UGANDA MATYRES UNIVERSITY FORT PORTAL CAMPUS Course Unit: TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING Course Code: BCE 2206 Course Level: YEAR II, SEMESTER II Credit Units: 3 Lecture 05: 4.2. Traffic speed study 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 traffic stream at a specific location. The data gathered in spot speed studies are used to determine vehicle speed percentiles, which are useful in making many speed-related decisions. Spot speed data have a number of'safety applications, including the following: i. Determining existing traffic operations and evaluation of traffic control devices a, Evaluating and determining proper speed limits b. Determining the 50th and 85th speed percent advisory speeds 4. Establishing the limits of no-passing zones, e. Determining the proper placements of traffic control signs and markings £ Setting appropriate traffic signal timing ii, Establishing roadway design elements a. Evaluating and determining proper intersection sight distance g. Evaluating and determining proper passing sight distance h. Evaluating and determining proper stopping sight distance. ii, Establishing roadway design elements a, Evaluating and determining proper intersection sight distance b, Evaluating and determining proper passing sight distance g and determining proper stopping sight distance. s ¢, Evaluating and determining proper c. Evaluati iii, 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 iv, Monitoring traffic speed trends by systematic ongoing speed studies ion studies 4.3 Origin and desti Origin and destination study (OD study) is to determine the travel pattern of an area, Diagrammatically represented by desire lines (lines of varying thicknessaccording to the number of people represented) as shown in Fig 04.1. Desire lines represent number of people travelling fom one origin to another, = We Fig. 04.1: Travel Pattern in areas ABCD and E O-D studies look at where vehicles are coming from, where they are going, why people are traveling, when the trips occur, and what types of vehicles are traveli ng. Origin-destination studies serve as a foundation for transportation planning and are essential to understanding traffic. Quality Counts offers several different types of origin-destination studies, all with their own unique advantages. Origin and Destination Study (OD Study) is to determine the travel pattern of an arewcity. It makes use of desire lines of varying thicknesses. Methods include: Blue Tooth Method, Big data Surveys and License plate studies Blue Tooth Method, By strategically deploying Bluetooth sensors throughout a survey area and WiFi-enabled devices to record and process O-D, travel time and speed reports among sensor locations. Each device's path is tracked through the survey area based on the progression of sensors that pick up the signal- emitting device. The resulting data is viewable in real-time on a cloud-based web portal. Period and Threshold filters allow users to narrow data down to specific times, days, and travel speeds, allowing both a holistic and per-mode view of data, This approach is best suited for medium-scale O-D studies where analyzing several days or weeks of traffie patterns for a few possible routes is required, Big data Surveys O-D data obtained from location-based apps and GPS-navigation services that process that data to produce O-D matrices and travel time data. Examples of softwares on the market today that offer big data O-D surveys including Moonshadow, Streetlight, and Airsage. License plate studies O-D obtained by use of high-definition cameras capable of capturing license plate data with ease Processing is completed either manually or through a semi-automated application depending on the complexity of the schema, but the end result is similar. By time-stamping license plates as theyvass camera locations, provide exact origin-destination and travel time data among sets of locations that include all trips and roadway users for a given time-frame. This approach is best suited for projects where counting all trips is ideal, such as assessing cut through traffic. It can also be more cost-effective over the other two methods when only a few routes need to be analyzed 4.4 Traffic eapacity studies Traffic capacity is the max traffic flow or maximum traffic volume. Traflie volume represents the actual rate of flow of the traffic and responds to the variation in the traffic demand, while capacity indicates a capability or maximum, rate of flow with a certain level of service characteristics that can be carried by the road. The first (or basic capacity) is defined as the maximum number of passenger vehicles that can pass a given point during one hour under the most nearly ideal roadway and traffic conditions. The passenger vehicle means a vehicle which is self-propelled and which is designed for carrying not more than 10 persons including the driver, and which is used or maintained for the transportation of persons, but does not include any motor truck or truck tractor. Table 04.1: Passenger Car Unit (PCU) for Vehicle Types Peds Cle 02 4.5 Parking studies Parking is the act of stopping and disengaging a vehicle and leaving it unoccupied. Parking on one or both sides of a road is often permitted, though sometimes with restrictions (such as with parking fees, owners reserved etc.). Some buildings have parking facilities for use of the buildings’ users Countries and local governments have rules for design and use of parking spaces. Such facilities may be on-street parking, located on the street, or off-street parking, located in a parking lot or parking garage.Parking facilities can be divided into: + Public parking is managed by local government authorities and available for all members of the public to drive to and park in. + Private parking is owned by a private entity. It may be available for use by the public or