Traffic Engineering

CE 367T - SPRING 2016 (15575)

TRAFFIC ENGINEERING

Instructor:Dr. Randy Machemehl

Office:ECJ 6.908

Phone:471-4541

E-mail:

Office Hours:MW, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m., other times by appointment

Teaching Assistant:______

Office: TBA

E-mail:______

Office Hours:TBA

Lecture:TTH 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m., ECJ 7.208

Textbook:Traffic Engineering, Fourth Edition, by Roess, Prassas, and McShane, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2011

ISBN-10: 0-13-613573-0

Course Supplement: Class Notes Available atJenn’s Copies at Dean Keeton & Guadalupe and electronically on Canvas at (Optional)

Prerequisites: CE 321 (Transportation Systems) or consent of instructor

Academic/Learning Goal for CE 367T:

The goal for CE 367T is to be able to characterize traffic flow on arterial streets as well as freeways, including the roles of traffic control devices for interrupted as well as non-interrupted flow regimes. This goal includes being able to identify reasons for flow restrictions (bottlenecks) and design cost effective bottleneck solutions.

Homework:

Homework problems are normally due the next class meeting after assigned. All problems must be handed in at the beginning of the period in which they are due. After this time, they are considered late; however, all assigned problems must be handed in before the final exam or the instructor will consider the student's work incomplete and will award grades accordingly.

Attendance:

Attendance at all scheduled class meetings is mandatory. A sign up sheet will be circulated each class period.

Testing and Examination Policy:

Make-up exams will NOT generally be given. If a student is absent from a scheduled exam due to medical or other problems beyond his/her control, the instructor may increase the grade percentage for the other exams, thus avoiding a grade of zero for a scheduled exam. The exam schedule is as follows:

Midterm Exam / Tuesday / 8 March 2016
Final Exam / Tuesday
17 May 2016,
9:00 am -12:00noon / 17 May 2016

Grading Policy:

Grades will be based on the following:

ITEM / DATE / PERCENTAGE
Mid-term Exam / Tuesday, 8 March 2016 / 35
Homework (6 - 9 problems) / 15
Project: - Oral Portion / 3 and 5 May 2016 / 5
Project: - Written Portion / 10
Final Exam / Friday
17 May 2016, 9:00-12:00 noon / 35
Total Points / 100

The plus/minus (+/-) grading system will be used in the final course grade calculation.

Team Project Summary:

Class participants will be members of teams that will conduct traffic analyses of eleven intersections along Guadalupe Street from its intersection with Cesar Chavez Street northward to its intersection with 11th Street (See Google map below). Each team will be responsible for collecting its own data, performing appropriate analyses, developing simulation models for trial and error solution testing and making recommendations. The approximate schedule for this activity is as follows:

Phase 1. Data collection, complete by 4 February, Tech Memo 1 due

Phase 2. Analyses, complete by 25 February, Tech Memo 2 due

Phase 3. Simulation modeling, complete by 24 March, Tech Memo 3 due

Phase 4. Recommendations development, complete by21 April, Tech Memo 4 due

A Technical Memorandum will be due describing work by each team for each phase on the specified completion date. Each team will make a presentation to the class describing their work on Tuesday, 3 Mayor Thursday, 5 May.

Course Instructor Evaluation Plan:

The UT Course-Instructor Survey will be used as the basic evaluation tool. All students are encouraged to submit written comments during this survey. The survey will be handed out for completion on the last day of class.

Important Dates:

January 18, 2016 / Monday / Martin Luther King Day (university holiday)
January 22, 2016 / Wednesday / Last day of the official add/drop period; after this date, changes in registration require the approval of the chairman and usually the student's dean.
February 3, 2016 / Wednesday / Twelfth class day. Last day to drop a course for a possible refund.
April 4, 2016 / Monday / Last day an undergraduate student may, with the dean's approval, withdraw from the University or drop a course except for urgent and substantiated, nonacademic reasons.
March 14-19, 2016 / Mon-Sat / Spring Break.
May 6, 2016 / Friday / Last class day.
May 17, 2016 / Friday / CE 367T Final Exam, 9:00-12:00 noon

NOTE:

