TRAFFIC CONCEPTS

A. Basic Concepts
Macro: Flow, Speed, Density
Micro : Spacing, Headway, Clearance,
gap
Relationships
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 B. Definitions
• Flow (q), Speed (u), Density (d)

1. Flow (q) = the rate at which vehicles pass a

fixed point (vehicles per hour)
3600 n
q [ veh/hr]
t
n  number of vehicles measured at t (sec)
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 Example:
Volume of 200 vehicles observed in 10 minute
period. What is flow?

3600 n
q [ veh/hr]
t
3600 (200)
q  1200 veh/hr
(10  60)
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 2. Speed (u) = the rate of change of distance moved
with time.
a. Time mean speed (spot speed, ut)
– arithmetic mean of speeds of vehicles passing a point
n

u i
ut  i1
n
b. Space mean speed (us)
– the average speeds over a length of roadway
– the harmonic mean of speeds passing a point during a
period of time
– More useful for traffic applications
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 nd
us  n

t
i 1
i

d  given length of roadway [m]

t i  time taken to traverse d [sec]
or
n
us  n


i 1
1
ui

• Space mean speed is always less than time

mean speed
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 Relationsh ip between u t and u s
2
s
u t  us  s

us
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 Example: Time Mean Speed

[ft]

Mile post

Observation Period

50  45  50  35  40  40  45  60
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ut   45.6 (ft/sec)
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8
 Space Mean Speed
Observation Distance

Observation Period

100 * 8
us   44.2(ft/sec)  30.1(mi/hr)
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2  2.3  2  2.9  2.5  2.5  2.2  1.7

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 Time Mean vs. Space Mean Speed
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From HCM 2000

 KUIS-1
Figure K-1 shows vehicles traveling at constant
speeds on a two-lane highway between sections X
and Y with their positions and speeds obtained at an
instant of time by photography.
An observer located at point X observes the four
vehicles passing point X during a period of T sec.
The velocities of the vehicles are measured as 45,
45, 40, and 30 km/h, respectively. Calculate the flow,
density, time mean speed, and space mean speed.
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CEE 320
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Fig K-1
 Density (d)

• The number of vehicles (n)

occupying a given length (l)
of a lane or roadway at a
particular instant

• Unit of density is vehicles

per km (veh/km).

n q
d 
l u
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 Speed (u) vs. Density (d)

Greenshields -1934  d 
- Linear relationship u  u f 1  
 d 
 j 

uf
Free Flow Speed
Speed (km/h)

dj
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Jam Density
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Density (veh/km)
 qdu
d
 d (u f  u f )
dj
2 2
d d
q  d uf  uf  u f (d  )
dj dj
atau
2 2
u u
q  u dj dj  d j (u  )
uf uf
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 2
d
q  d uf  uf
dj
q  u f  2u f
d
 0 (maksimum)
d dj
d  12 d j
atau
u2
q  u dj dj
uf
q  d j 2d j
u
 0 (maksimum)
u uf
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u  12 u f
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 qdu
 d ( uf )
1
2
1
j 2

q  d ju f
1
4

Melalui observasi Greenshields memperoleh

u = 46 - 0.236 d
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 Flow (q) vs. Density (d)

 d 2 
q  uf  d  
 d 
 j 

Optimal flow, Congested Flow

capacity, qm
FLow (veh/hr)

dm dj
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Uncongested Flow Optimal density Jam Density

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Density (veh/km)
 Speed (u) vs. Flow (q)

 u 
2
q  d j  u  
uf
Free Flow Speed
 uf 
Uncongested Flow
Speed (km/h)

um

Optimal flow,
Congested Flow Flow (veh/hr) capacity, qm
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CEE 320
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um

Dm
Density
Dj
CEE 320
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3-D Model
 Occupancy as a surrogate parameter for density

Density is difficult to measure. So, we use

“occupancy” as a surrogate measure for
density. This can be obtained by traffic
detectors of any kind.
Occupancy: the percent of the roadway (in
terms of time) that is covered (occupied) by
vehicles.
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Chapter 5 22
 Spacing/Headway

• The distance/time (s/h) between

successive vehicles in a traffic stream, as
measured from front bumper to front
bumper
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 Spasi (spacing), s atau selang (headway), h

Spasi (spacing) atau selang (headway)

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 Spasi (s) dan selang (h) dihitung sebagai berikut.

1000
s [ m]
d
3600 s
h [dt ] u  [m/dt ]
q h

S = spasi rata-rata (m per lajur)

h = selang rata-rata (dt per lajur)
Ū = kecepatan rata-rata (m/dt)
D = kepadatan (kendaraan per km per lajur)
F = laju arus (kendaraan per jam per lajur)
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 1000 1000
s d
d s
1000
qdu u
s
1000
s u  s tidak lain jarak pandangan henti
q
s  panjang mobil  jarak persepsi - reaksi 
jarak rem (sampai berhenti)
s  a  b u  c u 2  a, b, c konstan dan u kecep awal
1000 1000
Jadi q  uq  u
s abucu 2
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 Kebebasan (clearance, c) atau celah (gap, g)
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 Kebebasan (c) dan celah (g) dihitung sbb.
L
g  hS - k  g  Us
Us
g  gap rata-rata (dt)
k  kebebasan (clearance) rata-rata (m)
L  panjang kendaraan rata-rata (m)

kebebasan atau gap

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Spasi atau selang (headway)

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 Headway
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From HCM 2000

 Example
I-5 over the ship canal bridge has 4 lanes in each direction. The
northbound capacity is 8200 veh/hr/lane and the free-flow speed
is 65 mph. What is the maximum flow rate, maximum density,
jam density? If a one-hour vehicle count in the northbound
direction for the outside lane gives 7034 vehicles in a non-
congested condition, what is the estimated space mean speed
of these 7034 vehicles?
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 Primary References

• Mannering, F.L.; Kilareski, W.P. and Washburn, S.S. (2005).

Principles of Highway Engineering and Traffic Analysis, Third Edition.
Chapter 5

• Transportation Research Board. (2000). Highway Capacity Manual

2000. National Research Council, Washington, D.C.
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 KUIS-1
Figure K-1 shows vehicles traveling at constant
speeds on a two-lane highway between sections X
and Y with their positions and speeds obtained at an
instant of time by photography.
An observer located at point X observes the four
vehicles passing point X during a period of T sec.
The velocities of the vehicles are measured as 45,
45, 40, and 30 km/h, respectively. Calculate the flow,
density, time mean speed, and space mean speed.
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CEE 320
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Fig K-1
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 Apparent occupancy
Lv  EL
t ( p) 
Speed
Actual occupancy
Lv EL
t ( p) 
'
 t ( p) 
Speed Speed

This is the occupancy

measured at a point.
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Chapter 5 37
CEE 320
Winter 2006

Chapter 5
38