TOPIC 1.

0
INTRODUCTION TO
HIGHWAY AND TRAFFIC
ENGINEERING

1
Topic Outlines
1.1 Highway & Traffic Engineering And Its Scope

1.2 Characteristics Of Drivers/Pedestrian/Vehicles,

Road Interrelationship And Ergonomics In Highway
Design.

1.3 Development Of Highways And Street System In

Malaysia.

1.4 Emerging Issues And Trends In Highway & Traffic

Engineering

1.5 Feasibility Studies And Route Location 2

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the topic, students should be
able to:
 Explain the characteristics of drivers/pedestrian/
vehicles and their interrelationship. (CO2-PO1)
 List and describe type of highway within road network
system. (CO2-PO1)
 Explain the process of highway planning and factors
considered in route location. (CO3-PO1)

3
 TOPIC 1.1
Highway and Traffic
Engineering and Its
Scope

4
Highway Engineering
Definition: Highway engineering is the process of
design and construction of efficient and safe highways
and roads. This requires detailed drawings with complete
designs for drainage systems, pavement foundations,

Scope:
- Pavement structural design, construction & maintenance.
- Materials
- Rehabilitation
- Geometric design

5
Traffic Engineering
Definition: Traffic Engineering is that phase of
engineering which deals with the planning, and traffic
operations of roads, streets and highways, their networks,
terminals, abutting lands and relationships with other modes
of transportation for the achievement of safe, efficient, and
convenient movement of persons and goods.

Objective to study traffic engineering:

- To provide a high level of service (minimize travel times
and delays).
- To provide a high level of safety
6
Traffic Engineering (cont….)
Scope:
 Traffic characteristic
 Traffic studies and analysis (i.e: flow, speed, density)
 Traffic operations (i.e: controls and regulations)
 Planning and analysis (i.e: queuing, traffic signal,
intersection)
 Transportation system
 Administration and management (i.e: parking, tolling)
 Research

7
Transportation Engineering
Transportation:
 Activities of mankind of moving people and
goods with purposeful meaning (eg. Public buses
system, train system…)
 Relates with mobility and accessibility ….

Mode of Transportation…
 Land (road, rail, walking)
 Water (canal, river, sea)
 Air
 Pipeline
8
Transportation Engineering (cont..)
Importance
 Social – Connection between people, provide
work opportunity.
 Economics - Bridges consumer-producer gaps,
multiplier effects.
 Administrative – Good & high quality of system
 Safety – Proper service with less risk related to
accidents, fatalities.
Goals
 Access to locations,
 Reasonable travel time,
 Low cost (cost-effective)
9
 TOPIC 1.2
Characteristics Of
Drivers/Pedestrian/
Vehicles/Road and Their
Interrelationship

10
Characteristics
1) Human (Drivers/Pedestrian)
- Physical, mental, psychological, comfort,
convenience, enjoyment, stress, perception,
sensation, visual.

2) Vehicle
- Static and dynamic, dimension, speed, power, weight

3) Road
- Geometric design, lane capacity, alignment, control
measures at lane, gradient, traffic control system

11
Characteristics and Behaviour of Driver

Characteristics and behaviour of a driver are

influenced by three factors:
i. Physical
ii. Environment
iii. Psychology

12
Characteristic and Behaviour of Driver
i. Physical Factor
Two main factors considered are:
a) Perception–Reaction Time
It is a combination of four consecutive tasks:
- Perception
- Identification
- Emotion
- Volition
Perception-Reaction time of a driver varies and is
influenced by factors such as:
Age, fatigue, complexity of a situation, drivers physical
characteristics, alcohol or drugs, etc.

Average time: 0.5 – 3.0 seconds

b) Cone of vision 13
Characteristic and Behaviour of Driver (cont..)
ii. Environmental Factor
These include:

• Weather & lighting

- Rainy days will affect drivers capability of driving.
- Slippery road due to raining.
- Improper road lighting during night

• Traffic volumes
- High number of cars resulting to traffic congestion

• Road geometry
- Curvy road

14
Characteristic and Behaviour of Driver (cont..)

ii. Psychological Factor

• Motive of the journey

- Destination, travel time, distance.

• Emotion
- Happy, stressful, relax.

