CE 415-4

DESIGN OF TRAFFIC
FACILITIES
AND TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
Reference
Principles of Transportation Engineering by Partha Chakroborty &
Animesh Das (1st Edn)
Chapter 5, Design of Traffic Facilities
And a portion of
Chapter 4, Properties of Traffic Engineering Elements
Transportation Planning and Traffic Engineering, Edited by C. A.
O’Flaherty (1st Edn)
Chapter 24, Regulatory Measures for traffic managements. (Page 451 460)
Take down notes in class to add to the referred
chapter and slides. Only slides will not suffice.

MUST GO THROUGH THE RELEVANT

PORTIONS OF THE BOOKS
INTRODUCTION
Traffic facilities mean transportation features or
structures that facilitate movement of roadway
vehicles. These include: -
Freeways, arterials, collector roads and local roads.
Signalized, un-signalized intersections, interchanges OR
grade separated intersections and ramps.
Parking lots, road-side parking.
Signs, street lights and other road furniture.
Design manuals published, IRC, TRL, AASHTO,
HCM.
FREEWAYS
Road section of substantial length with little or no cross-
traffic. Capacity of a freeway section depends upon
Inputs to the design process
 Projected or estimated peak demand (peak flow rate, peak hourly volume)
 Level of service.
Design Variables
 Width and number of lanes.
 Shoulder width and quality.
 Curvature and gradient.
 Determining road layout is a complex task and depends upon natural
lay of ground, cut-fill costs, presence of obstructions and environmental
impact. Most difficult input.
HCM can be used to capacity of freeway section. See
Example 5.1 at your own.
INTERSECTIONS
INTRODUCTION
General
 Where two or more roads meet and different flows
compete for use of same physical space.
Nature and number of points of conflict, reduce speed
and are a potential cause of accidents.
Primary purpose of intersection design is to modify zone
of conflict to improve safety and efficiency by static
signs, dynamic signs or grade separations.
Called ‘Unsignalized Intersections’ , ’Signalized Intersections’
and Interchanges respectively.
At Grade Three Leg Intersections
At Grade Four Leg Intersection
At Grade Miscellaneous Intersection
Conflict Points and Conflict
Zone
Crossing
Merging
Diverging
Severity of conflict points
Exercise
Drawing of intersection and
conflict points
UNSIGNALIZED INTERSECTION
Design Aspects of
Use of ‘STOP’ or ‘YIELD’ sign
Channelization
Auxiliary Lanes
Rotaries
Use of ‘STOP’ or ‘YIELD’ sign
Stop signs generally employed on minor street of
‘major- minor’ street crossing. On all approaches of
‘minor- minor’ crossing. No excessive delays.
Yield Sign employed on a major street of ‘major-
minor’ where volumes are comparatively higher and
sight distances are restricted.
Channelization
Delineation of preferred paths for vehicles through
road marking, islands or other such static control
measures. Purpose is to reduce one or more of
following: -
Area of conflict zone.
Complexity of conflict zone.
Number of conflict points.
Severity of conflict points.
Channelization to prohibit or discourage certain movements.
Channelization to promote desirable speed and delineate
desirable path.
Raised island ‘A’ reduces speed of right turning vehicles. ‘B’
promotes high speed.
 Reduces rear end collisions on major street because of
slowing down of left turning vehicles.
Geometry modified for heavy left turning and increasing
distance between conflict points.
Channelization to remove stopped vehicle from a
traffic stream
 Auxiliary lanes provided; for storage of vehicles
(decelerate and stop) or for acceleration (enough length
of lane) to merging speeds.
 Storage Lane (storage space+ decelerate length+ tapered
additional length). e.g. 1.5 times the queuing in peak
hours.
Channelization to streamline flows
 Reduces severity and number of conflict points.
 Rotary is an example. Reduces conflict points.
All conflicts converted to merging and diverging.
 Handles moderate volumes efficiently.
 SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS
4
t er
Ch
ap
Traffic Flows
General
Different traffic streams compete one an other to use
common space ie intersection
If not managed, will be chaotic with low safety and
efficiency.
Common space is time-shared in ‘Signalization’,one of
the strategies.
Fully actuated, partially actuated, pre timed or fixed
timed signals.
Cycle Aspects – (Red – Green– Amber),What is meant
by there colours?
 4
r
ap t e Flow Characteristics
Ch
What happens at intersection?
Flow is orderly and deterministic.
Same pattern every cycle.
Arrival Process
 Principle is that vehicles disperse if space is available.
 Arrival Pattern
 Random. Isolated, no upstream within 3 – 4 km.
 Grouped. Within 2 km.
 Mixed. Within 2 – 4 km.
 4 
p t er Departure Process
a
Ch  Expected pattern shown
 Headway stabilizes at h3
 Called Saturation Headway
 Reciprocal is Saturation Flow
 Initial vehicles take longer time
 Perception reaction time
 Extra time to accelerate
 Called Start Up Lost Time ls
 Amber Time (Part of movement allowed time) not fully utilized
Called Movement Lost Time lm
 An other concept used is All Red Time (All approached get red
indication) lr
 4 
p t er Queues and Delays Concept
a
Ch  Effective green period
 Effective red period
 Delay to nth vehicle
 Q length at time t
 Additional
 Inter
green time
 Non red time
 4
r
ap t e Saturation Flow Rate
Ch
Reciprocal of saturation headway.
 Representative Sampling.
Saturation Headway is taken as the time between 4th and
last vehicle crossing start line divided by number of
vehicles minus 4.
Back to Chapter 5

