Traffic Engineering
Solved Examples Prof. Dr. Zainab Alkaissi
Q1// Answer the Following Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):
1. The basic objective of traffic engineering is to achieve ___________
Provide safe, convenient and economic movement of vehicles and
pedestrians.
Rapid flow of traffic.
Efficient, free and rapid flow of traffic with least priority given to
accidents.
2. Which of the following roads are congested during peak hours?
Rural roads
Urban roads
Express ways
3. AADTs are used in several traffic and transportation analyses for
Measurement of current demand.
Evaluation of the economic feasibility of highway projects.
Development of parking regulations.
4. K factor represents proportion of AADT occurring during __________
10th peak hour of the year.
50th peak hour of the year.
30th peak hour of the year.
5. The number of trajectories crossing this line is the number of vehicles on the
road at one instant in time which called __________
Density
Flow rate
Speed
Traffic Engineering
Solved Examples Prof. Dr. Zainab Alkaissi
Q2// A volume of 1200 vph is observed at an intersection approach. Find the peak
flow rate within the hour for the following peak –hour factors:
1.00
0.90
0.80
0.70
Plot and comment on the results?
Solution:
𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
𝑃𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑒 =
𝑃𝐻𝐹 2000
1800
1715
Peak Flow Rate veh/hr
For PHF =1.00 1600
1500
1200 1400 1334
Peak Flow Rate = =1200 veh/hr 1200 1200
1.00 1000
For PHF =0.90 800
1200 600
Peak Flow Rate = = veh/hr 400
0.90 200
For PHF =0.80 0
1200 1 0.9 0.8 0.7
Peak Flow Rate = =1500 veh/hr
0.80 PHF
For PHF =0.70
1200
Peak Flow Rate = =1715 veh/hr
0.70
Low values of PHF illustrated that there is significant variation of traffic volume
within the peak hour volume and higher values of PHF means the traffic volume is
approximately equal within peak hour period.
Q3// A freeway detector records an occupancy of 0.26 for a 15-minute period. Of
the detector is 3.4ft long, and the average vehicle has a length of 18ft, what is the
density implied by this measurement.
Solution:
5280 × 𝑂 5280 × 0.26
𝐷= = = 64 𝑣𝑒ℎ/ 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒⁄𝑙𝑛
𝐿𝑣 + 𝐿𝑑 18 + 3.5
Traffic Engineering
Solved Examples Prof. Dr. Zainab Alkaissi
Q4// The following counts were taken on a major arterial during the evening peak
period:
Time Periods Volume
(vehs)
4:00-4:15 PM 450
4:15-4:30 PM 465
4:30-4:45 PM 490
4:45-5:00 PM 500
5:00-5:15 PM 503
5:15-5:30 PM 506
5:30-5:45 PM 460
5:45-6:00 PM 445
From this data, determine:
The peak hour
The peak hour volume
The peak flow rate within the peak hour
The peak hour factor (PHF)
Solution:
The peak hour: 4:30-5:30
The peak hour volume: 1999 veh/hr
506
The peak flow rate within the peak hour = 15 𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 2024 veh/hr
⁄
60 (𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑟)
1999
The peak hour factor = = 0.99
506×4
Traffic Engineering
Solved Examples Prof. Dr. Zainab Alkaissi
Q5// Example: A temporary traffic count station measures traffic volume for seven
days and daily factors as shown in Table (1). The ADT can be calculated as follows.
Day Daily Volume Daily Factors
(veh/day)
Day 1 4,410 0.11
Day 2 5,135 0.12
Day 3 5,270 0.13
Day 4 5,114 0.15
Day 5 5,980 0.16
Day 6 4,295 0.16
Day 7 2,890 0.17
Solution:
Day Daily Volume Daily Factors Weighted Volume
(veh/day)
Day 1 4,410 0.11 4,410 x 0.11 = 490
Day 2 5,135 0.12 5,135 x 0.12 = 614
Day 3 5,270 0.13 5,270 x 0.13 = 676
Day 4 5,114 0.15 5,114 x 0.15 = 743
Day 5 5,980 0.16 5,980 x 0.16 = 971
Day 6 4,295 0.16 4,295 x 0.16 = 697
Day 7 2,890 0.17 2,890 x 0.17 = 494
ADT (sum)= 4,686 (veh/day)
Q6// The projected AADT of a proposed facility is 33,000 veh/day. If the proportion
of AADT in the design hour is 16 percent and the peak-hour directional distribution
is 65:35, estimate the directional design hourly volume DDHV.
Solution:
DDHV = 33,000 × 0.16 × 0.65 = 3,430 vph.
Traffic Engineering
Solved Examples Prof. Dr. Zainab Alkaissi
Q7// Suppose the hourly volume in east- and west-bound directions of a highway
are 1,300 and 2,200 vph during the peak hour, respectively. Note that the west-bound
direction has the higher volume, therefore, it is the peak direction, and estimate the
directional split factor D.
Solution:
The combined volume in both directions is:
1,300 + 2,200 = 3,500 vph
2200
D= = 0.63 = 63%
3500
Q8// If volume on Tuesday May 24, 2016 is 9,200 veh/day, and the monthly and day
of week factors for May and Tuesday are 0.93 and 1.01, respectively, estimate
AADT.
Solution:
AADT = 9,200 * 0.93 * 1.01 = 8,642 veh/day.
