CIVL 3610

TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

Hai Yang
Chair Professor

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

January 2016
Course : CIVL 3610 - Traffic and Transportation Engineering

Units : [3-1-0:3]

Class Schedule: Lecture Tuesday 9:00 - 10:20

Thursday 9:00 - 10:20
Tutorial Section 1 Friday 18:00 - 18:50
Tutorial Section 2 Thursday 18:00 - 18:50

Instructor : Prof. Hai Yang

Office # 3597
Phone: 2358-7178
E-mail: cehyang@ust.hk
Teaching Assistants: Jiang Gege gjiang@ust.hk
Li Xinwei xliaz@ust.hk
Shao Chaoyi cshao@ust.hk
Tang Yili ytangap@ust.hk
Zhang Shuyang szhangan@ust.hk
Zhang Junlin jzhangbf@ust.hk

Transportation Lab: Room 3595

 *** Course Description ***

Introduction to transportation systems; characteristics of

transportation models; traffic flow fundamentals; geometric
design of highways; travel demand analysis including trip
generation, trip distribution, modal split and trip assignment.
 CIVL 3610 — TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

COURSE CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS

1.1 Definitions
1.2 The Nature of Transportation Engineering
1.3 Basic Structure of Transportation System
1.4 Transportation System Classification
1.5 Transportation Systems Evaluation

CHAPTER 2 TRAFFIC FLOW FUNDAMENTALS

2.1 Introduction
2.2 Traffic Stream Variables
2.3 Time-Distance Diagrams of Flow
2.4 Categories of Traffic Flows
2.5 Analysis of Speed, Flow and Density Relationship
2.6 Macroscopic Models of Traffic Flow
 2.7 Shock Waves in Traffic
2.7.1 Introduction
2.7.2 The Shock Wave Equation

2.8 Highway Capacity and Level of Service

2.8.1 introduction
2.8.2 Level of Service
2.8.3 Basic Definitions
2.8.4 "Ideal" Freeway Conditions
2.8.5 Freeway Capacity and Level of Service
2.8.6 Capacity Restrictions

CHAPTER 3 GEOMETRIC DESIGN OF HIGHWAYS

3.1 Introduction
3.2 Functional Classification of Highways

3.3 Vertical Alignment

3.3.1 Vertical Curve Fundamentals
3.3.2 Minimum and Desirable Stopping-Sight Distances
3.3.3 Stopping-Sight Distance and Crest Vertical Curve Design
3.3.4 Stopping-Sight Distance and Sag Vertical Curve Design
 3.4 Horizontal Alignment
3.4.1 Vehicle Cornering
3.4.2 Horizontal Curve Fundamentals
3.4.3 Stopping-Sight Distance and Horizontal Curve Design

CHAPTER 4 TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

4.1 Introduction
4.1.1 Overview of Information Needs
4.1.2 Sequential Demand-Forecasting Models
4.2 Trip Generation
4.2.1 Some Basic Definitions
4.2.2 Classification of Trips
4.2.3 Typical Trip Generation Models

4.3 Trip Distribution

4.3.1 Introduction
4.3.2 The Gravity Model
4.4 Modal Choice
4.4.1 Introduction
4.4.2 Factors Affecting Modal Split
4.4.3 Direct Generation Usage Modes
4.4.4 Trip Interchange Mode Usage Models
4.4.5 Utility and Disutility Functions
4.4.6 The Logit Model

4.5 Trip Assignment

4.5.1 Introduction
4.5.2 Route Choice Behavior
4.5.3 Trip Assignment Procedure
4.5.4 Mathematical Programming Approach to User Equilibrium
 Course Outline

Basic Definitions
(from the Institute of Transportation Engineers)

Transportation Engineering. The application of

technological and scientific principles to the planning,
functional design, operation, and management of
transportation systems in order to provide for the safe, fast,
comfortable, convenient, economical and environmentally
compatible movement of people and goods.
 Basic Definitions
(from the Institute of Transportation Engineers)

Traffic Engineering. A branch of transportation

engineering which deals with planning, geometric
design, and traffic operations of roads, streets, and
highways, their networks, terminals, abutting lands,
and relationships with other modes of transportation.
 Basic Definitions
(from the Institute of Transportation Engineers)