restricted to customers, employees or residents A parking study is an analysis of a community or development's parking needs. It typically includes an inventory of existing parking, an evaluation of current parking conditions, and projections of future parking demand. Parking studies are conducted to inform decisions about land use, transportation infrastructure, and parking management There are many different types of parking studies, but they all share a common goal: to understand the complex relationship between parking and land use, A well- designed parking, study can help decision-makers identify problems and opportunities, set goals, and make informed decisions about how to best use limited resources, Parking studies often include a few key components: + An inventory of existing parking facilities and spaces + An analysis of current parking conditions and utilization + A projection of future parking demand + Recommendations for improving parking management Local parking surveys typically aim to discern: i. How much parking is provided in a specific study area ii, How parking is being utilized f demand exceeds capacity. 5.1.1 STEPS INVOLVED IN A SURVEY The three major steps in conducting any survey ate: Preparation stage, Data collection stage, Data analysis and Survey results reporting. I: PREPARATION STAGE Why do the survey, determining study scope, mapping the route, inventory existing parking, staffing considerations and data collection sheets WHY DO THE SURVEY Before determining the scope of the parking survey, identify the motivations driving the study. In other words, what do you want to know about parking within a specific area and why? Remember to talk to stakeholders if you don't know the area well. Answering this question can help establish + the size of your study area, + the need to inventory public or private, on or off-street parki 4the need to document occupancy and/or duration, the need to understand vehicles’ origin, days of study, whether during the week and/or weekend time of interest seasons to be documented. DETERMINING STUDY SCOPE-Based on your answer to the questions above, identify the proper location, dates, and times to conduct your parking survey MAPPING THE ROUTE-Try to walk in the direction the vehicles are facing on the street: this will help facilitate license plate data collection. If multiple people are participating in data collection, ensure that they start and end in the same location, preferably near a coffee shop ot library where they wait indoors in between rounds. INVENTORY EXISTING PARKING- Details of existing parking and preferable on a ‘map, note the number grfd location of public and/or private parking spaces, as well as existing regulations, If spaces aren’t marked, take the maximum number of vehicles parked and estimate how many additional vehicles could be parked without blocking other vehicles, fire lanes, trash receptacles, etc. The map should also identify no parking areas, locations where parking is metered and the applicable rate, and the condition of signage. Include bicycle parking racks, rings, and all types of equipment specifically designed for bicycle use in this inventory. STAFFING CONSIDERATIONS-Depending on the size of your study area and the interval of data collection, staffing needs can vary. Be sure to schedule staff on a “typical day”” and ensure that they are familiar with the study area and data collection method prior to the day(s) of interest. DATA COLLECTION SHEETS-Data collection sheets should be detailed {numbered and include one line for each parking space. Remember to include landmarks like driveways, curb cuts, hydrants, cross walks, and street names to help data collectors with wayfinding and parking space identification while on their routes. Ui: DATA COLLECTION STAGE LOGISTICS- Routes should be consistent that is, should begin at the same time (whether on the hour or half an hour) and be walked in the same direction every 30 or 60 minutes. Counts should occur at least 3 or 4 different time periods during the survey day, including all times with peak demand. Depending on the purposes of the study, weekend demand may also be of interest. Data collectors should document improper activity, such as double parking, blocking driveways, unsanctioned loading, etc., and take photos where applicable. NB. Logistics means detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation CAPTURING DURATION ~ record how long cars are parked. Knowing how Jong cars are parked can inform different parking pricing or time restriction policies, may uncover opportunities for sharing spaces, and can provide helpful information to businesses looking to move to an area. Duration counts require that the first 3 or 4 license plate numbers be documented and that data collectors return frequently (at least once an hour) to a space to record 5this information. For high parking turnover locations (post OBNCSS, van etc,), check back every 15 minutes if possible. This is usually best accomplished by numbering all spaces on the map, and by providing both maps and numbered sheets with room to record the partial license plate numbers. DATA COLLECTION-Record the numbers of cars parked legally, as well as double parked vehicles, those blocking other vehicles in lots, and any large trucks blocking more than one space. To accurately capture demand, count the number of bicycles parked as well Ill: DATA ANALYSIS ‘Analyzing data for parking survey should cover an overview, occupancy, duration and turnover © OVERVIEW - Create a spreadsheet where you can summarize the data that was collected. Graphies and display$ on maps will be helpful in explaining results. * OCCUPANCY -Vehicles parked during a given time period divided by the total number of spaces is occupancy. On-street parking occupancies of 85-90% are usually considered the highest acceptable target, since