Transportation Engineering 101 from Udemy

What's inside

Syllabus

Traffic Flow Theory, Queuing Theory & Design of Traffic Signals

Introduction

Welcome Message

Much of our discussion in day-to-day lectures, does not deal with the nuances of data collection methods. Time Mean Speed is calculated by a stationary observer at a point in a moving stream. Whereas, space mean speed is collected for a stretch at a specific instance of time usually by aerial photography methods. I am attaching an interesting paper by Wardrop who first found out a relationship between the two. It is very statistical and I would like to warn you that it is very confusing.

Conceptual Quiz based on Lecture 2

Definition of Traffic Flow & Different Types of Flow

Conceptual Quiz based on Lecture 3

Definition of Traffic Density

Conceptual Quiz based on Lecture 4

Time Headways & Space Headways

Conceptual Quiz based on Lecture 5

Time Space Diagram & Relation Between Various Traffic Stream Parameters

What we have studied in this lecture is Greenshield's model. There are several other models such as Greenberg's, Underwood's, Eddie's, and Drake's, but for this course, we will stick to Greenshield's model only.

Method of Collecting Traffic Parameters from the Field : Moving Observer Method

Basics of Statistical Distributions

Modelling Vehicle Arrivals, Headways & Counts + Poisson Distribution

Art of Simulation

Create Your Own Traffic Simulation using MS Office

Capacity of Road Facility & Level of Service

Ramp Metering

Cumulative Plots & Queueing Theory

Designing Traffic Signals Part 1

Designing Traffic Signals Part 2

Apply Your Knowledge

Bonus Lecture - Application of Time Space Diagram in Scheduling

MS Excel Based Assignment

How to predict traffic

Learn about some introductory definitions used in Traffic Forecasting

What is a Land Use?

Trip Generation & Trip Distribution

How to Find Trip Generation using Institute of Transportation Engineers Manual?

This is related to Trip Distribution

Mode Choice

Interpreting Utility Equations in Mode Choice Models

Traffic Assignment/ Route Assignment

Please watch all the lectures in this section before attempting this quiz.

Practical Problem Involving MS Excel

How to do multinomial logit modelling in R programming

Discrete Choice Theory

Case Study of Carpooling in Bengaluru

Conceptual Questions based on Lectures taught so far

Designing the Survey

How much data to be collected?

Types of Variables

Preparing data for analysis

Role of Gender in choosing carpooling

Role of Age in Choosing Carpooling

Role of Belief in Choosing to Carpool

Final MNL Model

Help in understanding public transport systems from around the world

Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in California, USA

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System in Bogota, Colombia

Conclusion

This is lecture taken from Transportation Engineering 201 course. Check it out if interested.

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Transportation Engineering 101 with these activities:

Review Basic Statistics

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Strengthen your understanding of statistical distributions, a key concept for modeling vehicle arrivals and traffic patterns.

Browse courses on Statistical Distributions

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Review key statistical concepts like mean, variance, and standard deviation.
Study different types of distributions, including Poisson and normal distributions.
Practice solving problems related to statistical distributions.

Study 'Urban Transportation Planning'

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Expand your understanding of traffic forecasting by studying a comprehensive textbook on urban transportation planning.

View Urban Transport Plan on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of 'Urban Transportation Planning' by Meyer and Miller.
Read the sections related to trip generation, distribution, mode choice, and traffic assignment.
Take notes on key concepts and methodologies.

Read 'Traffic Flow Theory: A State-of-the-Art Report'

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Gain a deeper understanding of traffic flow theory by studying a comprehensive state-of-the-art report.

View Traffic Engineering Handbook on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of the 'Traffic Flow Theory: A State-of-the-Art Report'.
Read the report, focusing on sections related to traffic stream parameters and models.
Take notes on key concepts and equations.

Four other activities

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Show all seven activities

Analyze Traffic Data Using Excel

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Practice your data analysis skills by working with real-world traffic data using MS Excel.

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Find a traffic dataset online (e.g., from a local transportation agency).
Use Excel to calculate traffic stream parameters (speed, density, flow).
Create visualizations to analyze traffic patterns.
Write a summary of your findings.

Solve Queueing Theory Problems

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Reinforce your understanding of queueing theory by working through a variety of practical problems.

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Find a collection of queueing theory problems online or in a textbook.
Solve problems involving different queueing models (M/M/1, M/M/c, etc.).
Check your answers and review the solutions to understand any mistakes.

