i

PETRA
Professional Engineers Traffic Reporting & Analysis
 ii
Copyright © 2003 by JAMAR Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted,
transcribed, or translated into any language without the prior written permission of the publisher, JAMAR Technologies, Inc.

JAMAR Technologies, Inc. Software License Agreement

This software license agreement including any warranties and special provisions, is a legal agreement between you (as an entity or an individual) and JAMAR
Technologies, Inc. By installing or otherwise using this software you are agreeing to be bound by the terms of this agreement. If you do not agree to the terms
of this agreement, return the unused software, along with all accompanying documentation, to JAMAR Technologies, Inc.

The Software which accompanies this agreement is, and will remain the property of JAMAR Technologies, Inc., and is protected by copyright law. JAMAR
Technologies, Inc. is providing you with certain rights to use the Software upon your acceptance of this agreement.

YOU MAY:
1) Use the Software on one computer;
2) Use the Software on several computers with the following provisions:
a) All computers that use this Software are located in the same building;
b) All persons using the Software are employed by the individual or entity who originally purchased the Software;
3) Use the software on a home computer with the following provisions:
a) The individual using the Software on a home computer is employed by the individual or entity who originally purchased the Software;
b) The individual is doing work for the individual or entity who originally purchased the Software;
4) Transfer this license to another individual or entity with the following conditions:
a) All copies of the Software must be transferred;
b) No copy of the Software may remain with the original licensee;
c) All documentation must accompany the Software;
YOU MAY NOT:
1) copy the documentation which accompanies the Software;
2) sublicense, lease, transfer, or rent any portion of the Software;
3) continue to use a previous version of the Software in addition to any updates that may be received. All copies of previous versions must be destroyed except
that one copy may be kept for archival purposes;
4) reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, modify, translate, make any attempts to reconstruct or find the source code for the Software;

U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS

The Software and documentation are provided with RESTRICTED RIGHTS. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the United States Government is subject to
the restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013 or subparagraphs
(c)(1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software-Restricted Rights at 48 CFR 52.227-19, as applicable. Manufacturer is JAMAR Technologies, Inc./151
Keith Valley Road, Horsham, PA 19044.

WARRANTY
JAMAR Technologies, Inc. warrants that the media on which the Software is distributed will be free from defects for a period of ninety (90) days from the
date of delivery of the Software to you. Your sole remedy for a breach of this warranty will be that JAMAR Technologies, Inc. will, at its option, replace any
defective media returned to JAMAR Technologies, Inc. within the warranty period or refund the purchase price of the Software.

The Software is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability
and fitness for a particular purpose with respect to the Software and accompanying documentation. JAMAR Technologies, Inc. does not warrant, or make any
claims that the Software will meet your requirements, or that the Software will provide uninterrupted service, or that the Software is free from errors.

THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS. YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS, WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.

NO LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES

In no event shall JAMAR Technologies, Inc. be liable for any damages whatsoever (including without limitation, direct or indirect damages for personal injury,
loss of information, loss of data, loss of business profits, business interruption, or any other loss) arising out of the use of or inability to use the Software, even
if JAMAR Technologies, Inc. has been advised of the possibility of such damages or loss. In any case the entire liability of JAMAR Technologies, Inc. under
any part of this agreement shall be limited to the amount actually paid by you for the Software.

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. JAMAR Technologies, Inc. recognizes the trademarks
of all other companies and products mentioned in this manual.

PETRA Reference Manual

 iii

If you have any questions about the use of PETRA, please call the following number:

800-776-0940
Monday – Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern time

You may also contact us by fax at:

1-215-491-4889
or via e-mail at:

support@jamartech.com
For more information on our products, the latest news in product development, and to download soft-
ware updates, visit our web site at:

www.jamartech.com
For information on all known issues with PETRA, go to:

www.jamartech.com/petrawindowssupport.htm
Address any correspondence to:

JAMAR Technologies, Inc.

151 Keith Valley Road
Horsham, PA 19044-1411

Volume 3.4 November 2003

 iv

Table of Contents
Technical Support ................................................................................................................................................... iii

Chapter 1 — Introduction and Installation.........................................................................................................1.1

What is PETRA? ...............................................................................................................................................1.2
Computer Requirements....................................................................................................................................1.2
Supported Studies..............................................................................................................................................1.2
Supported Data Collectors.................................................................................................................................1.2
Software Updates ..............................................................................................................................................1.2
Software Support...............................................................................................................................................1.2
Definitions .........................................................................................................................................................1.3
Installing PETRA ..............................................................................................................................................1.4
Running PETRA................................................................................................................................................1.6

Chapter 2 — Navigating in PETRA and Using the Help System .....................................................................2.1

Navigating in PETRA .......................................................................................................................................2.2
The Help System ...............................................................................................................................................2.4

Chapter 3 — Type of Data Collection & Data Flow ...........................................................................................3.1

Types of Data Collection ...................................................................................................................................3.2
Data Flow ..........................................................................................................................................................3.3

Chapter 4 — Learning the Basics of PETRA .....................................................................................................4.1