You must Know

Legs of intersection
Cycle length is the duration of time that elapses between
start of one green (or Red) period and the start of next
green (or Red) period for the same approach.
Two or more than two approaches get the same
indications during a cycle are called to belong to the same
phase. Generally two to six phases.
The duration for which the approaches get green (plus
amber) during cycle is called phase length.
Signal timings with reference to time axis when shown
diagrammatically is called ‘Phasing Scheme Diagram’.
Types of signals according to functioning. Study from
book.
 Fixed Time/ pre timed
 Semi actuated
 Fully Actuated
Do you know the following
 Non red time, all red time, inter green, effective green, lost times
(start up, movement lost time all red lost time, saturation
headway, saturation flow.
Phasing Scheme Diagram
or Phase Diagram
Warrants
Signals are necessitated because of flow and safety
problems, safety alone and heavy pedestrian movements.
Conditions that justify the installation of a signal are
formalized as ‘warrants’ means justification. These are: -
‘Minimum traffic volume’ on intersecting roads is laid
down which must exist for eight hours to justify
signalization.
‘Minimum delay’ to traffic of lower volume legs of
intersection may necessitate signalization. Warrant
specifies minimum volume combinations.
‘Minimum pedestrian volume’ across a road. Both
specified to exist concurrently for eight hours justifying
signalization.
‘Combination of warrants’ means that signalization may
be justified if existing conditions are close to any one of
the above conditions.
‘Minimum number of accidents’ are specified which are
of typical type and engineer thinks that these can be
reduced with signalization.
Signal Timings Design
Phasing Scheme. More phases better separated are the
conflicting flows but more lost time added up for each
phase. More safety but less efficiency. Confusion may
also be more. Separate phase if separate turning lanes
available.
Cycle Length. It does not affect average delay but
there exists a cycle length for which delay is
minimum. Kept in multiple of 5 seconds.
-
Phase Lengths. Available total green time for all phases
is determined by deducting the amber time (all phases) and
all red time (if provided) from cycle length. Then available
green time is distributed and allocated in critical flow ratios
for different phases.
Amber time determination through dilemma zone analysis.(τ min is
amber time)

Determination of pedestrian crossing time and checking green time

against it.
tp = 7 + w/1.2
(w is width of road)
 C

A B

Example D

 An intersection is shown opposite for which a two phase

signal is selected. Each approach lane is 3 M wide having
saturation flow as 1550 pcu/h of green. Right turning traffic
does not necessitate separate phase.
Traffic is as follows.
 Leg ‘A’ @ Right turn = 10 pcu/h @Through and left turn = 690 pcu/h
 Leg ‘B’ @ Right turn = 20 pcu/h @Through and left turn = 580 pcu/h
 Leg ‘C’ @ Right turn = 30 pcu/h @Through and left turn = 370 pcu/h
 Leg ‘D’ @ Right turn = 40 pcu/h @Through and left turn = 560
pcu/h
 Width of intersection in A-B direction is 13.5 M and in C-D
direction 14.5 M. Design vehicle length is 4.5 M and approach
speed is 12.0 M/S.
 Perception reaction time may be assumed as1 S. Comfortable
deceleration speed may be taken as 4 M/S2. Startup lost time is 2
S, Movement lost time is half of amber time and all red time is 2
S.
 Determine all aspects of signal timings and draw phase diagram.
Example
Layout of intersection is shown, three
phase signal is selected, approach lane
width = 3 M
Eastern leg
 Right turn = 400 pcu/h
 Through and left turn = 850 pcu/h
Western leg
 Right turn = 325 pcu/h
 Through and left turn = 900 pcu/h
Northern leg Total = 540 pcu/h
Southern leg Total =400 pcu/h
Right turning negligible on Northern
and Southern legs.
Width of intersection
 North – South = 17 M
 East – West = 13.5 M
Design vehicle length = 5 M
Approach speed = 12.5 M/s
Perception reaction time =1 sec
Comfortable deceleration speed= 4 M2
Startup lost time = 2 s
Movement lost time = ½ amber time.
No all red time.
Assume saturation flow 525 pcu/h of green period /M of
3 M lane width
Determine all aspects of signal timings and draw phase
diagram.
INTERCHANGES
General. Grade separated intersections where the
conflict in traffic flow is resolved by duplicating the
intersecting space at various heights.
Warrants for Interchanges
Design Designation Warrant states that on a freeway
all intersections have to be grade separate irrespective of
whether at grade intersections can handle the expected
traffic or otherwise.
Volume Warrant states that if at grade intersection is
unable to handle the traffic, interchanges should be used.
(>10000 pcu/h)
Accident Related Warrant states that if
disproportionate accident rate exits and problem cannot
be resolve by other measures, interchanges should be
used.
Topography Warrant states that in restricted sites it is
some times cheaper to use interchanges.
Design of Interchanges. Horizontal and vertical
curves criteria of the ramps and structural designing of
the interchange. Typical designs are:
Trumpet Interchange. Used where a major road terminate
at another major road.
Diamond interchange. Used where a major road
intersects a minor road. Two at grade intersection on
minor, less interruptions on major, less space so urban
suitability.
Partial clover-leaf interchange. Diamond modified and
critical turning movements replaced by merging. More
space required.
Clover-leaf interchange. Two major roads intersect and
all conflicting movements need to be separated.
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
REGULATORY MEASURES