Build a Traffic Simulation Model

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Apply your knowledge of traffic flow theory and simulation by building a simple traffic simulation model using software like VISSIM or even MS Excel.

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Choose a traffic simulation software or use MS Excel.
Define the road network and traffic parameters.
Implement traffic flow models and simulate traffic behavior.
Analyze the simulation results and validate the model.

Write a Report on Ramp Metering Strategies

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Deepen your knowledge of ramp metering by researching and writing a report on different ramp metering strategies and their benefits.

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Research different ramp metering strategies (e.g., ALINEA, SWARM).
Analyze the benefits and drawbacks of each strategy.
Write a report summarizing your findings.

Career center

Learners who complete Transportation Engineering 101 will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Traffic Engineer

A traffic engineer focuses on planning, designing, and implementing transportation systems to improve safety and efficiency. This course helps aspiring traffic engineers understand transportation engineering through its focus on traffic operations and forecasting. The course's teachings on traffic flow theory, including speed, density, and flow relationships, are essential for analyzing and optimizing traffic conditions. The course content on capacity and level of service helps evaluate the performance of road facilities. Furthermore, learning about traffic forecasting, including trip generation, distribution, mode choice, and traffic assignment, equips a traffic engineer to plan for future transportation demands. The experience that Parth Loya, the instructor, brings to the course adds practical relevance to the theoretical concepts, making it particularly beneficial for anyone wanting to become a traffic engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Traffic Engineer

Transportation Modeler

A transportation modeler develops and uses computer models to simulate transportation systems and predict future traffic patterns. This course provides specific skills for those aspiring to become transportation modelers. The sections on traffic operations and traffic forecasting are directly relevant to building and using transportation models. The course's content on statistical modeling of vehicle arrivals using headways and counts, as well as the use of the Poisson distribution, are fundamental for traffic simulation. Learning to create traffic simulations using MS Office may allow an individual to learn how to set up basic models. The sections on trip generation, distribution, mode choice, and traffic assignment help to model travel demand. Furthermore, the knowledge of multinomial logit modeling in R programming gives the skills to develop advanced models.

See salaries and explore the career path for Transportation Modeler

Transportation Planner

A transportation planner develops strategies and plans for transportation systems to meet current and future needs. This course provides a foundation for transportation planning through its exploration of traffic forecasting. The topics of trip generation, distribution, mode choice, and traffic assignment help transportation planners predict and manage travel demand. Understanding land use and its impact on transportation is critical for effective planning, and this course provides insight into this relationship. The course may also be useful due to its discussion of traffic flow theory, queuing theory, and traffic signal design. The practical experience of the course instructor, a traffic engineer in a congested city, may also prove invaluable to a transportation planner.

See salaries and explore the career path for Transportation Planner

Highway Engineer

Highway engineers are responsible for designing, constructing, and maintaining highways and road networks. This course helps those wanting to become highway engineers due to its comprehensive coverage of traffic engineering principles. The course's sections on traffic operations and forecasting are directly relevant to highway design and planning. The modules on capacity and level of service help evaluate the performance of highway facilities. Furthermore, the lessons on traffic flow theory, including speed, density, and flow relationships, inform design decisions to optimize traffic flow on highways. The moving observer method, taught in the course for collecting traffic parameters, can be applied to highway studies. The experience of the instructor may further enhance the applicability of the content for those entering the field of highway engineering.

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Intelligent Transportation Systems Engineer

An intelligent transportation systems engineer designs and implements technologies to improve the efficiency and safety of transportation systems. This course helps people wanting to become intelligent transportation systems engineers by providing a foundation in traffic engineering principles. The course's teachings on traffic flow theory, traffic signal design, and ramp metering are directly applicable to intelligent transportation systems. Understanding statistical modeling of vehicle arrivals and the creation of traffic simulations helps in the development and testing of intelligent transportation systems. The course content regarding queueing theory is helpful for optimizing traffic flow using technology. Finally, it may also provide insights into how data collection and traffic parameter analysis support the development of more intelligent and responsive transportation networks.

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Transportation Consultant

Transportation consultants advise clients on transportation planning, engineering, and policy issues. This course helps a transportation consultant looking to enhance their expertise in traffic engineering. The sections on traffic operations and forecasting are directly relevant to consulting projects. The course's teachings on traffic flow theory help analyze transportation problems and develop solutions. Additionally, familiarity with trip generation, distribution, mode choice, and traffic assignment provides the skills to conduct transportation studies. The instructor's experience working in a congested city gives practical context to the course content.

