Principles of Transportation Engineering

Learning Module Series

Unit 2: Traffic Stream Models & Traffic Flow Fundamentals
Lesson 1: Types of Flow, Major Traffic Variables

Traffic Flow Fundamentals

Traffic engineering pertains to the analysis of the behavior of traffic and to design the
facilities for a smooth, safe and economical operation of traffic. Traffic flow, like the flow of
water, has several parameters associated with it. The traffic stream parameters provide
information regarding the nature of traffic flow, which helps the analyst in detecting any
variation in flow characteristics. Understanding traffic behavior requires a thorough
knowledge of traffic stream parameters and their mutual relationships. In this chapter the
basic concepts of traffic flow is presented.

 Types of Flow
Traffic flow is usually classified as either uninterrupted or interrupted. Flow
occurring at long sections of road where vehicles are not required to stop by any cause
external to the traffic stream is called uninterrupted flows. While interrupted
flow occurs at intersections or driveways where vehicles are required to stop by any
cause outside the traffic stream--such as traffic signs, signal lights, etc.
 Major Traffic Variables
Uninterrupted flow can be described using any of the following traffic variables:

 Flow Rate or Volume (q)

The number of vehicles passing a point during a specified period of time.
(volume measured over an hour)

𝑁
𝑞=
𝑡

Where:
q = flow rate in veh/hr
N = number of vehicles passing a specified point in time
t = observation period, hour

Variations of Volume

The variation of volume with time, i.e. month to month, day to day, hour to
hour and within a hour is also as important as volume calculation. Volume
variations can also be observed from season to season. Volume will be above
average in a pleasant motoring month of summer, but will be more
pronounced in rural than in urban area. But this is the most consistent of all
the variations and affects the traffic stream characteristics the least.

Weekdays, Saturdays and Sundays will also face difference in pattern. But
comparing day with day, patterns for routes of a similar nature often show a
marked similarity, which is useful in enabling predictions to be made.
 Principles of Transportation Engineering
Learning Module Series
Unit 2: Traffic Stream Models & Traffic Flow Fundamentals
Lesson 1: Types of Flow, Major Traffic Variables

The most significant variation is from hour to hour. The peak hour observed
during mornings and evenings of weekdays, which is usually 8 to 10 per cent
of total daily flow or 2 to 3 times the average hourly volume. These trips are
mainly the work trips, which are relatively stable with time and more or less
constant from day to day.

Types of volume measurements

Since there is considerable variation in the volume of traffic, several types of

measurements of volume are commonly adopted which will average these
variations into a single volume count to be used in many design purposes.

Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT): The average 24-hour traffic

volume at a given location over a full 365-day year, i.e. the total number of
vehicles passing the site in a year divided by 365.
Average Annual Weekday Traffic (AAWT): The average 24-hour traffic
volume occurring on weekdays over a full year. It is computed by dividing the
total weekday traffic volume for the year by 260.
Average Daily Traffic (ADT): An average 24-hour traffic volume at a given
location for some period of time less than a year. It may be measured for six
months, a season, a month, a week, or as little as two days. An ADT is a valid
number only for the period over which it was measured.
Average Weekday Traffic (AWT): An average 24-hour traffic volume
occurring on weekdays for some period of time less than one year, such as for
a month or a season.

The relationship between AAWT and AWT is analogous to that between AADT
and ADT. Volume in general is measured using different ways like manual
counting, detector/sensor counting, moving-car observer method, etc. Mainly
the volume study establishes the importance of a particular route with respect
to the other routes, the distribution of traffic on road, and the fluctuations in
flow. All which eventually determines the design of a highway and the related
facilities. Thus, volume is treated as the most important of all the parameters
of traffic stream.

 Speed (𝝁𝒔 )
Defined as rate of motion in distance per unit time. Speed of different vehicles
will vary with respect to time and space. To represent these variation, several
types of speed can be defined. Important among them are spot speed, running
speed, journey speed, time mean speed and space mean speed.

Spot Speed
Spot speed is the instantaneous speed of a vehicle at a specified location. Spot
speed can be used to design the geometry of road like horizontal and vertical
curves, super elevation etc. Location and size of signs, design of signals, safe
 Principles of Transportation Engineering
Learning Module Series
Unit 2: Traffic Stream Models & Traffic Flow Fundamentals
Lesson 1: Types of Flow, Major Traffic Variables

speed, and speed zone determination, require the spot speed data. Accident
analysis, road maintenance, and congestion are the modern fields of traffic
engineer, which uses spot speed data as the basic input. Spot speed can be
measured using an enoscope, pressure contact tubes or direct timing
procedure or radar speedometer or by time-lapse photographic methods. It
can be determined by speeds extracted from video images by recording the
distance travelling by all vehicles between a particular pair of frames.

