CIVIL 761 : Planning and Design of Transport Facilities
Engineering
2020 Semester One (1203) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
This course is largely focused towards planning, design and management of roads and streets and is therefore useful for those wishing to make a career in traffic engineering. The topics covered in this course includes but not limited to the following:
Transport Model
- Classifications of transport models and software and their applications
- Transport demand and supply characteristics
- Traffic flow measurements,
- Traffic stream models
Transport Problems
- Road safety issues
- Traffic congestion
- GHG emission and air pollution
- Present and future land transport needs
- Prospective solutions to transport problems
Transport Planning Process
- Information needed for transportation planning,
- classical four-step demand forecasting model
Stochastic Nature of Traffic
- Statistical distribution models (discrete and continuous distributions, Binomial distribution, Poisson distribution, Exponential distribution, Shifted negative exponential distribution, Gaussian distribution, log-normal distribution)
- Distribution of time headway, human reaction time and spot speed
Priority Control Intersections
- Importance of intersection capacity
- Delay experienced by minor approach traffic/pedestrians and probability of delay
- Absorption capacity of major flow and effects of mixed traffic on minor approaches
Traffic Signal Design and Operations
- Advantages and disadvantages of traffic signals
- Objectives of traffic signal design
- Safety at traffic signals
- Signal design elements (hardware, locations of signal aspects, shared vs exclusive lanes, left-turn/right-turn movements, swept paths, design for pedestrians and cyclists)
- Types of signal operation
- Actuated signal controller (SCATS, signal coordination)
- Principles of traffic signal design
- Performance measures
- Webster delay model
- Safety vs efficiency at intersections
- Amber time and dilemma zone
- Critical flow ratio method (NZS 5431) and through car unit
- Amalgamation technique for shared lanes
- Critical movement time method (ARR 123)
- Level of service analysis for signalized intersection
Traffic Simulation Models
- Classification based on level of details (macroscopic, microscopic and mesoscopic models )
- Microscopic approach (Components of micro-simulation packages, car-following dynamics, historical review of car-following models, stimulus-response concept, development of GM model, drawback of GM model, Wiedemann model, and stability of traffic flow )
- Macroscopic approach (Continuity equation, shock wave theory, queuing theory, deterministic/stochastic queuing, fundamental concept of macroscopic simulation, historical development, LWR model, Payne model, criticism of high order model, cell transmission model )
Intelligent Transportation Systems
- Benefits of ITS
- Sensors for traffic detection
- Data capture environment and ITS architecture
- Functional areas (Examples of Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS), Advanced Traveller Information Systems (ATIS), Advanced Vehicle Control and Safety Systems (AVCSS), Commercial Vehicle Operations (CVO), and Advanced Public Transportation Systems (APTS))
- Active traffic management (ramp metering, variable speed limits, adaptive traffic control system, electronic toll collection, emergency vehicle notification systems, automatic road enforcement, hot lanes, parking management)
- Autonomous/electric vehicles
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 2: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 3: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 4: | Communication and Engagement |
| Capability 5: | Independence and Integrity |
| Capability 6: | Social and Environmental Responsibilities |
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse transport problems and apply appropriate transport models to help making an informed decision (Capability 1, 3 and 6)
- Demonstrate a sound understanding of transport planning processes and legislative framework requirements (Capability 1 and 4)
- Analyse field data to model traffic flow variables such as headway, human reaction time, spot speed based on typical statistical distribution functions (Capability 1 and 3)
- Analyse traffic operations at priority controlled intersections including delay to minor traffic flow to investigate any improvement works needed or not (Capability 1 and 3)
- Collect data from a signalized intersection, model and analyse traffic operations using AIMSUN software and comment on its operational efficiency and safety (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
- Identify and describe appropriateness of different modelling tools for transport projects (Capability 1 and 3)
- Describe role of emerging technologies to solve transport problems (Capability 1, 2, 3 and 6)
- Conduct a literature review on a selected research topic (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Project | 35% | Group & Individual Coursework |
| Research | 10% | Individual Coursework |
| Test | 15% | Individual Test |
| Final Exam | 40% | Individual Examination |
| 4 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||
| Project | ||||||||||
| Research | ||||||||||
| Test | ||||||||||
| Final Exam | ||||||||||
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.
This course will run in a block mode that include two times 3 days of 6 hours lecturing per day. For this course, you can expect 24 hours of lectures, 10 hours of tutorials, 30 hours of working through practice problems, reading and thinking about the course content and 56 hours of work on the project, research and/or test preparation.
Learning Resources
There is no prescribed text book for this course. Hard copies of all lecture notes will be distributed for free in the class. Pdf version of lecture notes will be available on CANVAS.
Digital Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.