See salaries and explore the career path for Transportation Consultant

Transit Planner

Transit planners focus on designing and improving public transportation systems, such as buses, trains, and subways. This course may be useful for those wanting to become transit planners due to its coverage of traffic forecasting and mode choice modeling. The course's discussion of trip generation, distribution, and mode choice helps transit planners understand travel patterns and predict ridership. Understanding how to interpret utility equations in mode choice models is invaluable for designing effective transit systems. Case studies such as the one involving carpooling may provide valuable insights into travel behavior and transit demand. The instructor's experience in a congested city offers relevant context for transit planning challenges.

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Civil Engineer

Civil engineers design, construct, and maintain infrastructure projects, often requiring a master's degree. This course may be useful to civil engineers looking to specialize in transportation. The course's coverage of traffic operations and forecasting provides a foundation for understanding transportation systems. Knowledge of traffic flow theory, traffic signal design, and highway capacity is essential for civil engineers working on transportation projects. Furthermore, understanding traffic forecasting techniques such as trip generation and mode choice is valuable for planning and designing transportation infrastructure.

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Urban Planner

Urban planners develop plans and policies for the growth and development of cities and towns. This course may be useful for urban planners because it provides insights into transportation planning and its relationship to land use. The course's section on traffic forecasting, including trip generation, distribution, mode choice, and traffic assignment, helps urban planners understand the transportation implications of development decisions. The course provides knowledge of land use and its impact on trip generation. An urban planner can benefit from the experience the instructor has working in a congested city.

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Regional Planner

Regional planners develop and implement plans for the sustainable development of regions, considering transportation, land use, and environmental factors, often requiring a master's degree. This course helps regional planners learn about the interconnectedness of transportation and land development. The course's section on traffic forecasting helps regional planners understand the impact of land use decisions on transportation demand. The course module discussing trip generation and distribution gives insight into the relationship between land use and travel patterns. The course's instructor may add valuable real-world insights, increasing the course's value to any regional planner.

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Geospatial Analyst

Geospatial analysts use geographic information systems to analyze spatial data and create maps and visualizations. This course may be useful for geospatial analysts as it provides them with knowledge of traffic patterns and transportation networks. The course's teachings on traffic flow theory and traffic forecasting may provide context for analyzing transportation data. The insights into land use and trip generation may also be valuable for geospatial analysis related to urban planning and transportation. Furthermore, the course's focus on data collection methods such as the moving observer method may be relevant to geospatial data collection efforts.

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Infrastructure Analyst

Infrastructure analysts evaluate and assess the condition and performance of infrastructure systems, including transportation networks. This course helps infrastructure analysts due to its relevant content about traffic flow theory, capacity, and traffic forecasting. Understanding these concepts is essential for analyzing the performance of transportation infrastructure. The course content discussing the level of service may help evaluate the efficiency of transportation infrastructure. The course can contribute to a deeper understanding of traffic engineering principles which is essential for infrastructure analysis.

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Data Scientist

Data scientists analyze large datasets to identify trends, patterns, and insights. This course can be useful for data scientists, especially those interested in transportation applications. The course introduces statistical modeling of vehicle arrivals using headways and counts, laying the groundwork for analyzing traffic data. The focus on traffic stream parameters facilitates the use of data analysis techniques to understand traffic behavior. Moreover, the insights into multinomial logit modeling in R programming provide tools for building predictive models in transportation. This data-driven decision making may prove invaluable to professionals in the transportation sector.

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Sustainability Manager

Sustainability managers develop and implement strategies to reduce the environmental impact of organizations and operations. This course may be useful for sustainability managers as it provides insights into transportation planning and its impact on sustainability. The course may help a sustainability manager through its lessons discussing mode choice and traffic assignment. The course covers techniques for modeling vehicle arrivals and understanding traffic flow. The experience of the instructor may provide real-world context for sustainability managers seeking to address transportation-related environmental issues.

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Logistics Analyst

Logistics analysts are responsible for optimizing the flow of goods and materials throughout a supply chain. This course may provide insight into how transportation networks operate. Topics such as those in traffic flow theory, capacity, and level of service, may help logistics analysts understand transportation constraints and bottlenecks. The course's discussion of traffic forecasting may also be relevant to predicting transportation demand and optimizing delivery routes. The course provides a general understanding of the dynamics of traffic flow and may be useful for optimizing logistics operations.

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Transportation Engineering 101

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