Running speed
Running speed is the average speed maintained over a particular course while
the vehicle is moving and is found by dividing the length of the course by the
time duration the vehicle was in motion. i.e. this speed doesn’t consider the
time during which the vehicle is brought to a stop, or has to wait till it has a
clear road ahead. The running speed will always be more than or equal to the
journey speed, as delays are not considered in calculating the running speed

Journey speed
Journey speed is the effective speed of the vehicle on a journey between two
points and is the distance between the two points divided by the total time
taken for the vehicle to complete the journey including any stopped time. If
the journey speed is less than running speed, it indicates that the journey
follows a stop-go condition with enforced acceleration and deceleration. The
spot speed here may vary from zero to some maximum in excess of the
running speed. A uniformity between journey and running speeds denotes
comfortable travel conditions.

Time mean speed and space mean speed

Time mean speed is defined as the average speed of all the vehicles passing a
point on a highway over some specified time period. Space mean speed is
defined as the average speed of all the vehicles occupying a given section of a
highway over some specified time period. Both mean speeds will always be
different from each other except in the unlikely event that all vehicles are
traveling at the same speed. Time mean speed is a point measurement while
space mean speed is a measure relating to length of highway or lane, i.e. the
mean speed of vehicles over a period of time at a point in space is time mean
speed and the mean speed over a space at a given instant is the space mean
speed.

 Density (k)
Density is defined as the number of vehicles occupying a given length of
highway or lane and is generally expressed as vehicles per km.

𝑛
𝑘=
𝐿
 Principles of Transportation Engineering
Learning Module Series
Unit 2: Traffic Stream Models & Traffic Flow Fundamentals
Lesson 1: Types of Flow, Major Traffic Variables

 Other Traffic Variables

From the fundamental traffic flow characteristics like flow, density, and speed, a few
other parameters of traffic flow can be derived. Significant among them are the time
headway, distance headway and travel time.

 Time headway
The microscopic character related to volume is the time headway or simply
headway. Time headway is defined as the time difference between any two
successive vehicles when they cross a given point. Practically, it involves the
measurement of time between the passage of one rear bumper and the next
past a given point.

∑𝑁−1
𝑖=1 ℎ𝑖
ℎ𝑖 =
𝑁−1

where:
hi= time headway of two consecutive vehicles
N= number of vehicles counted to pass a given point
T = observation time
(note: if there are N vehicles observed, then there will be N-1 headways that
will be measured)

1
ℎ𝑡 =
𝑞

 Spacing/Distance headway
Another related parameter is the distance headway. It is defined as the
distance between corresponding points of two successive vehicles at any given
time. It involves the measurement from a photograph, the distance from rear
bumper of lead vehicle to rear bumper of following vehicle at a point of time.

1
𝑠=
𝑘

 Travel time/Time Occupancy

Travel time is defined as the time taken to complete a journey. As the speed
increases, travel time required to reach the destination also decreases and
vice-versa. Thus travel time is inversely proportional to the speed. However,
in practice, the speed of a vehicle fluctuates over time and the travel time
represents an average measure.
 Principles of Transportation Engineering
Learning Module Series
Unit 2: Traffic Stream Models & Traffic Flow Fundamentals
Lesson 1: Types of Flow, Major Traffic Variables

 Sample Problems:

1. Let us suppose a 15-mimute count of vehicles bound for Manila was conducted at a
particular location on Quezon Avenue. A summary is shown below:

Type 15 minute count

Car/Van 420

Jeepney 300

Bus 16

Truck 28

Estimate the flow rate in vehicles per hour.

2. The speeds of 25 cars were observed. 10 cars were noted to travel at 35 kph, 8 cars at
40 kph, 2 cars at 50 kph, and 5 cars at 45 kph. Assuming that each car was traveling
at constant speed, determine:
a. time mean speed
b. space mean speed
3. Five cars are travelling at constant speeds 24, 31, 28, 35, 19 kph, respectively, in a
uniform section of highway 4 km long. Determine the time mean and space mean
speeds.