Civil Engineering Department

College of Engineering
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Transportation Engineering I CIV 367
Lecture 2B_ Fundamentals of Traffic Flow
Kwasi Agyeman Boakye ( kwasi.agyeman.boakye@gmail.com)

Shockwaves in Traffic Stream

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Shockwaves describe the phenomenon of backups and queuing on a highway due to a sudden reduction of the capacity of the highway. Traffic Waves.wmv . What other situations lead to a reduction in capacity? The sudden reduction in capacity could be due to accidents, reduction in the number of lanes, restricted bridges sizes, work zones, a signal turning red. Shockwaves often occur as part of Interrupted Traffic flow. At boundary between two traffic states a shock wave exists, moving along the road at speed Csw.

Shockwaves
Forward ,Backward and Stationary
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C12 > 0, Forward moving shockwave; positive shockwave speed moving in direction of traffic C13 > 0, Backward moving shockwave; negative shockwave speed moving in opposite direction.

Backward: discontinuity moves in opposite direction of the moving traffic; forward: discontinuity moves in the same direction of the moving traffic; forming: increase of congested portion over time; recovery: decrease of congested portion over time; frontal: shock wave is at the downstream end of the congested region; rear: shock wave at the upstream end of the congested region; stationary : shock wave remains at the same position in space

Shockwave Diagrams
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Calculation of Shockwaves
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Calculation of Shockwaves
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Question A two-lane single direction section of motorway has a capacity of 2400 veh/h/lane at a speed of 75 km/h.
(a) Derive the form of the Green shields speed density curve and calculate all the relevant parameters for the curve. (b) During a period when traffic is flowing at 1800 veh/h/lane, a vehicle breaks down in one lane reducing the road to single lane moving at full capacity. It takes 20 minutes before the broken-down vehicle is cleared. Afterwards, conditions reverts to full capacity. (i) What is the backwards propagation speed of the shock wave caused by the breakdown? (Hint, to work on a 2-lane flow-density diagram) (ii) What is the maximum distance upstream from the breakdown point where the effects will be felt? (iii) At what time will the motorway be back to normal at the point of breakdown?

Answer

Qmax = 2400veh/h/lane Um = 75km/h (a) Greenshield Equation

Calculation of Shockwaves
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Uf = 2Um = 2x75 = 150km/h

Construct a fundamental q k diagram for 2 lanes State at capacity, qm = 4,800 km/h, Km = 64veh/km

qm = UmKm and Kj = 2Km Kj = 2x qm = 2x2400 = 64 veh/km/lane Um 75 a = Uf = 150 b= Uf/Kj = 2.34

Before the breakdown flow is 3,600 veh/h for the 2 lanes - State 1 During the breakdown flow reduced to 1 lane full capacity 2,400 veh/h State 2
State 1, q1 = 4,800 veh/h State 2, q2= 2,400 veh/h The densities at state 1 and 2 are;

Hence Greenshield Equation

U = 150 2.34K

(b)

Calculation of Shockwaves
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ii) After the breakdown is removed the traffic returns to state 3. Wave speed moves from 2 to 3.
Csw23 = q2 q3 = 2400 4800 = -53 km/h k2 k3 109.3 - 64

And then moves from 3 to 1 again.

Csw13 = q3 q1 = 4800 3600 = 37.5 km/hr k3 k1 64 - 32

Shockwave from State 1 to State 2

Csw12 = q1 q2 = 3600 2400 = -15.5 km/hr k1 k2 32 - 109.3

dmax = Csw12x(20 + t) = Csw23xt

Calculation of Shockwaves
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15.5 (1/3+t) = 53t t = 0.137hr = 8.3min

Hence Maximum Distance, dmax = Csw23xt = 53x0.137 = 7.26km ii) Motorway returns to normal when the shock wave from 3 to 1 has travelled forward to meet the start of the breakdown at (1), i.e. time when return to normal is: = 20min + 8.3min + dmax/Csw31x60 = 20 + 8.3 + 7.3x60/37.5 = 20+8.3+11.73 = 40min.

