chapter- 1

vtu belgavi notes

1. PREPARED BY
SHIVKUMAR M H [SONOFGOD]
M.E(UVCE),AMIE
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AND HIGHWAY ENGINEER
EWIT,BANGALORE

2. UNIT – 1
SYLLABUS
INTRODUCTION: Definition, objectives of Traffic Engineering and scope of Traffic
Engineering. 2 hr

EXAM QUESTIONS
(1)Define traffic engineering. explain its scope (10M) (June /July 2013) (1 time)
(2)Explain the various objectives of traffic engineering. (4 M) (Dec 2013/Jan 2014) (1
time)

3. TRAFFIC ENGINEERING
INTRODUCTION
Traffic engineering is that branch of engineering which deals with the improvement of
traffic performance on road network and terminals through systematic traffic
studies, scientific analysis and engineering applications.
Traffic engineering includes planning and geometric design on one hand and regulation
and control on the other.
Traffic Engineering therefore deals with the application of scientific principles, tools,
techniques and findings for safe, rapid, economical and efficient movement of people
and goods.

The road traffic is composed of different categories of vehicular traffic and pedestrian
traffic.
Each category of vehicular traffic has two components, the human element as the
driver and the machine as the vehicle.
Advanced study and training facilities have been made available at several universities
and institutions notably in the USA.
Traffic engineering has now been recognized as an essential tool in the improvement
of traffic operations in all cities of the country.

4. The traffic in India and many developing countries of the world is heterogeneous in nature.
The available road space is occupied by different classes of vehicles with widely varying
characteristics.
The vehicles that share the same roadway space include
(a)motorized vehicles such as cars, buses, trucks, light commercial vehicles, motorized two-
wheelers, auto-rickshaws, etc. and
(b) non-motorized vehicles like pedal cycles, cycle rickshaws, hand carts, bullock and horse drawn
vehicles.
Many of the urban roads are congested during peak hours, causing delay, accidents and reduced
travel speeds of vehicles.
The problem becomes more complicated as the road space is shared by pedestrians also on
several roads.
In India, unfortunately at the planning and design stages, the pedestrians are not considered as
an element in road traffic; the pedestrian is often considered as an intruder in the traffic stream by
the drivers of motorized traffic.
 As a result the pedestrians constitute a significant proportion of fatal accident victims in the
country.
oWidely varying speeds between different classes of vehicles cause accidents and their severity.
oOver 1,25,000 people died in road accidents in India during the year 2009 alone.
oOne of the reasons for the poor traffic management in many cities of the developing countries
is the acute shortage of qualified and competent traffic engineering professionals to take care of
the ever increasing traffic problems.
oThe growing economy and poor or absence of rapid and reliable public transportation facilities
encourage rapid increase in private vehicle ownership and and thereby causing acute congestion,
delay to traffic and increased accidents on urban areas.

5. DEFINITION
The Institute of Traffic Engineers, USA has defined traffic engineering as:
"Traffic engineering is that phase of engineering which deals with planning
and geometric design of streets, highways, abutting lands and with traffic
operation there-on, as their use is related to the safe, convenient and economic
transportation of persons and goods".
Professor Ress Blunden of California University has proposed a modified
definition,
"Traffic engineering is the science of measuring traffic and travel, the-study of
the basic laws relating to traffic flow and generation and application of this
knowledge to the professional practice of planning, designing and operating
traffic systems to achieve safe and efficient movement of persons and goods".

6. SCOPE OF TRAFFIC ENGINEERING
Thus the basic objective of traffic engineering is to achieve efficient, free and
rapid flow of traffic, with least number of traffic accidents.
The study of traffic engineering may be divided into seven major areas, viz.:
(a) Traffic characteristics
(b) Traffic studies and analysis
(c) Planning area analysis
(d) Geometric design
(e) Traffic operation, regulation and control
(f) Road safety aspects
(g) Administration and management
The traffic characteristics are quite complex with various types of road users
on the roads moving with different motives.
The human psychology is to be given particular attention.
The study of vehicular characteristics is an essential part.
Apart from these, the various studies to be carried out on the actual traffic
include speed, volume, capacity, travel patterns, origin and destination,
traffic flow characteristics, parking and accident studies.

7. Traffic planning is a separate phase for major highways like expressways, arterial roads,
and parking facilities.
All the aspects such as cross section and roadway surface details, sight distance
requirement, horizontal and vertical alignment, intersections and parking facilities are to
be suitably designed for better performance.
Traffic operations deal with regulations, control and application of control measures.
Regulations may be in the form of laws or other traffic regulatory measures such as
speed limit etc.
Installation of traffic control devices like signs, signals, islands and pavement
markings are most common means to regulate and control the traffic.
oThe various phases of traffic engineering are implemented with the help of Engineering,
Enforcement and Education' or the "3-Es".
o Enforcement is usually made through traffic laws, regulations and control.
oEducation may be possible by sufficient publicity and through schools and television.
oIt aims at improving the human behaviour for improved traffic, performance.
oEngineering phase is the one which is constructive.
oThis phase deals with improvement of road geometries, providing additional road
facilities and installation of suitably designed traffic control devices.

8. Objectives
1.To achieve smooth and easy flow of traffic at intersections
2.To develop the methods for improvements in general and solving specific
problems in particular
3.To have safe, convenient, comfort, rapid and economic transport of goods
and persons
4.To improve the speeds of vehicles
5.To increase the traffic capacity of roads
6.To make the streets safe for movements both pedestrian and vehicles
7.To reduce the delays in road journeys
8.To reduce the chance for road accidents to a minimum
9.To remove the traffic congestion etc