23. Santa Mesa 39. Biñan
8. Malolos 24. Pandacan 40. Cabuyao
9. Guiguinto 25. Paco 41. Gulod
10. Balagtas 26. San Andres 42. Mamatid
11. Bocaue 27. Buendia, Makati 43. Calamba
12. Marilao 28. Pasay Road
13. Meycauayan 29. EDSA
14. Valenzuela 30. Nichols, Taguig
15. Gov. Pascual, 31. FTI
Malabon 32. Bicutan
Rapid Transit
▪ Currently, there are two metropolitan rail systems Line 2
serving the Metro Manila area:
1. Manila Light Rail Transit System (MLRTS) – or
LRT, consists of two lines:
a. LRT Line 1 (Yellow Line)
b. LRT Line 2 (Purple Line) Line 3

2. Manila Metro Rail Transit System (MMRTS), or

MRT: Line 1
a. MRT Line 3 (Blue Line)
LRT Line 1
▪ LRT Line 1, also known as Metrorail runs on 19.65 km.-
rail and has 20 stations. Opened in December 1, 1984.
North Avenue 12. Central Terminal
1. Roosevelt 13. United Nations
2. Balintawak 14. Pedro Gil
3. Monumento 15. Quirino
4. 5th Avenue 16. Vito Cruz
5. R. Papa 17. Gil Puyat
6. Abad Santos 18. Libertad
7. Blumentritt 19. EDSA Line 1
8. Tayuman 20. Baclaran
9. Bambang Redemptorist, Manila IA,
Asia World, Ninoy Aquino,
10. Doroteo Jose Dr. Santos, Manuyo Uno,
Las Piñas, Zapote, Talaba,
11. Carriedo Niog
LRT Line 2
▪ LRT Line 2, also known as Megatren, runs on 16.75 Line 2
km,-rail and has 13 stations. Opened in April 5, 2003.

Pier 4 7. Betty Go-

Divisoria Belmonte
Tutuban 8. Araneta
1. Recto Center-Cubao
9. Anonas
2. Legarda
10. Katipunan
3. Pureza
4. V. Mapa 11. Santolan
12. Marikina
5. J. Ruiz
13. Antipolo
6. Gilmore
MRT Line 3
▪ MRT Line 3, also known as Metrostar Express, runs on
16.90 km.-rail and has 13 stations. Opened in
December 15, 1999.

1. North Avenue 8. Boni

2. Quezon Avenue 9. Guadalupe
3. Kamuning 10. Buendia
4. Araneta Center- 11. Ayala Line 3
Cubao
5. Santolan
6. Ortigas 12. Magallanes
7. Shaw 13. Taft Avenue
Boulevard
Manila-Taytay Line
▪ Manila-Taytay Line (Line 4) is a planned 18.4 km.-rapid
transit rail which will run from V. Mapa St. (Line 2) in
Manila until SM City Taytay.

1. Magsaysay Blvd. 8. Julia Vargas

2. Dupil 9. Meralco
3. Kalentong 10. Pasig
Line 4
4. Acacia Lane 11. Bonifacio Ave.
5. Wack-Wack 12. L. Wood
6. EDSA Line 4 13. Taytay
7. Lourdes
Makati Intra-city Subway
▪ Makati Intra-city Subway (Line 5) is an under
construction,11 km.-underground rapid transit line
which will serve Makati and other establishments. Set
to finish in 2025.

1. EDSA-Taft 6. Rockwell
2. Ayala 7. Guadalupe
Triangle Line 5 Line 5

3. Buendia 8. University of
4. Circuit Makati
5. Makati City 9. Kalayaan
Hall 10. Sampaguita
LRT Line 6
▪ LRT Line 6 is a planned 19 km.-rapid transit rail which
will run from the LRT Line 1 south extension in Bacoor
to Dasmariñas. Cavite. It is currently cancelled, due to
right-of-way issues in Aguinaldo Highway.

1. Niog Line 6 5. Salitran

2. Tirona 6. Congressional
3. Imus Avenue
4. Daang Hari 7. Governor’s Drive

Line 6
MRT-7
▪ Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 7, or MRT-7, is
an under construction, 22.8 km.-rapid transit line which
Line 7
will serve Quezon City and Bulacan. Set to be partially
operational by December 2022.

1. Grand Central/ 8. Doña Carmen

North Avenue 9. Regalado
2. Quezon Memorial 10. Mindanao Avenue
3. University Ave. 11. Quirino
4. Tandang Sora 12. Sacred Heart
5. Don Antonio 13. Tala
6. Batasan 14. San Jose del
7. Manggahan Monte
PNR East-West Rail
▪ Manila Metro Rail Transit System Line 8, or PNR East-
West Line and MRT-8 is a planned 9.4 km.-rapid transit Line 8
line which will serve Manila and QC.