Transportation Planning and Traffic Engineering, Edited by

C. A. O’Flaherty (1st Edn)
Chapter 24, Regulatory Measures for traffic managements.
(Page 451 460)
General
These include speed limits, restriction on turning
movements, One way streets, tidal flow operations,
priority for high occupancy vehicles, on street waiting
restrictions and parking control.
Speed Limits
Implementing maximum speed limits modify speeding
behaviour and reduce number and severity of accidents
by: -
Reducing stopping sight distance.
Reducing rear end collisions by maintaining min
desirable clear distance (24.4 & 73.2 m against 48 km/h
& 90 km/h respectively).
Maximizing available skid resistance.
Pedestrian safety, easier to judge speed.
Types are ‘absolute speed limit’ and ‘prima facie speed
limit’.
World wide trends are: -
Limits applicable throughout the year.
Different for different roads.
Lower speed limits.
Different for different times of day.
Greatest hindrance to motorist observance is
application of a general restriction where it is
obviously inappropriate. Factors considered for
establishing speed limits is: -
Design speed.
Prevailing vehicle speeds.
Road cross section, curvature, gradient and surface
quality.
Frequency and spacing of intersection.
Traffic volume and composition.
 Accident history.
Pedestrians and parked vehicles.
Traffic control devices.
Should not be much less than 85 percentile speed.
Observance encouraged by police, speed cameras, Self
policing by traffic calming methods etc.
Restrictions on Turning Movements
Right turning cause accidents and congestion. At
signalized intersection coped up by inserting extra
phase, early cur off / late start or sometimes banned
completely or partly during the day.
Simple Diversion. Right turning directed to next minor-
minor intersection of higher capacity.
‘G’ Turn. Left turning prior to critical intersection and
crossing it later straight ahead. Careful signing so as
drivers do not overshoot.
‘Q Turn. Crossing critical straight ahead and coming
over again to cross straight ahead. Least obstructive
but crosses over intersection twice.
On all above, alternate routes be available, buses may
be exempted because of specific areas served,
Sometimes minor to major may be completely banned.
One-way Streets
Simple tool to relieve congestion requiring less
policing. More easily introduced on grid iron street
pattern, roads pattern having complementary streets.
Advantages are: -
Increase in road capacity.
Odd lanes can be utilized fully now.
Slow/ stopped vehicles safely overtaken.
Turning movements not delayed.
Linking of traffic signals facilitated.
Public transport system more reliable.
Parking facilitated.
Lesser accidents.
Disadvantages are: -
Increase in traveling distance.
Opposing direction bus stops, relocated.
More severity of non head-on accidents.
Mid block weaving actions.
Problems for non locals.
Loss to amenity as traffic redirected through residential
streets.
Tidal Flow Operations
It is a management tool in which carriageway is shared
between two directions of travel in near proportion to
flow in each direction. Number of lanes assigned
varies with the time of the day providing extra capacity
during peak commuter periods. Traffic is not to be
diverted to minor streets.
Disadvantages are: -
Expensive.
Poor implementation, increased head on collisions.
Central pedestrian refuge has to be removed.
No parking restrictions are normally imposed.
Controlling tidal flow operations
Special signals indicating green arrows, red crosses over
gantry boards. Detectors in the pavement monitor
draining of vehicles. Costly but save.
Moveable barriers (traffic cones) hand shifted. Labour
intensive.
Moveable rigid barriers economically justified on
heavily trafficked routes, uses self propelled transfer
vehicle.
 
END