Transportation Engineering

CVE 346

Civil Engineering in Transportation

Physical work including design,
construction, maintenance Systems engineering
Planning, demand analysis, capacity and operating analysis, design of traffic control and strategies

Transportation Engineering
Application of technological and scientific
principles to the planning, functional design, operation, and management of facilities for any mode of transportation in order to provide for the safe, rapid, comfortable, convenient, economical, and environmentally compatible movement of people and goods.

Major Act Shaping Americas Tranx System

Federal Aid Highway Act (FAHA), 1956
of Interstate and Defense Highways Creation of Highway Trust Fund

Authorization and appropriation of National System

Series of road-user taxes to provide revenue Taxes on motor fuels, vehicle purchases, motor oil, federal fuel tax

Interstate System

The Transportation System

Facilities Fleets Operating Bases Organizations Operating Strategies

Facilities
Streets, Roads, Highways Railroads Airports Pipelines, Canals

Fleets (& engineers concerns)

Automobiles, heavy goods vehicles Ships Trains Buses Aircraft

Transit
Buses, Streetcars,
light rail, heavy rail, commuter rail, etc

Air Transportation
Commercial Airlines,
airfreight carriers, and general aviation Airport multiple types of transportation services (airside and landside)

Rail
Private railroad

companies AMTRAK Primary market is intercity freightmostly bulk cargo

Water Transportation
26,000 miles of

navigable waterways in US Typically barges, towboats on inland waterways Large freighters, tankers at coastal ports

Operating Strategies
Vehicle Routing Scheduling Traffic Control

Organizations
United States Department of
Transportation
Secretary FHWA FTA FRA FAA MARAD Coast Guard

Highways
3.9 million miles including the Interstate
System and the National Highway System

Transportation System & Challenges

Traffic Congestion
What is it? Simply when demand meets
supply To curb it or mitigate it
Travel demand techniques System supply techniques

Tranx System
Travel demand on the system is increasing
and producing lower speeds, higher lane density, and higher numbers of vehicles during peak hour(s)

Traveling Tendencies
Driving Alone
Average vehicle occupancy (persons per vehicle) been on steady decline Approximately 2% of all work trips made are taken by public transit

Smarter Use of Signals

Actuated Signal Control Adaptive Signal Control Signal Coordination/Progression Yellow Light triggers (Dilemma Zone
reduction) Ramp Meters

Yellow Signal and the Dilemma

Inductive Loop Detectors (ILD)

Ramp Metering

Traffic Safety
Most critical issue for designers and
operators of the system
supply demand

Transportation System Security

Bridges, Tunnels Vehicles General Facilities (ports, terminals,
stations, etc) General Monitoring

Sustainability in Transportation
Strategies to meet current needs without
denial of needed resources to future Energy Issues Environmental Issues Technology Issues

Impacts to Transportation
Means the following for transportation
system
Clean and quiet Efficient Doesnt contribute to pollution and global warming Uses nonrenewable resources wisely Contributes positively to nations economy

ITS Definition
The application of advanced sensor,
computer, electronics, and communication technologies and management strategies-in an integrated manner--to increase the safety and efficiency of the surface transportation system.

Structure of the US National ITS Architecture

ITS Components
Communications Backbone (radio, fiber optic network,

microwave) Traffic cameras Traffic detectors Variable message signs (VMS) Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) Traffic Management Centers (TMC) Closed loop traffic signal control

Cam View at RTE 1 and RTE 138