C IV E 315 Transportation Engineering

Past Exam Questions

Descriptive Questions

1- Which parameters are important in selection of a transportation mode?

2- What are important factors in Perception-Reaction Time?

3- What is the difference between AADT and ADT?

4- What are the objectives of accident data collection?

5- Compare the manual method with an alternative technology in highway speed detection.
Explain the advantage and disadvantage of both methods.

6- Sketch the relationship among speed, density, and flow in a traffic stream. Show the jam
traffic situation in graphs and discuss about it.

7- What are advantages and disadvantages of roundabouts for an intersection?

8- What is clearance interval in traffic signal timing? How long it could be and which
parameters are important in determining this time?

9- Write three facts related to three faces, explained in the class, of transportation (The
good, the bad, and the ugly)

10- Explain the planning stage in a transportation project

11- What are the scopes of static, dynamic, and kinematic vehicle studies?

12- Which force, in kinematic vehicle analysis, has a correlation with V 2 (v =speed)?
Explain this correlation.

13- Explain cluster accident study and give an example.

14- What is the difference between space mean speed and time mean speed? Which one is
greater?

15- Show the relationship between k (density), q (flow), and speed in the below charts.

K q K

V V q

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16- In a Greenberg’s Model (Vs=C ´ln kj/k), find the q max.

17- Show a typical Trajectory diagram for a vehicle that stopped 1 hour after 4 hours driving
with a constant speed.

18- List at least five warrants for traffic signal.

19- What is the difference between static and dynamic acuity?

20- Give one example where visual acuity is important in highway design.

21- Sketch the relationship between density and flow in a traffic stream. Show that it is

possible to have the same flow for two densities. Show two velocities corresponding to
these densities and show the difference between two velocities.

22- List at least six warrants for traffic signal.

23- What part of the vehicle resistance to motion increases with the square of speed?

24- List 5 factors important influence the perception-reaction time?

25- What is meant by each of the following terms (explain them):

a) Cluster analysis
b) Clearance interval
c) VMT

26- Circle the letter marking each of the following as true or false in your examination
booklet.
a) In an intersection with low demand, cycle lengths of over 100 seconds are
recommended. T F
b) A spot speed study is valid for traffic and environmental conditions that exist at the
time of the study. T F
c) Using the average of design criteria such as reaction time is adequate in all
conditions. T F

27- List four applications for spot speed studies.

28- Compare the pipeline with truck transportation modes for freight transportation. List at
least three characteristics of each transportation mode.

29- Show the conflicts in a T intersection without traffic signal. Assume a two-phase signal
system is installed at this intersection, with left turn protection, and determine the
possible conflicts after installing this traffic signal. Show the phasing system used.

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30- Show that the stooping shockwave speed (Vw) at an intersection with traffic signal and
an approaching traffic concentration (k) is a function of kj when traffic stops at the red
light and find the shockwave speed based on Kj for this situation.
31- In a flow-density relationship, (q-k diagram), show graphically a positive and negative
shockwave speed and discuss why shockwave speeds are positive and negative in each
case.

32- What is Stopping Sight Distance (SSD)?

33- Graphically, show the rate of discharge (flow) at various times during a green phase and
show the lost times and effective green time.

34- Give three different examples where visual acuity parameters are important in
highway/vehicle design.

35- Define or explain each of the following terms:

a) Rolling resistance
b) Clearance interval
c) PHV

36- List four factors important in determining the amber time.

37- List two peak-hour traffic signal warrants and explain the difference between them.

38- Briefly define sub processes (times) of preception reaction process (time) and what is the
value of preception reaction time recommended by AASHTO?

39- Define and explain the following terms:

a) Cluster analysis
b) Clearance interval
c) VMT and its application
d) PHV

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 Vehicle Characterization

1. A person runs a test on the braking ability of a vehicle on a hill. It was found that it takes
90 more feet to stop the vehicle going downhill than going uphill, when driving at 60
mph. The grade of the highway is 4%. What is the average coefficient of friction
achieved?