The University of Texas at Austin provides, upon request, appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 471-6259 (voice) or 232-2937 (video phone) or

Web-based, password-protected class sites will be associated with all academic courses taught at The University. Syllabi, handouts, assignments and other resources are types of information that may be available within these sites. Site activities could include exchanging email, engaging in class discussions and chats, and exchanging files. In addition, electronic class rosters will be a component of the sites. Students who do not want their names included in these electronic class rosters must restrict their directory information in the Office of the Registrar, Main Building, Room 1. For information on restricting directory information, see the Undergraduate Catalog or go to:

College of Engineering Drop Policy:

Undergraduate Students: From the 1st through the 4th class day, an undergraduate student can drop or add a course via the web. From the 5th through the 12th class day, a student can drop via the web; adds must be done in the department offering the course. For any drops beginning with the 13th class day, a student must initiate the drop process in the office of the Dean (ECJ 2.200). Departmental advisor and instructor approval may be required.

Graduate Students:From the 1st through the 4th class day, graduate students can drop a course via the web. Beginning with the 5th class day, graduate students must initiate any adds or drops in their department. Graduate students can drop or add a class until the last class day with permission from the departmental Graduate Advisor and the Dean. Graduate students with GRA/TA/Grader positions or with Fellowships may not drop below 9 hours in a long session.

University Scholastic Dishonesty Policy:

Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and/or dismissal from the University. Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the integrity of the University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced. For further information, visit the Student Judicial Services website:

Accommodations for Religious Holidays:

By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holiday. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holiday, you will be given an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.

CE 367T Topics and Text Reading Assignments – Spring 2016

Lecture / Date / Topics / Text Reference Pages
1 / 19 Jan / Introduction
Road User Characteristics / 1-15
17-26
2 / 21 Jan / Vehicle Characteristics / 27-36
3 / 26Jan / Roadway Characteristics
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control DevicesTraffic Laws / 38-70
MUTCD online
Notes
4 / 28 Jan / Single Intersection Traffic Control Concepts. Characterizing Traffic Flow / 131-156
5 / 2 Feb / Professional Engineering Ethics Overview and Intro to Queuing Models / Notes
6 / 4 Feb / Signal Timing. Isolated Fixed Time Signals. Tech Memo #1 Due. / 445-537
7 / 9 Feb / Signal timing, Cycle Length Estimation / Notes
8 / 11 Feb / Left Turn Signal Phasing / Notes
9 / 16 Feb / Intersection Micro-simulation / Notes
10 / 18 Feb / Micro-Simulation. Reliability / Notes
11 / 23 Feb / Signal Timing. Actuated Signals / 565-582
12 / 25 Feb / Vehicle Detection.Tech Memo #2 Due. / Notes
13 / 1 Mar / Signalized Intersection Capacity Analysis / 585-644
14 / 3 Mar / Review for Mid Term Exam / All Previous and Notes
15 / 8 Mar / Midterm Exam
16 / 10 Mar / Traffic Signal Systems / 684-717
17 / 22 Mar / Progression. Signal Coordination / 726-737
18 / 24 Mar / Signal System Software Tools.
Tech Memo #3 Due. / Notes
19 / 29 Mar / Freeway Traffic Flow Concepts / 106-115
20 / 31 Mar / Basic Freeway Sections, Capacity Analysis / 290-331
21 / 5 Apr / Freeway Weaving Analysis / 335-350
22 / 7 Apr / Freeway Merging-Diverging / 351-370
23 / 12 Apr / Freeway Bottlenecks and Shock Waves / Notes
24 / 14 Apr / Freeway Traffic Simulators / Notes
25 / 19 Apr / Parking Facilities and ITE Trip Generation Procedures / 263-286
Notes
26 / 21 Apr / Professional Engineering Ethics, Intellectual Property. Tech Memo #4 Due. / All Previous and Notes
27 / 26 Apr / Bicycle Facilities / Notes
28 / 28 Apr / Review for Final Exam / All Previous
29 / 3 May / Team Presentations
30 / 5 May / Team Presentations and Class Evaluations
17 May / Final Exam 9:00am-12:00 noon

CE 367TPage 1 of 5Spring 2016