Question A road consists of 4 lanes, 2 in each direction. The maximum capacity of 2 lanes in one direction is 2000 veh/h. When vehicles are stationary in a jamming condition, the average length occupied by a vehicle is 6.25m. During a period of observation, the actual volume of traffic in one direction is steady at the rate of 1200 veh/h. This flow is brought to a halt when a traffic signal turns red and a queue forms.
Find the time in seconds which elapses from the moment the signal turns red until the stationary queue reaches another intersection 75m from the signal. Assume a linear relationship between speed and concentration. Ans 58.7 sec

Queue Theory
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Queues have an effect on traffic flow and capacity. Their study is very important to the traffic engineer , especially in congestion situations. Queue theory deals with the use of mathematical algorithms to describe the processes that result in the formation of queues, so that a detailed analysis of the effects of queues can be undertaken. A queue is formed when arrivals wait for a service or an opportunity, such as the arrival of an accepted gap in a main traffic stream, the collection of tolls at a toll booth or of parking fees at a parking garage, signalised intersections, bottlenecks etc For proper analysis the following characteristics have to be considered; Arrival Distribution Service Method Characteristics of the Queue Length Service Distribution Number of channels Oversaturated and Undersaturated Queues

Queue Characteristics
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Arrival Distribution Arrivals can be described as either a deterministic distribution or a random distribution. Poisson distribution which typifies a combination of both is often used to describe light-to-medium traffic. It is generally used in queuing theory.

0.25

0.20

Probability of Occurance

0.15

0.10

0.05

0.00 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Arrivals in 15 minutes

Queue Characteristics
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Service Method First come first served ( first in first out)/ FIFO eg. Toll booth, signal Last in first served ( Last in first out)/ LIFO, boarding and exiting a bus, A system of priority eg. Giving priority to buses. No regular system of priority eg. A telephone operator Characteristics of the Queue Length Finite Queue: Maximum number of units in the queue is specified eg. Where the waiting area is limited. Between short distance signalised stops. Infinite Queue; maximum number of units in the queue is limitless. Service Distribution Can be considered as random. The poisson and negative exponential distribution is often used. Number of Channels The number of waiting lines. Could be a single channel or a multiple channel. Oversaturated and Undersaturated Queues Oversaturated has arrival rate greater than service rate. Length of queue does not reach a study state but continues to increase. Undersaturated has arrival less than the service rate. Also length of queue may vary but will reach a steady state with the arrival of units.

Single-Channel, Undersaturated, Infinite Queues A typical queue

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Assume the rate of arrival is q veh/h and the service rate is Q veh/h. Also assume that both the rate of arrivals and the rate of service are random, the following relationships can be developed.

Rate of arrival

q
Queue Service area

1. Traffic Intensity, 2. Probability of n units in the system , P(n)

System

Where n is the number of units in the system, including the unit being served

Single-Channel, Undersaturated, Infinite Queues A typical queue

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3. The expected number of units in the system, E(n)

4. The expected number of units waiting to be served (thus, the mean queue length) in the system, E(m)

Note that E(m) is not exactly equal to E(n) -1, the reason being that there is a definite probability of zero units being in the system, P(0). 5. Average waiting time in the queue, E(w)

6. Average waiting time on arrival, including queue and service, E(v)

Single-Channel, Undersaturated, Infinite Queues Calculations

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Qn. On a given day, 425 veh/h arrive at a tollbooth located at the end of an off-ramp of a rural expressway. If the vehicles can be serviced by only a single channel at the service rate of 625veh/h determine a) The percentage of time the operator of the tollbooth will be free b) The average number of vehicles in the system c) The average waiting time for the vehicles that wait (Assume Poisson arrival and negative exponential service rate) Solution q=435veh/h
a)

Probability that zero units are in the system P(0);

P(0) = 1 q = 1 425 = 0.32 Q 625 Hence the operator will be free 32 percent of the time. b) Average number of vehicles in the system

E(n) =
Q = 625veh/h

425 =2 625 425

For the operator to be free, the number of vehicles in the system must be zero;

c) Average waiting time for the vehicles that wait;

Hence using the following equation

E(v) = 1 = 0.005hr 625 425

Single-Channel, Undersaturated, Infinite Queues Calculations

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The toll booth at Pokuase in Accra can handle 120 veh/h, the time to process a vehicle being expontentially distributed. The flow is 90veh/h with a Poissonian arrival pattern. Determine: i) The average number of vehicles in the system ii) The length of the queue iii) The average time spent by vehicles in the system iv) The average time spent by vehicles in the queue Ans. i)3 ii) 2.25 iii)120sec iv)90sec