Highway and Traffic Engineering

Overview of Transportation

Engineering

Dr. Wael Awad, Fall 08/09

Source: Professor Jessica Guo, Wisconsin University.

What is What is TRANSPORTATIOTRANSPORTATIO

N?N?

Transportation

Movement of persons and goods over space

A B

Transportation

InfrastructureInfrastructureVehicle / ServiceVehicle / Service

Users / Users / ContentContent

EducationEducationEnforcementEnforcement

EngineeringEngineering

Control System

Environment

Users / Content

• People Passenger Transportation• Goods Freight Transportation

Sh

are

of

tota

l p

assen

gers

or

ton

s-k

m

Distance

Passengers

CommutingShoppingRecreation

BusinessTourism

Migration

Waste disposalLocal distribution

TradeEnergy & Raw Materials

Freight

Source: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Dept. of Economics & Geography, Hofstra University.

Users / Content

Passengers FreightBoard, get off and transfer without

assistance

Must be loaded, unloaded and transferred

Process information and act on it without

assistance

The information must be processed through

logistics managers

Make choices between means of transport often irrationally

Logistics managers make choices between

means of transport rationally

Source: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Dept. of Economics & Geography, Hofstra University.

Vehicles / Services

Infrastructure

Control System

Evolution of Transportation

2000

Maritime Road Rail Air

1800

1900

1950

Docks

LocksRailsOmnibus

Steam engine

Electric motorBalloons

DirigiblesIronhulls

Internal combustion engineMetro

TramwayAutomobileLiners

Bicycles

PlanesTrucks

Buses

Electriccar

Hydrogencar

Airfoils

Supertankers

TGV

Maglev

Jet engine

Jet Plane

Containerships

Helicopters

Bulk ships

Highways

Jumbo Jet

Evolution of Transportation

1500-1840 Average speed of wagon and sail ships: 16 km/hr

1850-1930 Average speed of trains: 100 km/hr.Average speed of steamships: 25 km/hr

1950 Average speed of airplanes: 480-640 km/hr

1970 Average speed of jet planes: 800-1120 km/hr

1990 Numeric transmission: instantaneous

Source: Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Dept. of Economics & Geography, Hofstra University.

Evolution of Transportation

100

500

1000

1800 1900 20001850 1950

50

250

750

Stage CoachRail

Automobile

HSTPropeller Plane

Jet Plane

LinerClipper Ship Containership

Road

Maritime

Rail

Air

Contemporary Challenges

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

1950

1952

1954

1956

1958

1960

1962

1964

1966

1968

1970

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

Germany

Japan

United States

World

Transportation

• Multi-User• Multi-Scale• Multi-Modal• Multi-Impacts

What is What is TRANSPORTATIOTRANSPORTATION ENGINEERINGN ENGINEERING

??

Transportation Engineering

• One of the specialty areas of civil engineering – Development of facilities for the

movement of goods and people – Planning, design, operation and

maintenance

• Multidisciplinary study

Transportation Engineering

Transportation Engineering

“For millions of Americans, girding for gridlock is a teeth teeth-grinding daily ritual. And with

more cars on the road every day, engineers and other professionals trained to reduce traffic

congestion are finding plenty of job opportunities”

“PAY AND PERKS: $45,000 to $150,000. Producing tangible change is a source of job

satisfaction for many.”

U.S. News and World Report, February 18, 2002

Highways and Highway Components

Highway Transportation Characteristics

Outline

Functional classification of roadsRoad functionsHierarchical structure of road networksMobility vs. accessibilityMobility vs. transportation mode

Highway componentsCross-sectionsHighway plan and profileInterchangesRural and urban intersections

Transportation System

Definition of Transportation Modes• A transportation system is an

infrastructure that serves to move people and goods efficiently. The transportation system consists of fixed facilities, flow entities, and a control component.

• Efficient = safe, rapid, comfortable, convenient, economical, environmentally compatible.

Transportation System

Major transportation subsystems• Land transportation: highway, rail• Air transportation: domestic,

international• Water transportation: inland, coastal,

ocean• Pipelines: oil, gas, other

Highway Transportation System

• Fixed facilities: roads, intersections, interchanges, service stations, etc.

• Flow entities: passenger cars, buses, trucks, pedestrians, etc.

• Control component: highway administration, local transportation agencies, transportation engineering.

Highway Transportation Engineering

• DefinitionThe application of technology and scientific principles to the planning, functional design, operation, and management of roads, streets and highways, their networks, terminals, abutting lands, and relationships with other modes of transportation.

• Areas of highway transportation engineering:– Planning of streets and highways– Geometric design of road facilities– Traffic operations and control– Traffic safety– Maintenance of road facilities and controls

Road Functions

Mobility

Accessibility

Rural

Urban

Hierarchical Structure of

Road Networks

Mobility vs. Accessibility

Road Class Road Function

Freeways Through movement exclusively

Surface Arterials Through movement primary and some land access

Collectors Traffic movement to higher rank roads, access to abutting properties

Local Roads Access to abutting land and local traffic movement

Hierarchical Structure of

Road Networks

Mobility vs. Accessibility

Mobility vs. Transportation Mode

Mobility vs. Transportation ModeCapacity

capacity in veh/h = capacity in veh/h/lane x number of lanes

capacity in persons/h =

capacity in veh/h x average vehicle occupancy

Mobility vs. Transportation ModeCapacity

Persons/hrVehicles/hrFacility6,000 x 1.7 =

10,2002,000 x 3 = 6,000Three-lane urban

freeway2,400 x 1.7 = 4,080800 x 3 = 2,400Three-lane urban arterial

100 x 80 = 8,000100 x 1 =100One lane of buses

19,000One track of light rail

40,000One track of heavy rail

Highway Components

Cross-section

Highway Components Highway plan and profile

Highway Component

s Urban

Intersections

Highway Component

s Rural

Intersections

Highway Components Interchanges