someone looking for a space will not find an empty one easily. Occupancies above 100% are possible, when vehicles park illegally or in unofficial spaces. Cccupaney data provides concrete information to support or refute claims of inadequate parking availability. High occupancies in one area combined with lower occupancies nearby indicate an opportunity for parking management. * DURATION- The length of time a car remains in a given parking space is its duration, and can be estimated from the partial license plate information. Calculate the duration for cach vehicle observed, and then calculate an average duration for all spaces by parking area and time period. Duration data can be used to understand parking behavior in order to redefine time restrictions and parking fees, and use existing spaces more efficiently. + TURNOVER. The inverse of duration, tumover describes the number of ears that can use a space in a given period of time. For example, for an average duration of 15 minutes, four different vehicles per hour can park in the designated space. If the tumover/duration remained. unchanged, 32 different vehicles could be accommodated in that one space over an eight-hour period. IV: REPORTING SURVEY RESULTS On reporting results: «SUMMARIZE RESULTS-Create an easy to understand summary that can be shared with stakeholders, Here, charts, maps, and photos can be used to concisely illustrate findings and support a narrative that answers the questions initially motivating the study. As a rule of thumb, results should be compared to an 85% occupancy guideline. If occupancy is above this threshold, demand exceeds supply; if occupancy is below this threshold, supply exceeds demand, «IDENTIFY NEXT STEPS-Depending on findings, potential next steps can vary.5.0 TRANSPORTATION PLANNING. Road and public transport problems include: Traffic congestion, Traffic delays, road accidents, global warming, environmental pollution and fossil fuel depletion, and limited role of new roads to solve transport problems, particularly in urban areas. ‘Transport planning focuses on congestion management and travel demand management with the following objectives: reduce the length of a trip, promote non-motorised transport, promote public transport, promote car pooling, shift peak-hour travel, shift travel from congested locations and reduce traffic delays. Management measures to achieve the overall objective can be grouped according to application of the measure (long term and short term measures) or supply and demand of transport (ie. supply side measures or demand side measures). as long term or short term or according to demand and supply as Supply side measures and Demand side measures ‘Supply-side measures aimn at increasing the capacity of a road system so as to improve the traffic flow for all modes of transport using it. Demand-side measures are intended to reduce car demand by increasing the mode share carried by public transport, increasing vehicle occupancy, reducing the need to travel to a particular destination, and/or reducing the need to travel during peak traffie periods. Traffic planning strategies: The five transport planning approaches in an urban area are: i. do-minimum use land-use planning to reduce trips and trip lengths . develop a transport network that is heavily car-oriented iv. develop a transport network that is heavily public transport-oriented ¥. manage the demand for travel In practice, most transport plans involve elements of all five (‘transport packages’), with tilts and emphases in certain directions depending upon the political, social, economic and environmental conditions pertaining at the locale in question Do-minimum approach, assumes that traffic congestion, road accidents, and environmental degradation are inescapable features of modem-day life and, if let to itself, human ingenuity and self-interest will ensure that congestion will become self-regulating before it becomes intolerable. Congestion is associated with stop-start driving conditions which reduce fuel efficiency and increase air pollution, raise the cost of freight movement and distribution, hinder bus movements (thereby making transport by ear appear more attractive), increase the numbers of accidents and delay emergency vehicles. Drivers who regularly encounter recurring congestion on main roads in urban areas often seek to reduce their delays by developing ‘rat-runs’ through adjacent neighborhoods, thereby imposing considerable environmental hardships and social and economic costs on persons living in those areas. In most large cities today traffic congestion is self-regulating. Two types of traffic congestion are: recurring or non-recurring. Recurring congestion is associated with expected delays; itresults from large numbers of people and vehicles travelling at the same time (e.g. during peak commuting orholiday periods) at the same places (c.g. at busy intersections). Non-recurring congestion is associated with unpredictable delays that are caused by spontaneous traffic incidents, such as accidents. Recurring congestion also encourages the flight of home owners and business from inner cities to suburbia. Minor road incidents during periods of recurring congestion can be the cause of severe non- recurring congestion, while several incidents within a short period of time at key points in a road network can result in the ‘seizing’ of the road system so that gridlock (i.e. the bringing of traffic to a standstill over a wide area) occurs. For the above reasons, therefore, it is generally accepted that to let congestion find its own level unhindered would have the effect of causing itretrievable (irreversible) long-term damage to both urban and rural areas, and would ultimately have the effect of reinforcing car-dependent lifestyles. 5.1 Present year inventories 5.2 trip generation 5.3 Trip distribution 5.4 Modal 5.5 Network assignment