15
Inter-relationship

ROAD HUMAN

VEHICLE
16
 TOPIC 1.3
Development of Highways
and Street System In
Malaysia

17
Road Classification
Based on location & function
 Location
- Urban
- Rural

 Function
- National
- Regional
- State
- City Network
18
Road Hierarchy
Hierarchy classification by mix access and
mobility function:
 Highway: Interstate national network and complements
the express network.
 Freeway or expressway : A divided highway for
through traffic with full control of access and with grade-
separated interchange.
 Primary roads: Major roads forming the basic road
network system within a state.
 Secondary roads: Major roads forming basic road
network system within a district.

 Minor roads: Other than those above in the rural areas. 19

Road Hierarchy (cont….)
 Arterial roads: A continuous road with partial
access control for through traffic within urban areas.

 Collector: Serve as collector or distributor of traffic

between arterial and local road system.

 Local street: Basic road network within a

neighborhood and offer direct access to abutting land

20
21
Authorities & Service Provider
 Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia (LLM)
 Jabatan Kerja Raya Malaysia (JKR)
 Malaysia Institute of Road Safety (MIROS)
 Local Authorities
 PLUS
 LITRAK
 PROPEL (maintenance)

22
 TOPIC 1.4
Emerging Issues and
Trends in Highway &
Traffic Engineering

23
General
 Accidents
 Reduction or increment in fatalities
 Traffic congestion
 Budget or cost
 Rules and regulations
 New technologies
 Carpool

24
Malaysia Scenario
 High statistic of accidents
 High number of fatalities
 Traffic congestion
 Users’ safety; Backseat belt
 Poor construction and maintenance
 Controls, rules and regulations
 Poor service; Public transport system

25
Transportation & Highway Safety
Factors involved in transportation crashes can
be classified into 4 categories:
 The Driver – Performance and attitude of driver.
 The Vehicle – Mechanical condition failure, poor
service and maintenance.
 The Roadway – Condition and quality in term of
geometric design, structural design, traffic signal and
signboards.
 The Environment – Physical and climatic environment,
the weather.

26
Highway Safety Improvement Program
 Collecting and Maintaining Data
- Crash data, fatalities, injuries.
 Identifying Hazardous Location and Element
- Based on the crash frequencies calculated and evaluated
by comparing with other similar location or conditions.
 Conducting Engineering Studies
- Perform detailed engineering study to identify safety
problem. Countermeasures are determined.
 Establishing Project Priorities
- Evaluate the economic feasibility of each countermeasures
and determine the best alternative among countermeasure.
27
 TOPIC 1.5
Feasibility Studies &
Route Location

28
Highway Planning & Design
Involves:
 Project Identification
 Approval and Budget
 Feasibility Study
 Category of Road Design Std, Level of Service
 Route Location (maps)
 Primary Ground Survey
 Detailed Engineering Design Report & Costing
 Tendering
 Construction 29
30
Feasibility Studies
 Traffic Census
- Obtain data on traffic census and growth rate and
a study on accident prone area from HPU.
 Capacity
- A relationship between road capacity and the number of
lanes, lane width characteristics and LOS.
 Class of Road
- Can be determined from JKR Manual on Geometric
Design
 Route location
- Propose route location
31
Feasibility Studies (cont…)
 EIA
- Evaluation on the effect of the project
implementation towards the environment.
 Soil investigation
 Structures
 Cost estimation
 Economic evaluation
 Finalizing the route

32
33
34
35
Route Location

Is determined through:
 Topography sheet
 Aerial photographs
 Existing and future development plans from town
planning department
 Revenue sheet
 Design or as-built plan in the case of road
improvement

36
Route Location (cont…)

Factors considered in route location:

 Ground terrain; preferably on flat area
 Waterways; avoid crossing waterways, required
other structure, i.e bridge
 Existing properties; avoid relocation of properties
and social impact.
 Subsoil conditions; soft-soil condition to be avoided
 Estimated length of road (km); longer, higher cost
 Keep grades and curvature to minimum.

37
Highway Location in Urban Areas
In addition to factors discussed, highway
in urban area have the other significant factor
to be considered:
 Connection to local street
 Right-of-way acquisition
 Coordination of the highway system with other
transportation system
 Adequate provision for pedestrians

38