ESTIMATING TRAFFIC CONGESTION &

LOS ON URBAN ROADS

Progress Summary

Submitted By:

MOHD AZHAR
Enroll No: 2017MCIVTP014

Under the Guidance of

Prof. (Dr.) Mohammad Shafi Mir

Department of Civil Engineering,

Transportation Engineering Section
National Institute of Technology, Srinagar

Page 1
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Introduction Page 3

• Objectives Page 5

• Methodology Page 6

• Literature review Page 9

Page 2
INTRODUCTION:

Congestion results when traffic demand approaches or exceeds the

available capacity of the road system.Due to increase in population and
the attraction of human activities into urban region which in turn leads to
the growth of vehicle ownership and use, there is demand for road
space which has led to increase in the number of public transport
operation. Consequently, the demand for road space is greater than the
supply because the rate of provision of transport facilities is less than
the rate of growth of vehicle ownership and use which result into traffic
congestion. Traffic congestion on urban roads has become a serious
concern to transportation engineers due to its uncontrolled growth and
resulting tremendous economic loss, additional delay,user cost,
pollution, accidents and improper traffic management at crossings.
In urban areas, traffic congestion is a major problem.
Heavy traffic flow on National highways with high speed, when mixed up
with local traffic at crossings, traffic congestion is likely to occur. Road
traffic conditions in India are getting worse day by day. The average
number of vehicles in India is growing at the rate 10.16 percent annually,
since last seven years. Spending hours in traffic jam has become part
and parcel of urban life style, leading to health and environmental
hazards.

Page 3
There is a need for defining traffic congestion on a rational basis and
use that for measurement of levels of service on roads.
Highway traffic congestion is expressed in terms of Level of Service
(LOS) as defined by the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM).Level of
service (LOS) is a qualitative measure used to relate the quality of motor
vehicle traffic service. LOS is used to analyse roadways and
intersections by categorising traffic flow and assigning quality levels of
traffic based on performance measure like vehicle speed, density,
congestion, etc.

LOS DESCRIPTION
A Free-flow (FF) operation.Traffic flows at or above the posted speed limit LOS A
generally occurs late at night in urban areas
B Slightly congested, with some impingement of maneuverability.
C stable flow, at or near free flow. Ability to pass or change lanes is not
assured. This is the target LOS for most urban highways
D approaching unstable flow,Speeds are somewhat reduced.Typical urban peak-
period highway conditions.
E unstable flow, operating at capacity.Flow becomes irregular, speed vary and
rarely reach the posted limit.
F forced or breakdown flow. Every vehicle moves in lockstep with the vehicle in
front of it, with frequent slowing required. Travel time cannot be predicted, with
generally more demand than capacity. A road in a constant traffic jam is at this
LOS.

Page 4
OBJECTIVES:

• To identify the most congested road and period of congestion at the

study intersection.
• To quantify congestion and to identify the level of service of each link
in the study stretch.
• To provide recommendations to reduced congestion and improve level
of service of stretch.



Page 5
METHODOLOGY:

DATA COLLECTION

Quantifying congestion

Identifying LOS at different

stretches

Modelling traffic congestion

Data Analysis and dissemination

of congestion results

Page 6
DATA COLLECTION:

• Classified counts of traffic volume

• Delay Survey
• Classified counts of parked vehicles on either side of road stretch

QUANTIFYING CONGESTION:
• Travel time, average speed of journey,Volume/Capacity Ratio &
congestion index :- major congestion indicators.
• Congestion is quantified using:
- Congestion Index
- Travel Rate Ratio
- Delay Rate Index 


LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS:

Six LOS designated from A to F (HCM 2010):
- LOS A -best operating condition (i.e free flow condition)
- LOS F -worst operating condition (i.e break down flow)


Page 7
MODELLING CONGESTION AND VALIDATION:

Mathematical model was developed based on following parameters

• Speed
• Operating traffic volume
• On street parking

Regression equation using SPSS:

- Taking Speed as dependent variable & other parameters as
independent variables.

Page 8
LITERATURE REVIEW:

AUTHOR TITLE FINDINGS

Bhargab Maitra, P K Modelling congestion Unified methodology
Sikdar (1999) on urban roads and proposed for the
assessing level of quantification of
service congestion,
incorporating volume
and operational
characteristics

Desai Vishal Relationship of

Jitendrabhai1,Shah Estimation of Level of congestion with speed
Harsh Service Through variations and hence
Congestion on Urban to quantify congestion
Bhadreshbhai2,Patel
Road-A Case study of using these speed
Harsh H.3, VRUNDAVAN Cross variations.
Brahmkhatri Sanjay Road
Ashokbhai4 (2016)
Anjaneyulu, B N Modelling congestion Modelled congestion
Nagaraj (2009) on urban roads using on urban roads using
speed profile data speed profile data,
quantified level of
congestion was used
as measure of LOS

Sabok Mondal1 and Assessing the level of Level of traffic

Quazi Sazzad traffic congestion at congestion assessed
FERIGHAT at FERIGHAT using
Hossain2
intersection in travel time approach
(2016)
KHULNA and Degree of
METROPOLITAN city Saturation assessed
using SIDRA
software .A large no of
Non Motorised
vehicles occupy the
road creating
congestion

Page 9
 AUTHOR TITLE FINDINGS
1 The Cause, Effect and Case Study Road
S. B. Raheem , W. A.
1 Possible Solution to operates under LOS F
Olawoore , D. P. in most of the time and
1 Traffic Congestion on LOS E during low
Olagunju , E. M.
2 Nigeria Road (A Case traffic period.Morning
Adeokun congestion exceeded
(2015) Study of Basorun- afternoon congestion
Akobo Road, Oyo
State)
Subhadip Biswas1, Assessment of Methodology to
Service of Urban evaluate LOS of urban
Bhupendra Singh2,
Arterials: A case study arterials of
Arpita Saha3 of Kolkata Metropolis Kolkata.Free Flow
(2016) Speeds of different
classes of vehicles
and Percentage
Speed Reduction from
FFS was identified as
a performance
measure of LOS.
Amit Prasad Impact of Traffic Human capital hour
Timalsena a, Anil Bottleneck on Urban loss is more in
Marsani b, Hemant Road: A Case Study of morning peak hour for
Tinkune - Maitighar
Tiwari c Maitighar-Tinkune
route but in evening
(2017) Road Section peak hour loss is more
in Maitighar - Tinkune
route,a total of
6464.90 capital hour
was found to be lost

Page 10