Lesson 1 – Setting Your Preferences .................................................................................................................4.2
Lesson 2 – Downloading Data and Opening Existing Files..............................................................................4.6
Lesson 3 – Editing Your Data............................................................................................................................4.9
Lesson 4 – The Tools Menu ............................................................................................................................4.14
Lesson 5 – Producing a Report........................................................................................................................4.22

Chapter 5 — Advanced Lessons ..........................................................................................................................5.1

Lesson 1 – Creating a Three Approach File ......................................................................................................5.2
Lesson 2 – Creating a Five (or more) Approach File ........................................................................................5.4
Lesson 3 – Working with Graphs ......................................................................................................................5.6

Chapter 6 — Turning Movement Files and Reports .........................................................................................6.1

Chapter 7 — Classification Files and Reports ...................................................................................................7.1
Chapter 8 — Signalized Intersection Delay Files and Reports 8.1
Chapter 9 — Gap Files and Reports ...................................................................................................................9.1
Chapter 10 — Stop Sign Delay Files and Reports ...........................................................................................10.1
Chapter 11 — Spot Speed Files and Reports ...................................................................................................11.1
Chapter 12 – Saturation Flow Files and Reports.............................................................................................12.1

Chapter 13 — Troubleshooting...........................................................................................................................13.1
Software Updates ............................................................................................................................................13.2
Error Messages ................................................................................................................................................13.2
Frequently Asked Questions............................................................................................................................13.2

Appendix ................................................................................................................................................................A.1
Federal Highway Administration Classification Scheme F..............................................................................A.2
Statistical Calculations .....................................................................................................................................A.4
Registry Entry...................................................................................................................................................A.4
Data Formats ....................................................................................................................................................A.5

PETRA Reference Manual

 1.1

Chapter 1

Introduction and
Installation

Chapter 1 — Introduction and Installation

 1.2

Introduction & Installation

What is PETRA?
PETRA, which stands for Professional Engineers Traffic Reporting and Analysis, is a JAMAR
Technologies software program designed for analyzing data collected with a JAMAR hand-held
data collector. The program was originally developed in the early 1990s and this current version,
for the Windows operating system (95 or higher) contains many new features based on feedback
from users of earlier versions.

The program was developed with today's practicing engineer in mind, with emphasis placed on
ease of use while maintaining powerful capabilities. PETRA allows you to download studies from
JAMAR hand-held data collectors, manually enter data, view and edit the data, print reports and
graphs, and store the studies for later retrieval. Data can also be exported in several formats for
further analysis using other programs.

If you would like to get started right away, Chapter 4 of this manual provides an in-depth tutorial
on all of the essential aspects of the program needed to start downloading your data and producing
reports.

Minimum Computer Requirements

• Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, ME or XP.
• 32 Megabytes of RAM.
• 20 Megabytes of free space on your hard disk.
• CD-ROM (to install the software only)
• Available Serial Port for downloading data

Supported Studies
PETRA for Windows is sold in a modular format, which means that you only need purchase the parts
of the program you use. The base version of the program is for Turning Movement studies. Other
modules that can then be purchased for use with this are Classification, Gap, Signalized Intersec-
tion Delay, Stop Sign Delay, Spot Speed and Saturation Flow. Which modules you have access to
depends on which were purchased with your copy of the program.

Supported Data Collectors

PETRA reads data from the JAMAR line of hand-held data collectors, including the DB-100, DB-
400, TDC-8 and TDC-12. The program also supports the previous versions of these boards, the
IMC-IV and IMC-4.

Software Updates
Updated versions of JAMAR software are released periodically and are posted on the JAMAR web
site. Licensed owners of PETRA may download updates to the program to make sure they always
have the latest version of the software on their computer. To download the latest version of PETRA,
go to www.jamartech.com and then select Downloads from the list of options.

Software Support
If you encounter any problems while using the program, or have any questions on specific operations,
refer first to this manual and the program’s built-in Help system. For up to the minute information
on all known issues with the program, refer to the PETRA support web page at:
www/jamartech.com/petrawindowssupport.htm.

PETRA Reference Manual

 1.3
Definitions
Like any technical field, traffic data collection and analysis has its share of technical words and
phrases. This program makes use of a few of these. Experienced users will be familiar with many
(if not all) of these, while new users may not. In any event, before working with the program be
sure you have a good understanding of the words and phrases used in the program that may mean
something more specific than they imply.

Turning Movements — This is data that has been collected at an intersection where the direction
of a vehicle (left, through, right) that passes through the intersection is recorded.

Classification — This is data that has been collected with the purpose of determining what
types of vehicles (motorcycles, passenger cars, tractor trailers, etc.) are traveling over the study
site for a given period of time. The most commonly used scheme for classifying vehicles is the
Federal Highway Administration’s Scheme F, which is described in the appendix.

Signalized Intersection Delay — This stands for data that is collected to determine delay in-
formation at an intersection controlled by a traffic signal.

Stop Sign Delay – This stands for data that is collected to determine delay information at an
intersection controlled by a stop sign.

Spot Speed — This is data that has been collected with the purpose of determining how fast
vehicles are traveling over the study site for a short period of time. This data is then interpreted
to provide statistics such as 85th and 95th percentiles. This data is usually collected to determine
if longer speed studies (usually conducted with an automatic traffic recorder like a JAMAR
TRAX) is necessary.