1. University 6. G. Araneta
Avenue 7. Banawe
2. Quezon 8. Welcome
Memorial Rotonda
3. EDSA 9. Antipolo
4. Timog 10. UST
5. A. Roces 11. Lerma
Metro Manila Subway
▪ Metro Manila Subway Line 9, or Mega Manila Subway,
is an under construction, 36 km.-underground rapid
transit line which will serve Quezon City, Pasig, Makati,
Taguig, Parañaque and Pasay. Set to be partially
opened in 2022 and be fully operational by 2027.

1. Quirino Highway 9. Ortigas South

2. Tandang Sora 10. Kalayaan
3. North Ave. 11. BGC Line 9

4. Quezon Ave. 12. Lawton East

5. East Ave. 13. Lawton West
6. Anonas 14. FTI
7. Katipunan 15. NAIA 3
8. Ortigas North
Philippine Nautical Highway
System
Philippine Nautical Highway
▪ The Philippine Nautical Highway
System, also known as Road Roll-
on/Roll-off Terminal System (RRTS)
or RoRo, is an integrated network of
highway and vehicular ferry routes.
▪ RoRo is a system of roads and ports
developed to connect the major
islands of the Philippines.
▪ On April 12, 2003, the 919-km
nautical highway was opened to the
public as the Strong Republic
Nautical Highway (SRNH)
Philippine Nautical Highway

▪ Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships

are cargo ships designed to carry
wheeled cargo (such as cars, trucks,
semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and
railroad cars) that are driven on and
off the ship on their own wheels or
using a platform vehicle (such as a
self-propelled modular transporter).
▪ RORO vessels have either built-in or
shore-based ramps or ferry slips that
allow the cargo to be efficiently rolled
on and off the vessel when in port.
Philippine Nautical Highway

Lift-on/Lift-off (LoLo) Vessel Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) Vessel

76
77
78
Air Transport in the
Philippines
Air Transportation
▪ The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) regulates
airport and aviation operations in the Philippines.
▪ In present, there are 85 airports owned by the national government
and are placed into one of the 3 main categories:
▪ International airports
▪ Principal airports
▪ Community airports
ICAO and IATA codes
▪ ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) – four-letter codes
used by an appendant body of the United Nations to designate
international flights and govern the standards of air travel.
▪ IATA (International Air Transport Association) – three-letter codes
used by a non-governmental trade organization to efficiently identify
airports, airlines, and flight paths for consumers.
International Airports
▪ International airports are capable of handling international flights
and have border control facilities.
▪ There are currently 12 airports in this category.
 International Airports
Name ICAO IATA Location
Clark International Airport (1996) RPLC CRK Mabalacat, Pampanga
Mactan-Cebu International Airport (1956) RPVM CEB Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
Francisco Bangoy International Airport (1940) RPMD DVO Davao City
General Santos International Airport (1996) RPMR GES General Santos City
Iloilo International Airport (1982) RPVI ILO Iloilo
Kalibo International Airport (2008) RPVK KLO Kalibo, Aklan
Laoag International Airport (1941) RPLI LAO Laoag, Ilocos Norte
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (1948) RPLL MNL Pasay
Bohol-Panglao International Airport (2018) RPSP TAG Panglao, Bohol
Puerto Princesa International Airport (1942) RPVP PPS Puerto Princesa, Palawan
Subic Bay International Airport (1952) RPLB SFS Morong, Bataan
Zamboanga International Airport (1945) RPMZ ZAM Zamboanga City
Principal Airports
▪ Principal airports do not have border control facilities, thus, can
only serve domestic destinations.
▪ There are two types of public airports:
1. Class 1 – capable of serving jet aircrafts with a capacity of at least
100 seats (13 airports).
2. Class 2 – capable of serving propeller aircrafts with a capacity of
at least 19 seats (19 airports).
Principal-Class 1 Airports
1. Bacolod-Silay Airport (RPVB/BCD) – Bacolod
2. Bancasi Airport (RPME/BXU) – Butuan City
3. Cotabato Airport (RPMC/CBO) – Maguindanao
4. Dipolog Airport (RPMG/DPL) – Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte
5. Sibulan Airport (RPVD/DGT) – Negros Oriental
6. Laguindingan Airport (RPMY/CGY) – Misamis Oriental
7. Legazpi Airport (RPLP/LGP) – Albay
8. Naga Airport (RPUN/WNP) – Camarines Sur
9. Pagadian Airport (RPMP/PAG) – Zamboanga del Sur
10. Roxas Airport (RPVR/RXS) – Capiz
11. San Jose Airport (RPUH/SJI) – Occidental Mindoro
12. Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport (RPVA/TAC) – Tacloban, Leyte
13. Tuguegarao Airport (RPUT/TUG) - Cagayan
Principal-Class 2 Airports
1. Evelio Javier Airport (RPVS/EUQ) – Antique
2. Loakan Airport (RPUB/BAG) – Bagiuo
3. Basco Airport (RPUO/BSO) – Batanes
4. Francisco B. Reyes Airport (RPVV/USU) – Coron, Palawan
5. Calbayog Airport (RPVC/CYP) – Samar
6. Camiguin Airport (RPMH/CGM) – Camiguin
7. Catarman National Airport (RPVF/CRM) – Northern Samar
8. Godofredo P. Ramos Airport (RPVE/MPH) – Malay, Aklan
9. Cuyo Airport (RPLO/CYU) – Cuyo, Palawan
10. Jolo Airport (RPMJ/JOL) – Sulu
11. Marinduque Airport (RPUW/MRQ) – Marinduque
12. Moises R. Espinosa Airport (RPVJ/MBT) – Masbate
13. Ormoc Airport (RPVO/OMC) – Leyte
14. Sayak Airport (RPNS/IAO) – Siargao
15. Surigao Airport (RPMS/SUG) – Surigao del Norte
16. Tugdan Airport (RPVU/TBH) – Romblon
17. Tandag Airport (RPMW/TDG) – Surigao del Sur
18. Sanga-Sanga Airport (RPMN/TWT) – Tawi-Tawi
19. Virac Airport (RPUV/VRC) - Catanduanes
Community Airports
▪ Community airports are used primarily for general aviation, such
as private transport, recreational flying, or as flying school for
aviation pilots.
▪ There are 41 airports in this category. Cauayan and Ozamiz Airports
are community airports that also receive domestic commercial air
services in a scheduled basis.
Transportation Management
Transportation Management

