(Emphasis on Traffic Management Practices) ITE, USA

I
Ing. Y
Y. Opoku-Mensah
O k M h
Traffic Engineer
(Assistant Director – Associated Consultants)

March 8, 2011 1
 CONTENT
I
I. Th Concept
The C t of
f Traffic
T ffi C Congestion
ti
II. Transportation Systems Management (TSM)
III. Traffic Management
IV. Summary of Tools for Alleviating Traffic
Congestion
V. Transportation System Required

March 8, 2011 2
THE CONCEPT OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION
Traffic congestion means Demand exceeds Capacity
Types of Congestion
¾ Recurring versus Non-recurring Congestion

¾ Apparent versus Real Congestion

March 8, 2011 3
Recurring versus Non-recurring Congestion
Recurring Congestion

T i
Triggered
d by
b a Daily
D il Event
E

A Periodic Event, such as a Football Game at the

local stadium

March 8, 2011 4
Recurring versus Non-recurring Congestion
Non-Recurring
g Congestion
g
Occurs only X% of the days, or only periodically
within a day, but at well-known problem locations
- Action that temporarily eliminates a lane on the road, causing
spill-back – (double-parked vehicles at certain locations)

Occurs rarely at the specific site, and due to a truly

unusual event - an accident on a street that normallyy
has no problems

March 8, 2011 5
 Apparent versus Real Congestion
Apparent Congestion
Apparent Congestion implies a truly Undersaturated
Condition – Demand less than Capacity
¾ Poor Signal Timing and/or Failed Equipment

¾ Local Operational Problems

Eliminated by taking “Conventional" Traffic Control

and Operational Measures

March 8, 2011 6
 Apparent versus Real Congestion
Real Congestion
Real Congestion implies a truly
Saturated Condition – Demand
greater than Capacity

¾ Eliminated by employing
Congestion-based
Strategies

March 8, 2011 7
 Causes of Traffic Congestion
Geometric Design

Traffic Operations (including Capacity Deficiency)

Road Surface Condition

Incidents

Maintenance and Construction

W th
Weather

March 8, 2011 8
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT (TSM)

TSM is a Planning and Operating Process

designed to conserve Resources and Energy
and to improve the Quality of Urban Life

March 8, 2011 9
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
Objectives of TSM
Increasing the Efficiency and Capacity of Existing
F l
Facilities and
d Rights
h off Way by
b making
k B
Better Use
of Existing Resources rather than planning on
major
m j New construction and Rights
g of
f wayy

Alleviating Traffic Congestion

March 8, 2011 10
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
Classes of TSM
Traffic Management
Transit Management
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Demand Management
¾ Spreading Demand away
from the Peak hours
¾ Reducing Single-Occupant
vehicle
hi l travel
t l (SOV)
Centre-to-
Centre
Restraint Measures
Application ¾ Rendering facility/service
Source: http://www.its.dot.gov Unattractive

March 8, 2011 11
 TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Traffic Management
g aims at improving
p g Traffic
Movements by increasing the Capacity and
S f t of
Safety f the
th Existing
E i ti Facilities
F iliti and
d Systems
S t

March 8, 2011 12
TRAFFIC
R FF C MANAGEMENT
M N GEMEN
Aspects/Strategy Groups
Traffic Operations

T ffi C
Traffic Controll

Roadway Assignment

Pedestrian and Bicycle

March 8, 2011 13
 Traffic Operations
Traffic
ff Management
M g m Actions

Intersection and Roadway widening

Provision of One-Way streets
Turn-lane installation
Turning-movement and Land-use restrictions
Provision
ro s on of new
n w lanes
an s using
us ng shou
shoulders
rs

March 8, 2011 14
T ffi O
Traffic Operations
ti Traffic Management Actions

Intersection
I t ti
Nsawam Road and Roadway
Widening
g

Turn-Lane
Installation

U-Turn
Prohibition

March 8, 2011 15
 Traffic Controll Traffic Control Measures
Traffic Control Devices are exercised through a
combination
b of
f RRoad
d Markings,
M k Traffic
ff Signs and
d
Signals
¾ Intersection
I t ti I Improvements,
t iincluding:
l di