Gap — This is data that has been collected with the purpose of determining when no traffic
(or gaps) occur at the study site. Once a gap occurs, this format also records how long the gap
lasts.

Saturation Flow Rate — This is the number of vehicles that could pass through an intersection in
one hour, if the signal light were always green. This value is used for several design purposes.

Interval — This is a pre-defined time period into which the data in many of the studies is di-
vided. The most commonly used interval time is 15 minutes.

Site Code — This is a number, or combination of number and letters, used to help identify
where a specific study was done. This is for optional use. You do not have to enter a site code
if you do not use them.

Approach — This is a specific direction of traffic that comes to, or approaches, an intersection,
such as the From North (also known as Southbound) approach , From West approach, etc. Each
approach is comprised of several different movements of data.

Movement — This is a specific portion of data from an approach defined by the direction a vehicle
moved. A vehicle coming from the east and making a Left turn is part of the ‘Left’ movement
for that approach. A vehicle making a right turn is part of the ‘Right’ movement, etc.

Groups — This stands for any data that is collected using the unshifted, Bank 1 and Bank 2
keys of a data collector (DB-400, TDC-8 or TDC-12). Commonly used groups are passenger
cars (unshifted), light trucks (Bank 1), and heavy trucks (Bank 2).

Chapter 1 — Introduction and Installation

 1.4

Installing PETRA
Begin the installation by placing the PETRA CD into your CD-ROM drive. If your CD drive is
configured for Autoplay, the Installation Options program will start after a few seconds. Otherwise,
click on the ‘Start’ button on your Windows desktop. Select Run from the list of options and type
the command line ‘X:\setup’ where X is the letter of your CD-ROM drive. Press OK and you will
see the Installation Options for the program.

The Installation Options allow you to do a number of things in addition to installing the program.
You can view a copy of this manual, register your copy of the software and check out some other
JAMAR products. To begin installing the program, click on Install PETRA for Windows.

The Welcome screen lets you know that the installation

for the program has begun. During the installation, files
used by the program will be copied to your computer,
including some Windows system files. If other programs
are open and using some of the files that need to be
installed, an error can occur. Make sure you close any
programs that are running before you install this or any
Figure 1-1:
Windows-based software. Click Next and the License
Welcome Agreement screen will appear.
Screen

The License Agreement screen allows you to review

the software license for the program. PETRA is site
licensed, which means you can install the program on
as many computers as you like as long as they are at the
same location. You must accept the agreement in order
to proceed with the installation. If you do not accept the
Figure 1-2: agreement, the program must be returned to JAMAR.
If you agree to the license, click Yes.
License
Screen

The Information screen of the installation provides an

opportunity to review the Read Me file that is included
with the program. This file contains additional infor-
mation on the program and can also be read at the con-
clusion of the installation. Click next once you have
reviewed this information.

Figure 1-3:
Information
Screen

PETRA Reference Manual

 1.5
The Customer Information screen requires you to enter
your name, as well as your company’s name. Your serial
number, which is located on the back of the CD case,
must also be entered. When entering the number be sure
to include the dashes. If the serial number is entered
incorrectly, you will not be allowed to proceed with
Figure 1-4:
the installation. Once the information has been entered,
Customer
click the Next button to continue.
Information
Screen

The Choose Destination Location screen is used to

select where the program will be installed. The default
location is C:\Program Files\JAMAR\PETRA. Once the
directory has been set, click Next.

Figure 1-5:
Destination
Location
Screen

The Select Program Folder screen is used to name the

folder the program is stored in. Click Next.

Figure 1-6:
Program
Folder Screen

Once the Installation program has enough information

to start copying files onto the computer, the Start Copy-
ing Files screen will appear. You can then review the
previous choices you have made and if you would like
to change anything before proceeding, use the Back
button. Otherwise, click Next and the program will be
installed.

Figure 1-7:
Start Copying
Files Screen

Chapter 1 — Introduction and Installation

 1.6
The InstallShield Wizard Complete screen will ap-
pear after the program files have been copied onto the
computer.

You may be prompted to Restart your computer at this

point. If you are, be sure to restart before attempting to
Figure 1-8:
use PETRA.
Installation
Complete You are also given the option to start PETRA imme-
Screen diately, view the Read Me file again, or do both.

Running PETRA
Like most Windows programs, there are several ways you can run the software. Here are two:

1– Open an Explorer window (right click on My Computer and select Explore) and find the
PETRA.exe file, which is probably in the C:\Program Files\Jamar\PETRA folder. Double click on
the file PETRA.exe and the program will run.

2 – Select Start, Programs, and then JAMAR from the list of installed programs. Choose PETRA
from the list, then choose PETRA again to run the program.

Figure 1-9:
Start-up Se-
lection

PETRA Reference Manual

 2.1

Chapter 2

Navigating
in PETRA and
Using the Help System

Chapter 2 — Navigating in PETRA and Using the Help System

 2.2

Navigating in PETRA
PETRA has been designed to allow you to easily access the many features and options contained in the program.
The tool bar located at the top of the program allows quick access to some of the program's most common features
while the drop-down menus provide access to all functions of the program.

