Traffic Volume Data

Presentation
Third Stage
Lecture 2

Lecture. Rana Amir Yousif

Lecture. Sady Abd Tayeh

Civil Engineering
Al-Mustansiriyah University
2018-2019
Counting Periods
1. 24 – hour counts normally cover any 24 period.
2. 16 – hour counts usually from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
3. 12 – hour counts usually from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
4. Peak period counts usually from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.
5. Weekend counts covering the period from noon (6 p.m.) on Friday
to noon (or 6 a.m.) on Sunday for the weekends days.

 Special events should be avoided in counting unless the purpose of the

counts is to obtain data concerning these unusual conditions.
a) Special events ( holidays, sports, etc.).
b) Abnormal weather conditions.
c) Temporary closure of streets affecting the volume pattern.
d) Transit or trucking strikes.
Traffic Volume Data Presentation
The data collected from traffic volume counts may be
presented in one of several ways, depending on the type of
count conducted and primary use of data.

Traffic Flow Maps:- show traffic volumes on individual routs.

The volume of traffic on each route is represented by width
of a bond, which is drawn in proportion to the traffic
volume it represents.
When the flow is different on opposite directions, it is
advisable to provide a separate band for each direction.
Intersection Summary Sheets: graphic representation of all
volume and directions of all traffic movements through the
intersection.
These volume may be ADT or PHV depending on the use
of data.
Time –Based Direction Charts: these charts show the hourly,
daily. Monthly or annual variation in traffic volume.
Each volume is percentage of the average volume.
Summary Table: which gives a summary of traffic volume
data such as PHV, VC, and ADT in tabular form.
Passenger Car Unit (PCU)
 The different vehicle classes have a wide range of static characteristics such as
length, width, etc. and dynamic characteristics such as speed, acceleration, etc. it is
rather difficult to estimate the traffic volume and capacity of roadway under mixed
traffic flow, unless the different vehicles classes are converted to one common
standard vehicle unit. It is common to consider the passenger car unit (PCU)
 PCU Pcu
1 Buss(≤24 passenger) 1.25
1 Buss(>24 passenger) 2-3
1 Truck 2
1 motorcycle 0.33
1 Bicycle 0.25
1 Buss(≤24 passenger) 1.25
Light good vehicle 1-1.25
Heavy vehicle 3
Example : For the following traffic composition
Passenger car =50%
Busses (25 passenger) =5%
Heavy vehicle =42%
motorcycle =3%
Determine the equivalent passenger car unit if the total number of
.vehicles passing is 8500
Solution:
No. Passenger cars = 8500* (50/100) = 4250
No. of busses (25 passenger) = 8500* (05/100) = 425
No. heavy vehicle = 8500* (42/100) = 4570
No. of motorcycle = 8500* (03/100) = 255
Total equivalent passenger car =
4250*1+ 425*2.5+3570*3+255*0.33
Total equivalent passenger car =
4250+1062.5+10710+84.15
= 16107
Adjustment for Periodic Counts
Expansion factors, used to adjust periodic counts, are determined either
from continues count or from control count stations.
1. Hourly expansion factor (HEF)=(total volume for 24 hr period)/
volume for particular hour
These factors are used to expand counts of durations shorter than 24
hr to 24 hr volume, by multiplying the hourly volume for each hour
during the count period by HEF, for that hour.
2. Daily expansion factor (DEF)=(average total volume for week)/
average volume for particular day
These factors are used to determine weekly volumes from counts of
24 hr duration by multiplying the 24-hr volume by DEF.
3. Monthly expansion factor (MEF)=( AADT)/ ADT for particular
month
The AADT for a given year may be obtained from ADT for a given
month by multiplying the volume by MEF.
 Example:
A traffic engineer urgently needs to determine the
AADT on a rural primary road that has the volume
distribution characteristics shown in table 1, 2 and 3
and she collected the data shown in table (4) on a
Tuesday during the month of May .
Determine the AADT of the rural road using
expansion factors.
Table 1
Hour Volume HEF Hour Volume HEF
6:00-7:00 a.m. 294 42 6:00-7:00 p.m. 743 16.62
7:00-8:00 a.m. 426 29 7:00-8:00 p.m. 706 17.49
8:00-9:00 a.m. 560 22.05 8:00-9:00 p.m. 606 20.38
9:00-10:00 a.m. 657 18.8 9:00-10:00 p.m. 489 25.26
10:00-11:00 a.m. 722 17.1 10:00-11:00 p.m. 396 31.19
11:00-12:00 a.m. 667 18.52 11:00-12:00 p.m. 360 34.31
12:00-1:00 p.m. 660 18.71 12:00-1:00 a.m. 241 51.24
1:00-2:00 p.m. 739 16.71 1:00-2:00 a.m. 150 82.33
2:00-3:00 p.m. 832 14.84 2:00-3:00 a.m. 100 123.5
3:00-4:00 p.m. 836 14.77 3:00-4:00 a.m. 90 137.22
4:00-5:00 p.m. 961 12.85 4:00-5:00 a.m. 86 143.6
5:00-6:00 p.m. 892 13.85 5:00-6:00 a.m. 137 90
Total Daily Volume = 12350
Table 2: Daily Expansion Factors for Rural Primary Road

Day of Week Volume DEF

Sunday 7895 9.515
Monday 10714 7.012
Tuesday 9722 7.727
Wednesday 11413 6.582
Thursday 10714 7.012
Friday 13125 5.724
Saturday 11539 6.510
Total weekly volume= 75122
Table 3: Monthly Expansion Factors for Rural Primary Road
Month ADT MEF Month ADT MEF
.Jan 1350 1.756 .Oct 2500 0.948
.Feb 1200 1.975 .Nov 2000 1.185
.Mar 1450 1.635 .Dec 1750 1.354
.Apr 1600 1.481
May 1700 1.394
June 2500 0.948
July 4100 0.578
Aug. 4550 0.521
.Sept 3750 0.632
Total yearly volume = 28450
Mean average daily volume = 2370
Table 4

Hour Volume
7:00-8:00 a.m. 400
8:00-9:00 a.m. 535
9:00-10:00 a.m. 650
10:00-11:00 a.m. 710
11:00-12:00 a.m. 650
:Solution

Estimate the 24 hr volume for Tuesday using factors in

Table (1):
=(400*29+535*22.05+650*18.8+710*17.1+650*18.52)/5
= 11959 vpd
Adjust the 24 hr volume for Tuesday to an average for the
week using the factors given in Table (2):
Total 7-day volume = (11559*7.727)/7
=13201 vpd
Since the data were collected in May , use the factor shown
for May in Table (3) to obtain AADT:
AADT= 1320*1.394 = 18402
Traffic Volume Forcasting
 The design should include the expected future traffic for
period range (15-20) years.
F = (1+growth rate)^no. of years
F = (1+i)^n
Future = present * F
Future = present * (1+i)^n
Where:
N: analysis period ( design and construction life)
Present: current volume
i: growth factor rate (3-12)%Special functions include in
decimal
Example:
Design data is required for the omprovement of two-way
highway with current traffic 3000 veh/day in both directions.
The improved road with a design life of 20 years, annual
growth rate of traffic is (8%) and construction periods is 5
years, k=12%, D=55%.
Future = present * (1+growth rate)^no. of years
Future = 3000 * (1+0.08)^25
= 20400 veh/day
DHV= 20400 * 0.12 * 0.55
= 1346 veh/day