REPORT ON

TRAFFIC SPEED STUDY

Submitted by Md. Tahmidul Islam Farabi 06 02 03 031 4th Year 2nd Semester Department of Civil Engineering

INTRODUCTION
Speed is an important transportation consideration because it relates to safety, time, comfort,convenience, and economics. Spot speed studies are used to determine the speed distribution of a trafficstream at a specific location. The data gathered in spot speed studies are used to determine vehicle speedpercentiles, which are useful in making many speed-related decisions. Spot speed data have a number of safety applications: 1. Determining existing traffic operations and evaluation of traffic control devices a. b. c. d. e. f. Evaluating and determining proper speed limits Determining the 50th and 85th speed percentiles Evaluating and determining proper advisory speeds Establishing the limits of no-passing zones Determining the proper placements of traffic control signs and markings Setting appropriate traffic signal timing

2. Establishing roadway design elements a. Evaluating and determining proper intersection sight distance b. Evaluating and determining proper passing sight distance c. Evaluating and determining proper stopping sight distance 3. Assessing roadway safety questions a. Evaluating and verifying speeding problems b. Assessing speed as a contributor to vehicle crashes c. Investigating input from the public or other officials 4. onitoring traffic speed trends by systematic ongoing speed studies 5. Measuring effectiveness of traffic control devices or traffic programs, including signs andmarkings, traffic operational changes, and speed enforcement programs For a spot speed study at a selected location, a sample size of at least 50 and preferably 100 vehicles isusually obtained (Ewing 1999). Traffic counts during a Monday morning or a Friday peak period mayshow exceptionally high volumes and
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are not normally used in the analysis; therefore, counts are usuallyconducted on a Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Spot speed data are gathered using one of threemethods: (1) stopwatch method, (2) radar meter method, or (3) pneumatic road tube method. Thesemethods are described in this chapter in order from least expensive to most expensive. The stopwatch

Objectives:
The main objectives of the traffic speed study are below:  Capacity study  Geometry study  Accident study  Economic study  Performance study of traffic control device.  Planning & designing.  Capacity relation to speed  Highway economic studies.  Congestion studies. Planning & designing has many classes, such as 1. Traffic signal design 2. Design mood sign. 3. Parking study 4. Establishing speed limit 5. Speed zoning.

Factor Affecting in Speed:

a. Road way condition. geometric, operating and surface

b. Amount of side friction. c. Traffic condition. d. Time of the day.

e. Other condition.

Method:
There are two methods are used for this method: 1. Spot speed study 2. Travel speed study In this experiment we use the Travel speed method.

Different Types of Speed:

1. Spot speed: instantaneous speed of a vehicle at pt. 2. Running speed: Average speed while in motion. 3. Journal speed: Overall speed including stops 4. Operating speed: It is the highest overall speed at which a driver can travel on a given highway under favorable weather. 5. Free flow: driver traveling at design speed 6 Safe speeds: It is the maximum safe speed that can be maintained. 7. Design speed: 98th percentile speed is called design speed 8. Median speed: 50th percentile speed. 9. Modal speed: Speed at highest frequency.

Daily Studies:
1. To find out the location causes and duration of daily.

2. To prescribe the remedial measures of congestion. 3. for economic equation. 4. To evaluate the performance of particular measures 5. for travel demand measurement.

Description of speed measurement method:

Stop watch method:
This method consists of timing vehicles with a hand held stop watch as they travel between two predetermined reference points that are a specific distance apart.  Using the distance between reference points and the recorded times. Staff can calculate each vehicles speed.  Calculating mph is easier if the following recommended distances between reference points are used or if the average speed is below 25 mph, 88 ft, 25-40 mph, 176 ft, above 40 mph, 264 ft.  The stop watch method is the quickest and easiest but also the least accurate data collection method.  Speeds must be calculated manually and staff must be physically present to collect data.  Timers will need two stopwatches (one for backup) manual data collection forms (samples are included in handbook), measuring tape, two brightly colored reference posts and a hardhat and safety vest.  Staff should select the appropriate time of day for collecting data. For analyzing peak traffic flows, off course, speeds should be measured during peak traffic times. For assessing general speed trends or setting speed limits, off-peak measurements are more appropriate.
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 The stopwatch method can be used to successfully complete a spot speed study using a small sample size taken over a relatively short period of time. The stopwatch method is a quick and inexpensive method for collecting speed data. Travel speed:  The main theme of this work revolves around travel speed study.  Engineers & planners have been conducting traffic volume studies for many years.  Speed has traditionally been an input that demands modelers to adjust as necessary to improve the accuracy of the volumes forecasted by the model.  However the collection of travel speed data will be quite a bit more difficult then spot speed study because for doing it manually, greater accuracy is required.