Toolbar Create
Variable
Open a Save Print Intersection Delete Delete Merge Width
New File File Setup Cut Paste Calculator Design Interval Column Data Plot

Open Download Print Copy Visit Edit File Insert Insert Rotate Create
Existing Data Preview JAMAR’s Header Interval Column Board Graph
File Web Site
Figure 2-1: Toolbar

Drop Down Menus

Figure 2-5:
Figure 2-4: Insert Menu
View Menu

Figure 2-3:
Edit Menu

Figure 2-9:
Figure 2-2: File Figure 2-6:
Format Menu
Menu Tools Menu
Figure 2-8:
Window Menu

Figure 2-7:
Help Menu

PETRA Reference Manual

 2.3
Other Navigation and Selection Devices

Tabs
A number of screens in the program contain Tabs to allow access to additional information. To access
this additional information, click on the tab you wish to go to.

Figure 2-10:
Preferences
– General tab

In this example, the General tab is currently active. To select any other the other tabs, such as the
Titles tab shown below, click on them with the mouse.

Figure 2-11:
Preferences
– Titles tab

Radio Buttons
Many areas of the program contain radio buttons for selecting options and features. In general, you
click on the circle next to the item to select it. Radio buttons are used when only one option can be
selected at a time.

In the example shown in figure 2-10 above, taken from the General tab of the Preferences, the Show
Start Time and Show on Right Side options have been selected.

Check Boxes
Like radio buttons, many areas of the program contain check boxes for
selecting options and features. In general, placing a check in the box tells
the program to include the option or feature listed. No check means the
option or feature is not to be included. Check boxes are used when more
Figure 2-12: than one option can be selected at a time. In figure 2-12 (taken from the
Check Boxes Print Setup), Print Comments, Print Peaks and Plot Totals are selected.
The remaining options are not selected.

Chapter 2 — Navigating in PETRA and Using the Help System

 2.4

The Help System

Like many other Windows programs, PETRA contains
an extensive Help system to aid you in using the
program. The Help system is essentially a built-in
manual and most of the information that can be found
in this printed manual can also be found electronically
in the Help system.

There are several ways in which to access the information

that is contained in the Help system. Select Help from
the list of drop-down menus then choose PETRA Help
Figure 2-13: Topics to be taken into the Contents for the system,
Help shown in Figure 2-13. The contents can be used to locate
Contents the item you want information on or use the Index or
Find tabs to do a search using specific keywords.

Many screens in the program also contain Help buttons that will automatically pop-up Help
information related to the screen you are working on. If you are not sure what to do in a certain
screen, or what some of the available options mean, click on the Help button and detailed instructions
will appear.

From downloading data, to editing a file, to printing the data, to interpreting the report, all the
information needed to properly use the program can be found in the Help system.

Figure 2-14:
Help
Pop-up
Window

PETRA Reference Manual

 3.1

Chapter 3

Types of
Data Collection &
Data Flow

Chapter 3 — Types of Data Collection & Data Flow

 3.2

Types of Data Collection

One of the most useful features of the PETRA program is its ability to process several different
types of data. The most common type is Turning Movements, which can be collected with the DB-
100, DB-400 and TDC-8 hand-held data collectors. Others types of data are Classification, Gap,
Signalized Intersection Delay, Spot Speed, Stop Sign Delay, and Saturation Flow, which can be
collected with the TDC-8.

PETRA is licensed in a modular format, so you only need to purchase the portions of the program
that you use. The base version of the program is for Turning Movement data. Whether or not you
have access to the other data types depends on the license you purchased.

Turning Movements
The JAMAR hand-held data collectors are designed to make turning movement data collection
simple and accurate. Collected data can be edited in several ways and reports can be generated for
overall volumes and peak information.

Classification
The normal use of the term Classification Study involves a manual survey of the types of vehicles.
Each class is a particular type of vehicle, either a passenger car, a bus, a type of truck, etc. The study
involves counting the number of vehicles of each class for a given amount of time. PETRA allows
you to process data collected with the Federal Highway Administration’s classification scheme, or
your own custom scheme.

Signalized Intersection Delay

Data that has been collected at a signalized intersection can be processed to provide a wide range of
statistics. This includes the total volume recorded, number stopped, total delay, delay per stopped
vehicle, delay per all vehicles, and percent of vehicles stopped.

Gap
A gap is normally defined as the amount of time, in seconds, between the end of one vehicle and
the beginning of the next. You can measure gaps on one lane or two lanes. PETRA can then produce
gap reports for one lane, two lanes, or two lanes with combined gaps.

Stop Sign Delay

Stop Sign Delay data can be processed by PETRA to provide a variety of statistics. The program will
calculate how long it takes each vehicle to progress through the queue and enter the intersection, as
well as keeping track of the number of cars in the queue at all times.

Spot Speed
Spot Speed data can be analyzed to provide speed characteristics at a specified location, typically
an approach to an intersection. Analysis includes speed percentiles, average speed, pace speed, and
number and & percent over speed limit.

