Summary Notes for Traffic Studies
● Traffic Studies can be divided into three main
categories:
○ Inventories - it gives a list or graphic
representation of existing data.
○ Administrative - they also make use of
pre-existing engineering records in
government agencies and documented in
automated data processing systems (ADP).
○ Dynamic - this includes gathering data under
operational conditions and using it to assess
current conditions and propose solutions.
● SAMPLE SPOT STUDIES
○ Spot Speed Studies
➢ Characteristics can be used for
⇀ Set parameters for traffic operation.
⇀ Examine the efficacy of traffic control
devices.
⇀ Keep an eye on the impact of speed
enforcement measures.
⇀ Assess the sufficiency of highway
geometric qualities.
⇀ Examine the impact of speed on
roadway safety.
⇀ Analyze speed trends
⇀ Determine whether speeding
complaints are valid.
➢ Location of spot speed studies
⇀ Basic Data Collection - for traffic
conditions on a highway
⇀ Speed Trend Analysis - for mid-blocks
of urban highways straight
⇀ Specific Traffic Engineering Problem -
for any sites
➢ Time and Day and Duration of Spot
Speed Studies - Depends on the purpose
of the study.
➢ Sample Size
⇀ Represents the true mean of all vehicle
speeds
⇀ Accuracy depends on the number of
vehicles in the sample
○ Average Speed
○ Median Speed
○ Modal Speed
○ i-th percentile spot speed
○ Pace
○ Standard deviation of speeds
➢ Methods in conducting spot speed
studies
⇀ Can be either manual or automatic
● VOLUME STUDIES - done to collect data on the
number of cars and/or pedestrians passing
through a specific spot on a highway facility within
a specified time period.
○ The studies are usually conducted when some
volume characteristics are needed, some of
which follow:
➢ Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT)
➢ Average Daily Traffic (ADT)
➢ Peak Hour Volume (PHV)
➢ Vehicle Classification (VC)
➢ Vehicle of Mass Travel (VMT)
○ Can be done automatically or manually
○ Types
➢ Cordon Counts
➢ Screen Line Counts
➢ Intersection Counts
➢ Pedestrian Volume Counts
➢ Periodic Volume Counts
⇀ Continuous Counts
⇀ Control Counts
⇀ Coverage Counts
○ Presentation
➢ Traffic Flow Maps
➢ Intersection Summary Sheets
➢ Time-Based Distribution Charts
➢ Summary Tables
● TRAVEL AND TIME DELAY STUDIES - measures
how long it takes to get from one point to another
along a specific path
○ Methods for Conducting Travel Time and
Delay Studies
➢ Methods requiring a Test Vehicle
⇀ Floating-car technique
⇀ Average-Speed technique
⇀ Moving-vehicle technique
➢ Methods not requiring a Test Vehicle
⇀ License plate observations
⇀ Interviews
⇀ ITS advanced technologies or
Telematics
● PARKING STUDIES - to assess the demand for
and supply of parking facilities in a certain location
○ Types of Parking Facilities
 ➢ On-Street Parking Facilities ⇀ Rolling Resistance
➢ Off-Street Parking Facilities ⇀ Curve Resistance
○ Methodology of Parking Studies ⇀ Power Requirements
➢ inventory of existing parking facilities ⇀ Braking Distance
➢ collection of data on parking accumulation ⇀ Minimum Radius Of A Circular Curve
➢ identification of parking generators ○ ROAD CHARACTERISTICS
➢ collection of information on parking ➢ Sight Distance
demand ⇀ Stopping Sight Distance(Ssd)
○ Analysis of Parking Data ⇀ Passing Sight Distance
➢ Number and duration for vehicles legally
parked
➢ Number and duration for vehicles illegally
parked
➢ Space-hours of demand for parking
➢ Supply of parking facilities
● CHARACTERISTICS OF DRIVERS,
PEDESTRIAN, THE VEHICLE, AND THE ROAD
○ DRIVER
➢ Human Response
⇀ Visual Reception
○ Visual Acuity
■ Static Visual Acuity
■ Dynamic Visual Acuity
○ Peripheral Vision
○ Color Vision
○ Glare Vision And Recovery
■ Direct glare
■ Specular glare
■ Glare recovery
○ Depth Perception
⇀ Hearing Perception
➢ PERCEPTION-REACTION PROCESS
⇀ Perception
⇀ Identification
⇀ Emotion
⇀ Reaction
○ PEDESTRIAN CHARACTERISTICS
➢ have an impact on the design and
placement of pedestrian control devices.
➢ walking characteristics are also considered
➢ considerations to the elderly and
handicapped pedestrians
○ VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS
➢ Static Characteristics
➢ Kinematic Characteristics
➢ Dynamic Characteristics
⇀ Air Resistance
⇀ Grade Resistance