Signing
Channelization
Improved Design

March 8, 2011 16
Traffic Controll Traffic Control Measures
¾ Improved
mp Traffic
ff Control D
Devices,, including:
u g
Signal Equipment Update
Timing Plan Improvements
Interconnected Signals, (Signal Actuation and
Coordination)
Traffic Signal Removal
Maintenance

March 8, 2011 17
 ff
Traffic C
Controll Traffic Control Measures
Intersection traffic
control devices can be Apenkwa Interchange – EB Ramp
used to Improve the
Flow of vehicles and
the Safe passage of
Pedestrians

Signing, Median
R f
Refuge

March 8, 2011 18
 T ffi C
Traffic Control
t l T ffi C
Traffic Control
t l Measures
M

Signing, Traffic
Signing
Islands/Channelization

Nsawam Road/Avenor Turn

Intersection
Nsawam Road/Comcam
Crescent Intersection

March 8, 2011 19
 R d
Roadway Assignment
Roadway Assignment Measures
Roadway or Lane assignment and Utilization for the
elements of the traffic stream in such a way as to
provide More Effective Management of Scarce
Highway Space

¾ P
Provision
i i off High
Hi h O
Occupancy Vehicle
V hi l (HOV)
facilities on Arterials
¾ Introduction of Reversible Lane Systems

March 8, 2011 20
R d
Roadway Assignment Types of HOV Facilities
Exclusive HOV Facility, Separate Right-of-Way
Exclusive HOV Facility, Existing Facility's Right-of-
Way
Concurrent Flow - most
. widely applied
Contraflow HOV Lanes - A Viable Contraflow design typically
requires at least a 60/40 Directional split in Peak/Off-Peak traffic

¾ HOV includes: Buses, Vanpools, Carpools, and

other authorized vehicles
March 8, 2011 21
R d
Roadway A
Assignment
i t Types of HOVs

6
(8 P
People)
l ) S
Source: HOV Lane
L
Safety Considerations
15 Handbook-

David Ungemah, Texas

Transportation Institute
22
45

March 8, 2011 22
R d
Roadway A
Assignment
i t Types of HOV Facilities

Separate Existing
ROW Facility’s
ROW

Sources:
TTI,
NCDOT,
USDOT
WEBSITES
WE E
Concurrent Flow Contraflow
HOV Lane
March 8, 2011 23
 R d
Roadway A
Assignment
i t Types of HOV Facilities

Existingg Concurrent
Facility’s HOV Lane
ROW

Contraflow Sources: TTI, USDOT

WEBSITES
March 8, 2011 24
R d
Roadway Assignment Types of HOV Facilities

Designated Bus Lane

Liberation Road

March 8, 2011 25
 R d
Roadway Assignment Reversible Lane Systems
A Reversible-lane system is one of the Most Efficient
methods of increasing Rush/Peak-period Capacity of
existing streets
One or more lanes
O l are designated
d i d for
f vehicular
hi l
movement in One-way during Part of the Day and in
the Opposite
pp Direction during
g another p
part of the dayy
¾ The center lane of a 3-lane road, might be used
for the purpose

March 8, 2011 26
 R d
Roadway A
Assignment
i t Reversible Lane Systems

Source: USDOT
WEBSITE

Reversible
(Center) Lane
March 8, 2011 27
P d
Pedestrian d B
and l
Bicycle Facilities
Crossing places, (Crosswalks or Zebra crossings)
¾ Controlled crossings (Police or Traffic Signal)

Walkways or Sidewalks
Median Islands/Refuge locations
F
Footbridges
b id and
d Under
U d Passes
P
Bicycle (Bike) Lanes, Paths

March 8, 2011 28
 P d t i
Pedestrian and
d Bi
Bicycle
l Facilities

Nsawam
Road

Signalised Crossing

Sidewalks

Source: San
S S Di Diego’s
’
Regional Planning Agency
City of Denver
March 8, 2011 29
 P d t i
Pedestrian and
d Bi
Bicycle
l F l
Facilities