Saturation Flow
A Saturation Flow rate is the number of vehicles that could pass through an intersection in one hour,
if the signal light were always green. This value is used for several design purposes and, depending
on how the data was collected, saturation flow studies can be analyzed not only for saturation flow
information, but also signal timings and arrival types.

PETRA Reference Manual

 3.3

Data Flow
Depending on the model used, JAMAR hand-held data collectors allow data to be collected in a
number of different formats. Once downloaded into PETRA the data can be processed into a variety
of reports. The chart below shows the type of data that can be collected, depending on the model.

DB-100
Turning
DB-400 Movement
TDC-8

Examine/ Produce
Edit Screen Reports

Stop Sign Delay,

Intersection Delay,
Figure 3-1: TDC-8 Gap, Spot Speed,
Classification,
Data Flow in Saturation Flow
PETRA

Chapter 3 — Types of Data Collection & Data Flow

 3.4

This page was intentionally left blank.

PETRA Reference Manual

 4.1

Chapter 4

Learning the
Basics of PETRA

Chapter 4 — Learning the Basics of PETRA

 4.2

Learning the Basics of PETRA

This chapter covers all of the essentials needed to begin downloading and producing reports from
your data. This information is presented in a tutorial style so you can follow along on your computer
as each aspect is covered. Once you have completed these lessons, you should have a good working
knowledge of PETRA.

Lesson 1 — Setting Your Preferences

Before you begin to use the program to process your data, you need to setup the program to suit
your specific needs. This is done through the Preferences. The first time you run the program you
will automatically be prompted to check your preferences. After this, these same settings can be
accessed by clicking on the File menu, then selecting Preferences.

To start the program, click the Windows Start button, select Programs, then JAMAR, then PETRA.
Once into the program, access the Preferences in the manner described in the previous paragraph.

There are six tabs in the Preferences that can be used to customize the program. The tab that is vis-
ible when the screen first comes up is the General tab.

The first option listed is the Display

Time. This setting allows you to use
either the start or the end time of an in-
terval for display of the data. The most
commonly used value is Show Start
Time, but you may set this either way.

The second option is Time Style. This

setting allows you to use either a 24-
hour military clock or a 12-hour clock
with AM and PM designations when
displaying interval times. Select the
Figure 4-1: option that you prefer.
Preferences:
General Tab The Drive Side option allows you to
choose whether the vehicles in the study
are drive on the right (as in the United
States) or drive on the left (as in Europe). Set this according to your location.

The next option is Open File Window Style. When opening existing files in PETRA, the default Open
screen searches for all available drives and directories on the computer. The program then goes to
the currently designated data directory, opens it and reads the headers of all the PETRA files. This
information is then shown in the Open screen. For some users who are on restricted networks, or
are working with hundreds of data files, this process can be time consuming. The Use Simple File
Retrieve Window preference setting tells the program to only look for the designated data directory,
and to only list the file names, rather than the full header information. This tutorial will cover some
of the aspects of the standard Open screen so leave this preference unchecked.

The first option of the right side of the screen is Left Turn Column. This setting allows you to choose
whether the Left Turn movement (Turning Movement data) of each approach will be shown on the
left of the display or on the right. This also affects how your reports will be printed.

The next option is Speed Units. This setting allows you to choose either miles per hour or kilometers
per hour when displaying a speed (Spot Speed data).

PETRA Reference Manual

 4.3
The next option is Select Language. This setting allows you to set the language used for the com-
mands in the program from those that are currently available.

The final option is Download Option. This setting allows you to determine how the program should
handle multiple files that are downloaded from a data collector at one time. The default option, Pro-
cess all files, automatically opens a window for each file when the download is complete. The other
option, Select Files to Process, brings up a list in the Open File screen of all the files that can be
processed. You can then choose which specific files to process. Leave the default setting for now.

Once you have finished setting your

General preferences, click on the Titles
tab at the top.

The Titles tab allows you to customize

the four lines of text that are printed
at the center top of each page of your
reports. Each line can be edited indi-
vidually to change the font, font style,
font size, and font color. For the pur-
poses of this tutorial, we’ll replace the
Figure 4-2: default titles that are stored with the
Preferences: program with your own. You may fol-
Titles Tab low the steps below or substitute your
own format as we go.

First, click on the first line of the titles, labeled Default Titles. Delete this line and enter your
organization’s name. Next, delete the second and third lines and enter your address. Then, delete
the fourth line and enter your phone number.

Now that the information for the Titles has been entered, we’ll customize each line to give the titles
more impact. To do this, click on the first line then click on the Select Font button. This will open
the standard Windows Font screen, which is used to customize fonts. Set the Font to Arial, the Font
style to Bold and the Font Size to 14. If you use a color printer, set the color to Blue. Click OK
once this is done and you will be returned to the Preferences screen. Notice that the preview at the
bottom of the screen has been updated to show your changes. You can follow the same procedure
to customize the second, third and fourth lines of the titles.

Note that you can store more than one set of titles in your preferences. To create a new set of titles,
click on the Add button and a blank field will appear. Enter the new title information, then use the
Select Font button to format. The Delete button can be used to remove any titles that you no longer
need. You can choose from any of the stored titles when you prepare to print your reports.

