CE 361: Hints for Homework #11

6-7 See Example 6-2. It is meant to give you a lot of exercise (or a headache, may
be) on the method to obtain a traffic flow model.

6-8 This problem was wrongly worded. Please see the next page for a modified
version of this problem.

6-9 This is a case of stopping shock waves discussed in page 196.

6-13 You use q = uk and the Greenshilds model. uf and kj values are given in the
problem. qmax (capacity) = uf kj/4

374435441.doc.doc
Problem 6-8 (Modified version, which, I think, is the correct way of stating the
problem.)

Studies have shown that the traffic flow on a two-lane (two-way) road adjacent to a
school can be described by the Greenshields model. A length of 0.5 mi adjacent to a
school is described as a school zone (See the figure below, a modified version of Figure
6.15). The school zone operates for only 20 min. Data collected at the site when the
school zone is in operation are given below.
During the school zone operation the following data were collected. Determine
the speed of the shock waves right after the school zone operation began and right after
the school zone operation ended. Also, determine both the length of the queue after the
20 min period and the time it will take the queue to dissipate after the 20 min period.

(Note that according to the values given in Problem 6-8, the upstream demand, 1750 vph,
is bigger than the capacity of the downstream of the school zone, 1714 vph. If the
upstream demand remained at 1750 vph after the school zone operation ended, the queue
will never disappear! Also, since the school zone is a bottleneck and discharging 1543
vph to downstream, there will not be 1714 vph just downstream of the school zone when
the school zone is in operation.)

Data for zone A and B were taken during the school zone operation.
qA (one direction) = 1750 vph uA = 35 mph (upstream flow condition)
qB (one direction) = 1543 vph uB = 18 mph (just upstream of the
bottleneck; congested condition)

Data for zone C were taken right after the school zone operation ended, close to the
downstream end of the 0.5 mi school zone (meaning this is the capacity of the section).
qC (one direction) = 1830 vph uC = 30 mph (capacity was restored)

School

qA qB qC

Section B Section C
Section A 0.5-mile
school zone
Actual
bottleneck is the
crosswalk

374435441.doc.doc