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CVE 515: TRAFFIC

ENGINEERING
PREPARED BY MRS OPEYEMI BAYODE
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MODULE 1: HIGHWAY PLANNING AND

TRAFFIC SURVEYS
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SURVEYS
• Highway Planning
Highway planning can be described as the decision making process through
adequate investigation of environments, traffic analysis and forecasting.
There are process or stages to adequate highway planning for proper design
and construction of suitable road networks.
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SURVEYS
• Highway Planning Process
There are 5 stages in highway planning process
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SURVEYS
Stages Description of Activity

Planning Identification of transportation needs and program project to be

built within financial constraints.
Project Development The transportation project is more clearly defined. Alternative locations and
design features are developed and an alternative is selected.

Design The design team develops detailed design and specification.

Right-of-way Land needed for the project is acquired.

Construction Selection of contractor, who then builds the project.

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SURVEYS
Traffic Engineering Survey: This is the process of traffic data collection
Traffic studies may be grouped into 3 main categories;
• Inventories Studies: This provide a list or graphic display of existing information, such as street
widths, parking spaces, transit routes, traffic regulations etc
• Administrative Studies: use existing engineering records, available in government agencies and
departments, the results of surveys, which may involve field measurements and/or aerial photography.
• Dynamic Studies: the collection of data under operational conditions and include studies of speed,
traffic volume, travel time and delay, parking, and crashes. Since dynamic studies are carried out by
the traffic engineer to evaluate current conditions and develop solutions.
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SURVEYS
• Spot Speed Survey

Spot speed studies are conducted to estimate the distribution of speeds of

vehicles in a stream of traffic at a particular location on a highway. The
speed of a vehicle is defined as the rate of movement of the vehicle; it is
usually expressed in kilometers per hour (km/h).
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SURVEYS

Method for Conducting Spot Speed Studies

The methods used for conducting spot speed studies can generally be divided into two main
categories: manual and automatic.

• Manual method: uses stopwatch to determine the time of travel over a known distance.

• Automatic method: Pneumatic road tubes, induction loops, radar-based traffic sensors,
electronic- principle detectors.
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SURVEYS

• Traffic volume studies

These are conducted to collect data on the number of vehicles and/or pedestrians
that pass a point on a highway facility during a specified time period. This time
period varies from as little as 15 minutes to as much as a year depending on the
anticipated use of the data.
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SURVEYS

Terms in Volume Studies

• Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)

• Average Daily Traffic (ADT)

• Peak Hour Volume (PHV)

• Vehicular Classification (VC)

• Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT)

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SURVEYS
Method for Conducting Volume Studies

The methods used for conducting volume studies can generally be divided into two main
categories: manual and automatic.

• Manual method: Manual counting involves one or more persons recording observed vehicles
using a counter. With this type of counter, both the turning movements at the intersection and
the types of vehicles can be recorded.

• Automatic method: Laying of detectors (Pneumatic road tubes), Apollo counter, Canoga
series vehicle detectors.
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SURVEYS

• Travel Time and Delay Studies

A travel time study determines the amount of time required to travel from one point
to another on a given route. In conducting such a study, information may also be
collected on the locations, durations, and causes of delays. When this is done, the
study is known as a travel time and delay study.
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SURVEYS

Terms in Travel Time and Delay Studies

• Travel time
• Running time
• Delay
• Operational delay
• Fixed delay
• Stopped-time delay
• Travel-time delay
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SURVEYS

Methods for Conducting Travel Time and Delay Studies

Several methods have been used to conduct travel time and delay studies. These methods
can be grouped into two general categories:

• Those using a test vehicle: floating-car, average-speed, and moving-vehicle techniques.

• Those not requiring a test vehicle. The particular technique used for any specific study
depends on the reason for conducting the study and the available personnel and
equipment.
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SURVEYS

ASSIGNMENT

• Elaborate on the automatic method of determining spot speed studies.

• Discuss the types of volume counts.

• Discuss the methods of conducting travel time and delay studies.

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MODULE 2: PARKING AND PARKWAYS

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• PARKING AND PARKWAYS

TYPES OF PARKING FACILITIES

• On- Street parking facilities

• Off-Street parking Facilities

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Definitions of Terms

• Space hour

• Parking accumulation

• Parking load

• Practical capacity

• Turn over

• Parking duration
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Methods of Parking Study

• Space Inventory

• Parking Interview

• Parking Usage Study

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ASSIGNMENT

• Discuss the terms in parking studies and method of determining them.