Once your titles are entered and formatted to your specific taste, click on the Comments tab.

The Comments tab works in a manner very similar to the Titles tab. The comments listed will print
in the upper left corner of the report and are designed to provide miscellaneous additional infor-
mation with the data that is presented in the report.

The comments are expected to change from file to file, with information being added before each file
is printed. As a result, the information that you enter here should be general labels. You will enter
additional information that is specific to each file using the Edit Header function described later.

Chapter 4 — Learning the Basics of PETRA

 4.4
When you first click on the Com-
ments tab you’ll notice that ‘Default
Comments’ is listed, along with a
message telling you to change them.
We’ll replace these with ones that are
more useful. First, delete the default
text on the four comment lines. Next,
type in Weather: on the first line, Se-
rial Number: on the second line,
Collected By: on the third line, and
Other Notes: on the fourth line. When
you are working with a specific file,
Figure 4-3:
you will fill out this information (or
Preferences:
the information for the customized
Comments Tab comments you’ve created) using the
Edit Header function.

Like the Titles, the font used for the comments can be customized. However, this can only be done
for the comments as a whole, not on a line for line basis like the titles. Click on the Select Font
button to make changes. As with the titles, you can store more than one set of comments in your
preferences.

The settings that you apply to the comments will also affect the File Comments which are auto-
matically printed in the upper right corner of reports. These comments include the file name, start
date, site code and page number.

Note that the Comments and Titles have to print on the same lines at the top of page (comments
on right and left, titles in middle) so you do not want to make the font sizes too big, otherwise they
will overlap in the printout.

Once you have set the Comments the way you want, click on the Wording tab.

The Wording tab allows you to cus-

tomize the descriptions used with data
that you download into the program.
There are three areas that you can work
with: the Direction Descriptions, Move-
ments and Groups.

The Direction Description tab allows

you to designate how each approach
direction should be described, such as
Northbound or From South. When a
line is selected, an arrow showing the
Figure 4-4: direction of the movement appears in
Preferences: the Entering Intersection box. You may
Wording Tab store multiple sets of direction descrip-
tions using the Add button.

The Movements tab applies to Turning Movement data and allows you to designate how each move-
ment should be labeled when your data is downloaded. Most of the movements (right, thru, left) are
pretty standard and will not need to be changed. However, the ‘Other’ keys (1, 5, 9, 13) can be used
to collect a variety of things (pedestrians, bicycles, trucks, etc.). The default label is Peds but you
can change this to whatever you think you’ll be collecting with those keys.

PETRA Reference Manual

 4.5
The Groups tab allows you to designate what names should be applied to the data collected using
the unshifted, Bank 1 and Bank 2 keys of your hand-held data collector. (The DB-100 does not
have Bank 1 and Bank 2 keys.) A common way of collecting data is to record Passenger Vehicles
with the unshifted keys, Light Trucks with Bank1 and Heavy Trucks with Bank 2. You may set these
any way you like.

Note that changes made in the Wording tab will only affect subsequently downloaded files – they will
not affect existing files. Any existing files must be edited within the files themselves. Also note that
the Movement and Group settings you select in the Wording tab can be overwritten when working
with a specific data file. How this is done will be discussed in a later lesson.

Once you have set the wording for the program the way you want, click on the Factors tab.

The Factors tab allows you to program

correction factor tables for use with
the data. There are two separate tables
— one for seasonal factors and one for
daily factors. These factors allow you
to adjust your data based on historical
information.

Multiple tables can be stored by using

the Add button at the bottom of each
field. These factors can be applied while
Figure 4-5: editing your data or when producing
Preferences: your reports. Notice that the year in
Correction the seasonal factors table is ignored
Factors and therefore is defaulted to 00. For the
purposes of this tutorial, we’ll leave the
factors with their default values.

Note that you are not required to use factors with your data. You should only use factors if they have
been supplied to you, or if you have created them based on historical information. If you are not
familiar with how to use factors, leave them at the default setting of 1.000.

Once your Factors are set, click on the Fonts tab.

The Fonts tab allows you to customize

the fonts that will be used in the pro-
gram and on your reports. There are
three areas you can set: Street Names,
Column Titles and Count Data.

Click on the Street Names button. This

will open the standard Windows font
screen. You can then set the font in
any format desired. We suggest using
the font Arial with the style Bold and
10 point size, although you may use
Figure 4-6: any settings you like. Click OK once
the font is set. Notice that the preview
Preferences:
screen updates to reflect the changes
Default Fonts you have made.

Chapter 4 — Learning the Basics of PETRA

 4.6

Next, click on the Column Titles button. We suggest the font Arial with the style Regular and 8
point size for this font. Click OK, and repeat the same process with the Count Data button. Do not
use large font sizes for the Column Titles and Count data or the reports may not have enough room
to print them properly.

Note that changes made in the Font tab will only affect newly created files, they will not affect
existing data files. Changes can be applied to existing data files using the Format menu that will be
discussed in a later lesson.

Once you have set the fonts the way you want, click OK.