(f = 0.32)

2. A driver of a passenger car, not concentrated on the driving task, travels at 50km/h as he
approaches a stop sign. He notices the sign quite late and starts braking when he is only
25 m from the stop line. The road is somewhat slippery (friction coefficient =0.3). Can he
stop before he reaches the potential collision point?

(Needs at least 33 m)

3. An engineering student is driving on a 7% downhill grade roadway and sees a

construction sign 130-m ahead in the middle of the roadway. The student strikes the sign
at a speed of 56-km/h. If the student was traveling at 90-km/h when the sign was first
spotted and coefficient of friction was 0.3, what was the student's associated
perception/reaction time?

(t=1.8 sec.)

4. In an attempt to estimate the speed of a vehicle just before it hit a boulder that had fallen
into the roadway, a traffic engineer measured the length of the skid marks made by the
vehicle and performed trial runs at sites to obtain an estimate of the coefficient of friction.
The site has a 2% downgrade. The following data were obtained:
Length of skid marks=200, 205, 210, 210 meters
Speed of trial run=60 km/h
Distance travel during trial run=130 meters
Examination of the vehicle after the crash indicated that the speed of impact was 45 km/h

Determine the estimated unknown velocity. If the driver had a perception reaction of 2.5
seconds, how far was the driver from the boulder when he saw the boulder?

(F=0.126, V=87 km/h, d=266.25 m)

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 Accident Analysis

5. During the three calendar years 1989, 1990 and 1991, a total of 300 accidents occurred
along the three-mile long section of a highway. During that period, the AADT on that
highway section was 50,000 vehicles. Calculate the following accident rates: 1) RMEV
and 2) RMVM for this section of the road?
(RMEV=5.48 and RMVM=183)

6. Accident studies were conducted at 2 sites on rural roads with similar characteristics.
The first site was 5.1 Km in length with an ADT of 6500. Over the year- study period, 28
collisions occurred on this portion of roadway, 5 of them resulted in fatalities. The
second site was a 10 Km section with an ADT of 5000. There were 32 collisions in this
section with 4 fatalities. Determine the appropriate collision rates (RMVM) for total and
fatal for both locations and discuss about it.
Total (RMVM (1)=231.41 and RMVM (2)=175.34)
Fatality (RMVM (1)=41.3 and RMVM (2)=21.92)

Traffic Flow Characterization

1. The volume-density relationship of traffic on a section of a heavily used road was

estimated to be:
q = 18.2 k (ln 220 - ln k )
where q is in vehicle/hour and k is in vehicle/kilometer. Calculate the maximum density
(K0), maximum flow (qm), and jam density (Kj)?
qm=1470 vph, kj=220 vph

2. Passengers car are arriving at a stop line of a signalized intersection. The density of the
arriving flow is 30pc/km/ln, Kj=150 vpk, and free-flow speed is assumed 50 km/h. If the
Greenshiels model is valid for this traffic situation, calculate the shockwave speeds (Vw)
at stopping and dissipation conditions?
(Vw1=-10 km/h Vw2=-25 km/h)

3. A section of highway has the following flow-density relationship

q = 80k - 0.4k2
What is the capacity (q max) of the highway section, the speed at capacity (V m), and the
density (k) when the highway is at one-quarter of its capacity (q max)?

(qm=4000 vph, k0=100 vpk, V0=40 km/h, k=186.6 and 13.4 vpk)

4. A study of freeway flow at a particular site has resulted in the following speed-density
relationship:
Vs=57.5(1-0.008k)
Assume that the Greenshield Model is valid for this traffic situation.
Find the free-flow speed and jam density
Derive the equations describing flow versus speed and flow versus density

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 Determine the capacity of the site mathematically.
(Vf=57.5 km/h, Kj=125 vpk, qm=1797, q=125V-2.17 V2 and q=57.5k(1-0.008k))\

5. The existing conditions on the roadway was Vs = 40 mph and flow of 1000 vehicles per
hour. A slow moving truck drives along the roadway at 10 mph. The truck enters the
roadway and causes a queue of vehicles to build with a flow of 1200 vehicles per hour.