There are other types of method such as: 1. Manual method 2. Strip method 3. Automatic method Rader gun method Those are included in spot speed measure method. 1. license plate method 2. Floating car method 3. Elevated observer method.

Data Collection & Analysis: Data collection using electronic detector is simple and only requires programming the detector with the time duration over which it will measure the speed of all vehicles passing over it. During this time duration, spot speed measurement using radar meter on the other hand requires a lot of common sense in selecting which vehicle to target and time period over which the study (i.e. off peak, dark condition) should be conducted. For example when speed study is needed to investigate a track accident problem in dark conditions at a given road, the study should be done on a sample of trucks during dark conditions on that particular road. Spot Speed Method Table: Spot speed of 6 types of vehicles. 17,19,18,20,22,23,22,24,21,24,21,22,23,24,24,25,26,26,26,28,28,28,28,27,26,29,2 8,27,27,29,26,28,27,26,26,25,25,26,28,29,26,25,27,26,28,29,25,32,30,30,32,30,31 ,31,32,33,33,33,34,33,32,31,30,30,31,33,32,31,33,32,34,34,34,34,31,32,31,32,32, 33,34,34,33,32,31,33,34,34,31,32,32,32,33,33,44,40,42,42,42,42,40,40,41,43,43,4 3,44,44,42,44,44,41,42,43,36,35,35,35,37,36,38,38,38,36,35,36,35,37,37,37,38,39 ,39,37,39,37,36,36,35,35,39,45,47,48,49,48,51,53. Speed range 10-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 46-50 No of vehicle (f) 0 4 16 32 49 23 18 4 Mid speed (v) 12.5 17.5 22.5 27.5 32.5 37.5 42.5 47.5 % of frequency 0 2.70 10.81 21.12 32.69 18.12 15.54 2.70 Cumulative % of frequency 0 2.70 13.51 35.13 68.32 86.44 95.3 98.65

51-55 Total

2 148

52.5

1.35 100

100 100

35 30 % of frequency 25 20 15 10 5 0 0 10 20 30 Mid speed Mid speed vs % of frequency 40 50 60

l ti

Mi f
!      

Mid

tive frequency

Modal Speed = 34 m/h Average Speed = 33 m/h

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M d peed v

m lat ve fre

#"

Mid

eed vs % of frequency

 

Design Speed = 38 m/h Operating Speed = 48 m/h Upper Speed Limit = 38 m/h Lower Speed Limit = 26 m/h Travel speed method: Length = 0.904 Km

 

Vehicle types LV B SPT LV LV AR AR SPT LV LV LV

Registration plate 3409 4897 8789 8359 1718 1441 790 5500 1711 5223 3826

Time

Time

Travel Time 2 4 6 3 3 2 2 4 3 2 2

12:05 12:00 12:15 11:44 11:47 12:01 12:05 11:50 11:51 11:40 11:41

12:07 12:04 12:21 11:47 11:50 12:03 12:07 11:54 11:54 11:42 11:43

Travel Speed (kmph) 27.06 13.53 9.02 18.04 18.04 27.06 27.06 13.53 18.04 27.06 54.12

MC 

1423 36

12:02 12:05 270.6

18.04

Auto Rickshaw: n=2  Kmph

 

Light Vehicle: n=6    

27.06 18.04 18.04

27.06 27.06 27.06

0 81.36 81.36

18.04 27.06 54.12 =976.27

27.06 27.06 27.06

81.36 0 732.27

 

 

Calculation of Delay: From least spot of AR= 17mph Travel time = 2 Delay = Travel Time Least Spot Speed ADT ( SL- NM ) = % of AR = 27.04 No of AR = 174 Total Dealy = 2610 Hr/Day

Determination of LOS : SL NM :

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G4=12:00 1:00=18.71x170=20180 G5=01:00 -2:00=16.71x160=2675.6 G6=2:00 -3:00=14.74x250=3685

DHK=1.15X8846.87 =10143.9  Conclusion: For this experiment we have collected data from science lab to new market in Dhaka. We have done the experiment in a group. By calculating data we found some results.From the analysis of given data, we get, Modal speed = 33mph, Pace speed = 24.5 - 34.5mph, Design speed = 38mph, Operating speed = 48 mph and Lowest Speed limit = 26mph.Such result helps in developing highway and transportation plans and performing economic analysis. Studies based on this analysis are very helpful for engineers in suggesting necessary steps required to reduce the number of road accidents.

=0.36

Reference: Books: a. Highway Engineering: Paul H. Wright b. Transportation lecture sheet of coarse no.351 Web Sites: o http://www.traffic speed study .com o http://www.Traffic survey.com o http:// traffic road way system.com

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