Introduction to Transportation Engineering;

Traffic Flow Analysis

Lecture by
Dr. Foroogh Hajiseyedjavadi
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 Introduction

CWRK1
• 50% of the total mark
• CWRK1 has two parts.
• First part is one question which
weights 20%
• Second part is a project and
weights 80%
CWRK details available on
Moodle

Weekly seminars are used for tutorial exercises and computational support for
2 your assessments.
 Introduction
Transportation Engineering is a branch of Civil Engineering. It is defined by Institute of
Transportation Engineers (ITE) as:
“application of technology and scientific principles to the planning, functional design,
operations, and management facilities for any mode of transportation to provide for the
safe, rapid, comfortable, convenient, economical, and environmentally compatible
movement of people and goods.”

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 Parameters of traffic flow
We will focus on applying Advanced Analysis and Design in Traffic Flow and Transportation Demand
Analysis.

Vehicle traffic (referred to as Traffic throughout the text for simplicity) is defined by various measures.
Three primary variables in traffic flow are:
• Traffic Speed
• Traffic Flow
• Traffic Density

Other variables used in traffic flow are:

• Headway
• Spacing
• Occupancy

We will investigate these variables and their relationships in greater depth.

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 Speed

Time Mean Speed ( )

Speed

Space Mean Speed ( )

∑
=
=
̅

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 Speed

Time Mean Speed

∑
=
: spot speed of vehicle I
n: number of measured vehicle spot speed

Space Mean Speed = ̅= = =

∑ ∑ ∑
( )

: length of roadway used in measyring the travel time.

∑
̅: average vehicle travel time =
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 Speed
1
∑
= =
1 1
∑ ∑

If all vehicles travel at the same speed (i.e. = ), time mean speed and space
mean speed will be equal.
1
∑ ∑
= = = =
1 1 1
∑ ∑ ∑

For all other conditions the time-mean speed will be greater than the space-
7 mean speed.
 Speed-Example
The speed of five vehicles are measures with radar at the midpoint of a 0.8 kilometers
section of a road. The speed of the vehicles were 71, 68, 82, 79, and 74 km/h. Assuming al
the vehicles were going at the constant speed through this section of the road, calculate the
time-mean speed and space-mean speed.

For the time-mean speed:

∑ 71 + 68 + 82 + 79 + 74
= = = 74.8
5 ℎ
For the space-mean speed:
1 1 1
= = = = 74.45
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0.012431 ℎ
∑ ( + + + + )
5 71 68 82 79 74
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 Time Headway

Time Headway: The amount of time between the passing of successive vehicles.
= −

ℎ ℎ

ℎ ℎ
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 Spacing (Distance Headway)

Spacing: The distance between two vehicles, from front bumper of to front bumper.

ℎ ℎ

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 Traffic Flow

Traffic Flow
=

q=traffic flow (vehicle per unit of time for example veh/min)

n=number of vehicles passing some designated roadway point during time t
t=duration of time (seconds, minutes, hour)
1
= ℎ = = =
∑ ℎ ℎ
ℎ =time headway of the ith vehicle (time headway between vehicle i and vehicle i-1)
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 Flow and Headway

Using the definitions of time headway and duration of time interval, we can deduce
that the sum of the time headways of vehicles passing a place equals the total
duration of the time interval.

= ℎ

Hence:
= =∑ =

ℎ: average headway (∑ ) in unit time per vehicle

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 Traffic Density

Traffic Density
=

k=traffic density (vehicle per unit of distance for example veh/meter)

n=number of vehicles occupying some length of roadway at a specified
time
l=length of roadway (meters, kilometers, etc.)

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 Density and Spacing

Similarly, using the definitions of spacing and roadway length, we can say that the
sum of the spacing of vehicles from front bumper to front bumper in a lane equals the
total length of the roadway segment.

So
= =∑ = ̅

̅ : average spacing (∑ ) in unit distance per vehicle

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 Flow and Density

Basic relationship between flow, density, and space-mean speed:

: flow (veh/h)
: space-mean speed (m/s)
: density (veh/m)

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 Traffic Stream Models

What are traffic models?

We need to understand the interaction between the traffic flow parameters (e.g.
speed, flow, density, etc.) in other to run analysis and design a traffic system.

Questions:
What is the relationship between the flow, density, and speed of vehicles in a
traffic system?

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 Flow and Density-Example

Time headway of vehicles on a highway is 2.5 s/veh and spacing is 60 m/veh. Calculate
traffic flow, density, and speed.
For flow:
1 1 ℎ
= = = = = 0.4
∑ ℎ ℎ 2.5
For density:
1 1 ℎ
= = = = = 0.0167
∑ ̅ 60
For speed:
.
=  = = = 23.95 =86.23
.
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 Traffic Stream Models

In a traffic jam for example:

The speed of each vehicle is
low, sometimes zero.
Average speed is zero.
Density is high.
Flow is low (as vehicles are not
moving, so number of vehicles
passing a point is low)

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 Traffic Stream Models

In a free flow condition for

example:
The speed of each vehicle is
high, around speed limit.
Average speed is high.
Density is low.
Flow may be still low (if there
are few vehicles on road, the
number of vehicles passing a
point is low.)
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 As more vehicle occupy the road:
Density increases
Speed-Density Model Speed of each vehicle decreases

Refer to the previous example

consider a section of a highway with Speed
only one vehicle in it:
The density will be very low.
Speed of that vehicle is not inhibited
by other traffic. We call this speed
the free-flow speed. Density
As more vehicles start using the
road, the density will increase, and
each driver need to slow to allow
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 Speed-Density Model

= 1− Speed

: space-mean speed (m/s)

: free-flow speed (m/s)
: density (veh/m) Density
: jam density (veh/m)

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 Flow-Density Model

The two equations we had before, we will find the flow-density model

= 1−
= −
=

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 = −
Flow-Density Model

Maximum flow of the highway

is called highway’s capacity Flow
( ).
Lets find capacity of the
highway ( )based on the q-k
model.

′ ?

=0 = 1− =0 Density
=
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 = −
Flow-Density Model

Now replace k with in the

traffic flow equation to get
Flow
the maximum flow

=
( )
= − =

Density
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 = −
Flow-Density Model

Diagram based on the flow-

density equation: Flow

=
2

=
4 Density
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 Speed-Flow Model
Speed
Speed at
The relationship between speed maximum
and flow: flow
(

= −

: free flow speed

Flow

=
26 2
 Summary of Traffic
Stream Models
Flow

Speed

Density Flow

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 Speed-Flow-Density Example

A highway has a free flow speed of 90 km/h and a capacity of 3300 veh/h. In an hour,
2100 vehicles were counted at a specific along the highway. Find the space mean speed of
these vehicles.

For jam density:

3300 ℎ
= → =4 =4∗ = 146.67
4 90
For speed:
= − → 2100 = 146.67( − )
90
u=72.14 km/h
28 u=17.86 km/h
 Study and practice resources:
Chapter 5. Mannering, F.L., Kilareski, W.P., and Washburn, S.S. (2004). Principles of Highway Engineering and
Traffic Analysis. Third Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. The Library has copies available.

Seminar Session:
We'll do some practice exercises on the subject.

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