Congratulations! You have completed the first lesson. In this lesson you learned how to set the prefer-
ences for the program. In the next lesson you’ll learn the basics of downloading data and retrieving
existing data files. You can take a break now, or jump right into the next lesson.

Lesson 2 — Downloading Data and Opening Existing Files

This tutorial requires a hand-held data collector with data in it. You can wait to do it until you
have collected data or just follow along without actually performing the steps.

Once you have performed a study with your data collector you will need to download it to your
computer so PETRA can analyze the data. To download a data collector you will need to have a
JAMAR universal cable and an open serial (COM) port on your computer.

Note that only a JAMAR Universal Cable (or cable with matching pin configuration) should be used
for downloading data. The data collectors and universal cable use just three pins (2, 3 & 5) for the
data transfer. However, some of the other pins on the data collector’s serial port are left open for
other functions. The universal cable blocks these other pins so no extraneous voltage can be sent
from the computer to the data collector. If you use a generic serial cable (which has all nine pins
connected) it is possible that the computer could send out incompatible voltage to the data collector
that could damage it or cause your data to be lost or corrupted.

Turn the data collector on. (If you are still in data collection mode, turn the unit off, then back on.
Turning the unit off ends the study and stores it in memory. You cannot download data while you
are in data collection mode.) Connect the universal cable to a serial port on your computer. The
ports are often labeled on the computer. If you are not sure what port you are plugging into, consult
your computer manual.

All JAMAR equipment currently downloads to a computer’s serial (COM) port. If your computer
does not have a serial port, or if you have a conflict on a serial port, an alternative is to use a USB
to Serial Adapter. These devices allow you to download data using a USB port as if it were a COM
port. A wide variety of these devices are available, usually for less than $30. A link to one of these
devices can be found on our web site at www.jamartech.com/hardwaresupport.htm.

Once the cable is plugged into the computer, plug the other end into the port on the data collector
then click on the Download a JAMAR Count Board icon and the Read JAMAR Counter screen will
appear. You can also access this screen by going to the File menu, selecting Acquire, and choosing
JAMAR.

PETRA Reference Manual

 4.7
The baud rate setting determines how fast the data
will be transferred into the program and it must match
the baud rate set on the data collector. Click the Setup
button and set the baud rate to 9600. Once this is set,
select the com port into which you have connected the
universal cable.

After making these adjustments, click on the Begin

button and you will see a message prompting you to
begin downloading the data collector. To do this, press
Figure 4-7: the Tab key on the data collector until Dump is flashing,
Read JAMAR then press the DO key. Local should then be flashing.
Counter Check the bottom two lines of the display to see what
the baud rate is set to. If it matches the 9600 we set in
the software, hit DO. If it does not match, tab to Baud and set it accordingly, then go back to Local
and hit DO. You should then see Begin flashing. Press DO and the download will begin.

When the download is occurring you should see a status bar moving across the bottom of the Read
JAMAR Counter screen. Once the download is complete separate windows should appears for every
study contained in the data collector.

Retrieving While you will usually download your data and produce reports all at one time, there may be times
Saved Files when you need to open a previously downloaded file for further analysis. In addition, you may have
older files from other programs that you need to incorporate into PETRA. In either case, these files
can easily be accessed through the program.

Select File from the menu options, then select Open. This will bring up the Open File screen. You
can also access this screen by clicking on the Open icon in the toolbar.

Figure 4-8:
Open File
Screen

Chapter 4 — Learning the Basics of PETRA

 4.8
The Open File screen works in a manner very similar to Windows Explorer. The directory tree on the
left side of the screen is used to select the folder where your data files are stored. We want to retrieve
one of the sample files that were installed with the program, so we’ll need to use the directory tree
to set the location of these files. The default installation location of this folder is C:\Program Files\
JAMAR\PETRA\Data Files. Navigate to this path (or the path you used for the installation) using
the tree. Once the data folder is selected you will see a list of files on the right side of the screen.

Note that there are several types of files that can be opened by the program. Files created in PETRA
for Windows, or saved in the PETRA for Windows format, use a .pwf file extension and will appear
in black type. Files from the PETRA DOS program, which use the files extensions .pdf, will appear
in blue type. These are the file types that the program is defaulted to look for. However, the program
can also open files in the IMC (.dfl) and AAP (.vol) formats. To access either of these, select the
appropriate entry from the drop down list at the lower left of the screen. IMC files appears in green,
while AAP files appear in red.

The list of files on the right side of the screen contains a variety of information on each file, including
the file name, type of data, site code, start date and start time, interval length, number of intervals
and location information. Click on the column title ‘Start Date’ and note that the list of files is re-
arranged in chronological order. The file list can be sorted in a variety of ways simply by clicking
on any of the column titles.

The file we want to retrieve is named sample turn.pwf. Locate this file in the list then click on it with
your mouse. This will highlight the file. Once it has been highlighted, click on the Open button.
The Open File screen will close and the sample turn file will be opened. You can also open files by
double clicking on them.

Congratulations! You have completed the second lesson. In this lesson you learned how to download
data from the hand-held data collectors into the program, and how to open existing files. In the next
lesson you’ll learn how to work with data files. You can take a break now, or jump right into the
next lesson.