Show the traffic situation with a q-k diagram.

Find the shockwave velocity at the front and back of the platoon.
Use a trajectory diagram (Time- distance) to show the traffic situation for the truck and
four vehicles behind it.
(Vfront=+10 mph, Vback=2.1 mph)

6. Traffic stream on moving uphill on a mountain grade is at steady state flow with the
following conditions:
Speed=60 km/h, and
Density=25 veh/km
On the grade, a truck drops to a speed of 15 km/h bunching traffic up to 85 veh/km.
When the truck pulls over, traffic accelerate to the maximum flow.
Free flow speed for this road is 100 km/h and Greenshield’s model is valid for the traffic
condition.

Calculate the steady state flow, bottleneck flow, and capacity of this road.
Calculate the shockwave speeds at the front of the truck and at the queue.
Plot the traffic situation before, during, and after shockwave in one density-flow diagram.

(q1=1500 vph, q2=1275 vph, qm=1563 vph, Vw1=-3.75km/h, Vw2=15 km/h)

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 Traffic Signal Timing

1. Consider a three-phase system (one phase for left turn traffic of N-S Street). Critical
traffic volumes are in West and North directions. Assume 3 seconds and 4 ft/sec for
pedestrians’ reaction time and speed respectively.

Width Traffic Volume (vph)

Truck
(ft) Left Through Right %

West 50 120 360 85 5

East 50 80 180 50 5

North 65 170 300 95 15

South 65 150 200 85 15 N

Left turn factor=1.5

PCE for trucks=1.6
(Amber time) = 4 sec.
l (lost time) =3.5 sec
S (saturation flow)=2000 vph
PHF=1

Calculate effective green time for each phase and total cycle time for the intersection below.
Show the traffic movements for each phase.

C0»34 sec. C»35 sec.

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2. Consider a signal at a typical four-leg intersection at which left turns on all four
approaches are protected by left-turn arrows. Assume that opposing left turn movements
operate completely simultaneously. Also assume that each movement sees exactly 60
seconds of red and that there is no all-red indication. How many phases are there at this
intersection? How many cycles are there per hour?
(Four phase, 45 cycles)

3. Calculate total cycle time (C) and effective green time for each phase (Gei) in
intersection below. Show the traffic movements for each phase. There are two lanes in
each direction. Consider a four-phase system (one phase for all movements in each
direction). Assume 3 seconds and 4 ft/sec for pedestrians’ reaction time and speed
respectively.

Traffic Volume (vph)

Truck% Width
Left Through Right (ft)

West 100 360 85 0 50

East 80 180 50 0 50

North 60 300 95 10 60

South 80 200 85 10 60

Left turn factor=1.5

PCE for trucks=1.6
(Amber time) = 4 sec.
L (lost time) =3.5 sec
S (saturation flow)=2000 vphpl
PHF=1

(C»55 sec.)

4. For the intersection shown in the following illustration and using information provided in
the following table, determine an appropriate phases and calculate cycle length, effective
green time per cycle, and the actual green time for each phase. Show the phase diagram
for this intersection.

Left turn factor=1.5

PCE for trucks=1.6
(Amber time) = 4 sec.
l (lost time) =3.5 sec
S (saturation flow)=2000 vph for N-S and 2200 for E-W directions
PHF=0.9

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 40 ft

5. The figure below shows an intersection of a 6-lane road with left and right-turn lanes
(width=27m) and a 4-lane road with no turning lanes (width 12m). Given the parameters
below, determine the proper phases, total cycle length, effective green time for each
phase, and show the phase diagram for this intersection.

Left turn factor=1.5

PCE for trucks=1.6
(Amber time) = 4 sec.
l (lost time) =3.5 sec
S (saturation flow)=2000 vph
PHF=0.95
Passenger car = 90% in all directions and for all movements
Pedestrian walking speed=1.5 m/s
Pedestrian reaction time=1 sec.
(C»60 sec.)