Department of Transportation (1899)

Kagawaran ng Transportasyon

Road agencies Rail agencies Air agencies Sea agencies

• LTO • PNR • CAAP • MARINA
• LTFRB • LRTA • CAB • PCG
• TRB • MRTC (operation • MIAA-NAIA • PMMA
supervision only) • MCIAA • PPA
CPA
Miscellaneous
• OTS
• OTC
89
Road agencies

Land Transportation Office (1964)

Tanggapan ng Transportasyong-Lupa

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (1987)

Lupon sa Pagpaprangkisa at Regulasyon ng
Transportasyong-Lupa

Toll Regulatory Board (1977)

Lupon ng Regulasyon ng Toll

90
Rail agencies

Philippine National Railways (1892)

Pambansang Daambakal ng Pilipinas

Light Rail Transit Authority (1980)

Pangasiwaan ng Magaan na Riles Panlulan

Metro Rail Transit Corporation (1995)

(Supervision of operations only, private company)

91
Air agencies
Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (1952)
Pangasiwaan ng Abyasyon Sibil ng Pilipinas

Civil Aeronautics Board (1932)

Lupon ng Aeronautika Sibil

Manila International Airport Authority (1982)

Pangasiwaan ng Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Maynila

Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (1956)

Pangasiwaan ng Panliparang Pandaigdig ng Mactan at Cebu

92
Sea agencies
Maritime Industry Authority (1974)
Pangasiwaan ng Industriyang Pandagat

Philippine Coast Guard (1967)

Tanod Baybayin ng Pilipinas

Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (1820)

Akademya ng Pangangalakal Pandagatan ng Pilipinas

Philippine Ports Authority (1975)

Pangasiwaan ng Daungan ng Pilipinas

Cebu Ports Authority (1992)

Pangasiwaan ng mga Pantalan sa Cebu

93
Miscellaneous agencies

Office for Transportation Security (2004)

Opisina para sa Seguridad ng Transportasyon

Office of Transportation Cooperatives (1983)

Tanggapan para sa mga Kooperatiba ng Transportasyon

94
Other government agencies
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority

Metro Manila Development Authority

Philippine National Police – Traffic Management Group

PNP Highway Patrol Group

Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan

Bases Conversion and Development Authority

Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission

95
Other agencies/organizations

National Center for Transportation Studies

UP Diliman, Quezon City

Transportation Science Society of the Philippines

Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies

Philippine Railway Engineers’ Association

96
References
▪ Mannering & Washburn, 2013: pp. 1-9 (Ch. 1: Introduction to Highway Engineering
and Traffic Analysis)
Supplemental readings:
▪ Brief History of National Roads in the Philippines
▪ Transport Sector Assessment, Safety and Road Map
▪ The Philippine Railway System (Dungca & Orbon, 2015)
▪ Marine Transportation in the Philippines (Dimailig & Jeong, 2011)
▪ Philippine Air Transportation: Impacts and Challenges (Yu, et al., 2019)
▪ Air Transport and the Open Skies Option (Supangco, 1999)
THANK YOU.
QUESTIONS?