Shared NMT Path

Off
ff R
Ring Road
R d Central
C l

Footbridge
Nsawam Road
Dedicated Bike Path
Hawaii

March 8, 2011 30
 P d t i
Pedestrian and
d Bi
Bicycle
l Facilities

Bike Lane
Bike
B k
Parking
Facility
Dedicated Bike Path
Sources: Manhattan Island,
Kauai, Hawaii Bike Lane
March 8, 2011 31
 SUMMARY
UMM RY OF TOOLS
TOOL FOR ALLEVIATING
LLEV T NG TRAFFIC
TR FF C CONGESTION
CONGE T ON
Congestion
Impact Implementation
Reduction Tool
Could
ld reduce
d congestion on about 30
Arterial Incident percent of an urban Arteial system; Long timeframe to
Management could reduce icident duration by an implement; requires
Systems average of 10 minutes; Benefit/Cost of multiagency approach
4:1
Similar to Arterial incident management Multiagency effort
Arterial Surveillance
y , only
systems, y over wider geographic
g g p required;
q public
p
and
d Control
C t l
area education needed
Long timeframe
Motorist Information Significant reductions in delay on required; Outreach
Systems speficic facilities needed to local
officials and media
March 8, 2011 32
 SUMMARY
UMM RY OF TOOLS
TOOL FOR ALLEVIATING
LLEV T NG TRAFFIC
TR FF C CONGESTION
CONGE T ON
Congestion
Impact Implementation
Reduction Tool

Highway speeds increased by 24 Long timeframe; need

percent; volumes increased from 12 detailed planning
Ramp Metering
percent to 40 percent; and 20 to 58 effort to avoid local
percent reduction in accidents area problems

Requires joint effort

Add Lanes Without Significant increases in capacity
with enforcement
Widening possible; Benefit/Cost of 7:1
agencies; need public
Extensive planning
Potentially significant increases in required; multi-
High Occupancy person-moving capacity; reduced vehicle agency cooperation;
Vehicle L
Lanes km
m traveled by
y 5 percent,
p , and travel need p
public education
times by 6 percent; Benefit/Cost of 6:1 and marketing
campaign
March 8, 2011 33
 SUMMARY
UMM RY OF TOOLS
TOOL FOR ALLEVIATING
LLEV T NG TRAFFIC
TR FF C CONGESTION
CONGE T ON
Congestion
Impact Implementation
Reduction Tool
From 8 percent to 25 percent Requires strong
Traffic Signal
improvement in travel time; traffic engineering
Improvements
p
B
Benefit/Cost
fi /C off 10
10:1
1 E
Expertise
i

Intersection Need to follow

Varies by level of improvement
Improvements engineering principles

Reduction of accidents from 38 to 52 Often requires

Turn Prohibitions
percent outreach to abutters

March 8, 2011 34
 SUMMARY
UMM RY OF TOOLS
TOOL FOR ALLEVIATING
LLEV T NG TRAFFIC
TR FF C CONGESTION
CONGE T ON
Congestion
Impact Implementation
Reduction Tool
R d
Reduces iintersection
t ti d
delays;
l N d to
Need t f
follow
ll
Redistributes traffic; simplifies signal engineering principles;
One-Way Streets
timing; increases road and pedestrian public outreach
safety required

Enforcement agencies
Reversible Traffic Substantial increase in capacity; Could need to be involved in
Lanes produce operatioal problems the planning and
operations stages

Need to follow
engineering principles;
Improved Traffic High Benefit/Cost ratio; substantial
Long-term
Long term
Control Devices benefit in chnnelizing traffic
maintenance strategy
required
March 8, 2011 35
 TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM REQUIRED

Short Term – Introduction of Transit Priority,

Pedestrian Amenities

Source: Transportation
Master Plan for the
City of Hamilton

March 8, 2011 36
 TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM REQUIRED
Medium Term – Dedicated Transit Lanes, New diverse Land use

Long Term – Full Rapid Transit, Compact, Mixed-use

development, reduced emphasis on vehicles

Source:
Transportation Master
Plan for the
City of Hamilton

March 8, 2011 37
The End

March 8, 2011 38