Travel and Traffic. Travel refers to the demand

for transportation of persons or goods between
various origins and destinations; Traffic refers to
the actual movement of vehicles (motorized and
non-motorized) or pedestrians on a facility.
 Hong Kong Island
Cross
Western Harboir Eastern
Tunnel

Kowloon

HK Island Kowloon

Travel demand (number of trips by car, bus, MTR)

Traffic (vehicles traveling through each tunnel)

The Nature of Transportation and Traffic Engineering

 A multidisciplinary area of study

 Concepts used for student training are from:

 computer science
 economics
 geography
 systems engineering
 urban and regional planning
 sociology, psychology
 probability and statistics
 business management and public administration
Transportation Courses

 transportation planning

 traffic engineering

 railroad engineering

 highway design

 airport design
 Traffic speed, travel time, and traffic density

 Driver and vehicle characteristics

1) Traffic Engineering Traffic flow analysis

Traffic shock wave analysis
Traffic engineering 
deals with planning,  Signal control system
design and traffic
operations of roads,
streets and
highways, their Investigate flow of vehicles
networks, terminals moving individually or in
and relationships group on roadways; the
with other modes of fundamental equations of
transportation vehicular flow are described
 Deals with dimension or proportioning
of the physical elements of highways;
For safe, efficient and economical
movement.
  Locational design
 
   Vertical

2) Highway Eng. Geometric design alignment design 
   Horizontal

 
 Cross-sectional design

Highway  Pavement design
engineering 
mainly deals  Pavement structure
with design and
Geotechnical
construction of
Engineering
highways
 Transportation economics

 Land use/Transportationn system

 Trip generation
 

3) Transp. Planning  Trip distribution
Traffic demand analysis 
 (traffic forecasting)  Modal choice
 
 Trip assignment

Transportation proposal evaluation

The objective of transportation planning is to provide

the information necessary for making decisions on
when and where improvements should be made in the
transportation system, therefore promoting travel
and urban development.
 Topics to be covered in
CIVL 3610 - Traffic and Transportation Engineering

 Introduction to Transportation Systems

(Nature, Characteristics, Classification, Evaluation)
 Traffic Stream Variables
(volume, speed and density on a highway)
 Time-Distance Diagrams of Flow
(Trajectory of vehicle movement)
 Analysis of Speed, Flow and Density Relationship
(Fundamental equations are established)
 Traffic Flow Models
(How speed changes with density; e.g.,
density  then speed  )
 Shock Wave Analysis
(Impacts of traffic accidents and traffic signals etc.)
 Topics to be covered in
CIVL 3610 - Traffic and Transp. Engineering

 Capacity Analysis
(involves quantitative evaluation of a highway section to carry traffic)
 Geometric Design of Highway
(physical dimension, e.g., slope, curvature)
 Trip Generation
(based on population and
employment distribution)
 Trip Distribution

 Modal Choice
(e.g., private car versus bus versus taxi)
 Trip Assignment
(which route, which bus line)
 II. Reference Texts
Major reference textbooks

1. Transportation Engineering: An Introduction. .J.

Khisty & B.K, Lall, Prentice Hall (1st edition,
For all 1990; 2nd edition, 1998; 3rd Edition, 2003).
chapters
2. Transportation Engineering and Planning. C.S.
Papacostas & P.D. Prevedouros. Prentice Hall
Useful for (2nd edition, 1993; 3rd Edition, 2001).
Chapter 3:
Geometric 3. Principles of Highway Engineering and Traffic
Design of Analysis. Fred L. Mannering & Scott S.
Highways Washburn & Walter P. Kilareski (3nd edition,
2005; 4th edition 2009).
II. Reference Texts

Other reference textbooks

4 Introduction to Transportation Engineering. J.H.
Banks. McGraw-Hill, 1998
5 Traffic Flow Fundamentals. A.D. May. Prentice
Hall Inc., 1990.
6 Traffic Engineering. W.R. McShane and R.P.
Roess. Prentice Hall Inc., 1998 & 2004.
7 Modeling Transport. J. de D. Ortuzar and L.G.
Willumsen. John Wiley & Sons. 2001 & 2011
 III. Mark Allocation
Tutorial Quiz = 5%
Assignment = 5%
Midterm examination = 30%
Final examination = 60%