T NL V: Traffic Flow Theory

BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr.
Basil David Daniel
TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY
TRAFFIC FLOW PARAMETERS
1) SPEED (v)
Speed is ......
defined as rate of motion, or distance per unit time
Space Mean Speed, vs nL

vs =
… is the average travel speed t
nL n = number of travel times observed
vs = n
L = length of the highway segment (km)
t
i =1
i
ti = travel time of the i-th vehicle to
traverse the section (hr)
1
BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr. Basil David Daniel
TRAFFIC FLOW PARAMETERS

Time Mean Speed, vt
… is the arithmetic mean of the measured speeds of all
vehicles passing a fixed roadside point during a given interval
of time (the individual speeds are known as ‘spot speeds’)
 L 
n
 
v i n = number of vehicles observed  t 
 
vt = i =1 vi = spot speeds (km/hr) v t =
n L = average length travelled by the vehicles
n
Relationship between Space Mean Speed and Time Mean Speed

s t
2 2
v t = vs + or vs = v t −
vs vt
s2 = variance of the space mean speed
t2 = variance of the time mean speed =  i t
( v − v ) 2
n
Example 1
Three vehicles pass a kilometer post at 60, 75 and 54 km/hr,
respectively. What is the time mean speed of the three vehicles?
Also, find the approximate space mean speed.
60 + 75 + 54
vt = = 63 km/hr
3
2 2 2
( 60 − 63) + ( 75 − 63) + ( 54 − 63)
t2 = = 78
3
78
vs = 63 − = 61.8 km/hr
63
TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY
2) VOLUME (V)
Volume is ......
the number of vehicles observed or predicted to pass a point
during a given time interval.
3) RATE OF FLOW (q)

Rate of flow is ......
the number of vehicles passing a point during a given time
interval less than 1 hour, but expressed as an equivalent
hourly rate.
Thus, a volume of 200 vehicles observed in a 10-minute period

implies a rate of flow of 1200 veh/hr.
200 = 1200
(10/60)
TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY N
4) DENSITY (k)
k = 14 veh / 0.5 km
Density is ......
the number of vehicles occupying = 28 veh/km
a given length of lane or
roadway, averaged over time.
Usually expressed in vehicles/km.
Density can be measured directly

through aerial photography.
500 m
Density can also be calculated using
the equation: What is the
density of
k = q/v southbound
traffic on this
where q = rate of flow highway?
v = speed
TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY
5) SPACING (s)
Spacing is ......
the distance (meters) between successive vehicles in a traffic
stream, measured from front bumper to front bumper.
6) HEADWAY (h)
Headway is ......
the corresponding time (seconds) between successive vehicles
as they pass a point of a roadway.
Spacing and Headway are related to q, v and k:
k = 1000/s k (in veh/km), s (in meters)

h = s/v h (in sec), v (in m/s)
q = 3600/h q (in veh/hr), h (in sec)
TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY
7) LANE OCCUPANCY (LO)

Lane Occupancy is ......
the ratio of the time that vehicles are present at a detection
station in a traffic lane compared to the time of sampling.
LO = Total time vehicle detector is occupied = Sto

Total observation time T
to = L + C where L = average length of vehicle

vs C = distance between loop detector
TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY
Density can be estimated using the expression ......
k = LO x 1000
L + C
Lane occupancy may also be expressed by R, which is …
R = Sum of lengths of vehicles = SLi

Length of roadway section D
Then, density can be estimated using the expression ......
k = R/L where L = average length of vehicles

Example 2
During a 60-sec period, a detector is occupied by vehicles for the
following times: 0.34, 0.38, 0.40, 0.32 and 0.52 sec.
a) Determine the lane occupancy.

b) Estimate the values of q, k and v.
(Assume that the loop-detector length is 3 m and the average length

of vehicles is 8 ft).
a)
Sto = 0.34 + 0.38 + 0.40 + 0.32 + 0.52 = 1.96 sec
T = 60 sec
LO = 1.96
 100% = 3.27%
60
b)
k =
0.0327  1000 = 6.01 veh/km
2.44 + 3
n (L + C) 5(2.44 + 3)
vs = = = 13.88 m/s = 49.97 km/h
 to 1.96
q = 6.01  49.97 = 300.3 veh/hr

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY
8) CLEARANCE (c)
Clearance is ......
the distance (meters) between successive vehicles in a traffic
stream, measured from front bumper to back bumper.
9) GAP (g)
Gap is ......
the corresponding time (seconds) between successive vehicles
as they pass a point of a roadway.
g = h – (L/v) where g = mean gap (sec)

L = mean length of vehicles (m)
c = g x v c = mean clearance (m)
h = mean headway (sec)
v = mean speed (m/s)
TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY
Clearance (m) / Gap (s)
Spacing (m) / Headway (s)

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY
CATEGORIES OF TRAFFIC FLOW
UNINTERRUPTED FLOW
Occurs on facilities that have no fixed elements (such as traffic

signals or stop signs) external to the traffic stream, that cause
interruptions to traffic flow.
Traffic flow conditions are thus the result of interactions among

vehicles in the traffic system and between vehicles and the
geometric characteristics of the roadway/guideway system.
The driver of the vehicle does not expect to be required to stop by

factors external to the traffic stream
Uninterrupted Flow facilities:

Expressways, Exclusive bus lanes, Rail Transit Lines
TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY
CATEGORIES OF TRAFFIC FLOW
INTERRUPTED FLOW
Occurs on facilities that have fixed elements causing periodic

interruptions to traffic flow.
Traffic is stopped or significally slowed down periodically

irrespective of how much traffic exists.
The driver expects to be required to stop as and when required by

fixed elements that are part of the facility
Interrupted Flow facilities:

Signalized streets, Unsignalized streets with stop signs, Arterials,
Pedestrian walkways, Bicycle paths.
*Note:
Uninterrupted/Interrupted Flow are terms that describe the facility, and
not the quality of flow!
Answer This!
What type of facilities are these?

Uninterrupted flow facility or Interrupted flow facility?
UNINTERRUPTED FLOW INTERRUPTED FLOW

FACILITY FACILITY
TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY
UNINTERRUPTED TRAFFIC FLOW MODEL
Speed (km/hr)
C
D
Normal flow
Forced flow
A
Congestion Capacity
Flow (veh/hr)
TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY
Imagine several vehicles, driven by rational drivers along a section of

freeway.
As vehicles speed and spacing increases, the speeds approach the free
speed, and drivers adopt their own speed when uninfluenced by other
vehicles in the traffic stream (point C).
The dashed curve represents the normal flow behaviour if all drivers
were to have the same free speed (point D).
It has been observed that drivers are uninfluenced by other vehicles in

the traffic lane at flows about half the capacity flow (point B).
Maximum traffic density occurs (point A) when traffic has virtually

come to a complete stop.
In the forced flow region, each vehicle adopts its minimum spacing and
clearance distance.
TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

SPEED, FLOW and DENSITY relationship
Speed, v Speed, v
v = A – Bk
A/2
A/B
Density, k Flow, q
Flow, q
A2/4B
Density, k
A/2B A/B
TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

Speed-Density relationship
TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

Flow-Density relationship
TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

Speed-Flow relationship
TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY
Maximum flow (qmax) occurs at optimal speed (vm) and optimal density
(km).
qmax = vm x km
= v f x kj
2 2
= vf x kj
4
EXAMPLE QUESTION
A traffic stream is moving at a steady state when entering a

mountain grade. Upon entering the grade, the speed, density
and flow are 72 km/h, 25 veh/km and 1800 veh/hr respectively.
On the grade, a truck drops to a speed of 15 km/h causing traffic
to bunch up to a density of 85 veh/km. When the truck pulls
over, traffic accelerates to the maximum flow until steady state
flow conditions resume.
Calculate
(a) the flow of traffic behind the truck on the mountain grade
(b) the jam density and free flow speed for this road
(c) the density and speed when traffic resumes a steady state flow
(d) the maximum flow

T NL V: Traffic Flow Theory

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BFC 32302 Traffic Engineering and Safety Lecturer: Dr.

Basil David Daniel

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

TRAFFIC FLOW PARAMETERS

Space Mean Speed, vs nL

TRAFFIC FLOW PARAMETERS

Relationship between Space Mean Speed and Time Mean Speed

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

3) RATE OF FLOW (q)

Thus, a volume of 200 vehicles observed in a 10-minute period

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY N

Usually expressed in vehicles/km.

Density can be measured directly

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

Spacing and Headway are related to q, v and k:

k = 1000/s k (in veh/km), s (in meters)

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

7) LANE OCCUPANCY (LO)

LO = Total time vehicle detector is occupied = Sto

to = L + C where L = average length of vehicle

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

Density can be estimated using the expression ......

Lane occupancy may also be expressed by R, which is …

R = Sum of lengths of vehicles = SLi

Then, density can be estimated using the expression ......

k = R/L where L = average length of vehicles

a) Determine the lane occupancy.

(Assume that the loop-detector length is 3 m and the average length

Sto = 0.34 + 0.38 + 0.40 + 0.32 + 0.52 = 1.96 sec

q = 6.01  49.97 = 300.3 veh/hr

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

g = h – (L/v) where g = mean gap (sec)

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

Clearance (m) / Gap (s)

Spacing (m) / Headway (s)

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

CATEGORIES OF TRAFFIC FLOW

Occurs on facilities that have no fixed elements (such as traffic

Traffic flow conditions are thus the result of interactions among

The driver of the vehicle does not expect to be required to stop by

Uninterrupted Flow facilities:

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

CATEGORIES OF TRAFFIC FLOW

Occurs on facilities that have fixed elements causing periodic

Traffic is stopped or significally slowed down periodically

The driver expects to be required to stop as and when required by

Interrupted Flow facilities:

What type of facilities are these?

UNINTERRUPTED FLOW INTERRUPTED FLOW

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

UNINTERRUPTED TRAFFIC FLOW MODEL

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

Imagine several vehicles, driven by rational drivers along a section of

It has been observed that drivers are uninfluenced by other vehicles in

Maximum traffic density occurs (point A) when traffic has virtually

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

TRAFFIC FLOW THEORY

A traffic stream is moving at a steady state when entering a

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