PETRA Reference Manual

 4.9
Lesson 3 — Editing Your Data
In this lesson you’ll learn about some of the basic editing functions that can be done with data files.
For this lesson we’ll be working with the Sample Turn file that was installed with the program.
Other PETRA data files (Classification, Gap, etc.) may look a little different but they all use similar
editing functions.

If you already have the Sample Turn file open, great. Otherwise, follow the procedure described in
Lesson 2 to open it.

Menu Options

Toolbar

Header
Information
Approach
Descriptions
Movement
Descriptions

Data Grid

Figure 4-9: Interval Times

Turning
Movement
File

The first thing we want to do is identify the various parts of the file. The data file contains five main
areas of information, as shown in Figure 4-9 above: Header Information, Approach Descriptions,
Movement Descriptions, Interval Times and Data Grid. The information in the file can be edited
using the items in the Toolbar and Menu Options, also shown in Figure 4-9.

We’ll start by taking a look at the Header Information. Each PETRA file contains not only the data
Edit for the file, but other information that is pertinent to it, such as the start date, start time, etc. Most
Header of this information is stored in the file’s header. To edit the header, click on the Edit Header icon in
the tool bar. This will open the Edit Header Information window.

Note that the Start Date and Time for the file are listed at the upper left. These are read in from the
data collector when you download your data. If for whatever reason the data collector’s date or time
was set wrong you can correct it here. Below the Date & Time is the Site Code for the file.

The top left of the screen contains the comments for this file. General comment information is read
in from what has been set up in the Preferences. You then use this screen to add information specific
to the file. The Sample Turn file already has comments added, but we’re going to add our own just
so we get familiar with how it is done.

Chapter 4 — Learning the Basics of PETRA

 4.10
Click on the Next button in the Com-
ments field and you’ll see a new set of
general comments appear. Do these
look familiar? They should – they were
the Comments that we entered into the
Preferences in Lesson 1. (If you used
your own custom comments in Lesson
1 then you might not match up exactly
with the description below, but you can
follow along anyway.)
Figure 4-10:
Edit Header Now we’ll fill in the information for
Information these comments. Click your cursor to
the right of the colon on line one. Do
you remember what the original com-
ments listed for the weather? If you said ‘Light Rain’, you get a gold star. Type this into line one.

Next, click to the right of Serial Number on line two. Do you remember what the serial number
was? If you said T-1022, you get another gold star. Type this into line two. Now click to the right
of Collected By: and enter your name. We don’t have any Other Notes to add for line four, so enter
‘None’. That’s it for the Comments. We’ll see how the comments we added apply to our report in
a later lesson.

Below the Comments field is the Group Description field. These descriptions are also read in from
the Preferences when you download your data. Don’t worry if the descriptions shown for the Sample
Turn file don’t match what you entered in the Preferences. The Sample Turn descriptions were cre-
ated when the file was originally made - changes in the Preferences don’t affect existing files like
this one. If you want to change the descriptions for an existing file you can do so here. In this case,
it looks like the Sample Turn file was collected with Cars counted on the unshifted keys, Trucks on
Bank 1, and no data on Bank 2. We have no reason to think this wasn’t the case, so we’ll leave them
the way they are. Click OK and the Edit Header window will close.

You should now be back at the main data screen. We want to save these changes in the file, so click
on the Save icon in the toolbar. You can also save the file by selecting Save from the File menu.

If you look at the top of the data Window you’ll see some of the information we just saw in the
Header listed on the screen, including the Start Date & Time, and Site Code. Also notice the Dis-
played Group field at the top middle. This field is used to let you view the data in the other groups
of the file. Click the down arrow in this field and select Trucks from the list. Notice that the data
changes to show you the new group. Repeat the process and select Not Used. As you can see, there
was indeed no data collected for this group. Reset the displayed group field to group 1, Cars.

Now that we’re familiar with how to see all of our data, let’s look at a few ways we can change it.

The data in the file is presented in a spreadsheet-style, and like other spreadsheets it is easy to make
changes. Click on any of the cells in the file and it will become highlighted. You can then type a value
directly into the cell. Give this a try. PETRA makes it easy for you to manually enter data.

Another easy way to edit your data is though the Cut, Copy and Paste
Cut, Copy commands. PETRA supports these standard Windows commands, which
Paste makes it easy to move data from one column to another, or from one file
to another, or from the program into a different program.

PETRA Reference Manual

 4.11
If you need to move your data into another program (like Excel) to do some custom processing,
Copy PETRA also provides a more advanced version of the Copy command, called Copy Formatted. This
Formatted command allows you to copy over not only your data, but also formatting information like interval
times and column titles.

To see how this works, click on the Start Time (or End Time) box at the upper left of the data grid.
This will highlight the entire data grid. Next, go up to the Edit menu and select Copy Formatted. This
will copy the information to the Windows clipboard. If you have Excel, or some other spreadsheet
program, open it up. Go to the Edit menu, select Paste and you’ll see the data from PETRA dropped
in, along with the interval times and column titles.

Figure 4-11:
Data Pasted
in Excel

Another way you can edit a data file is by changing the number of intervals it contains. This is easily
Insert &
done using the Insert and Delete Interval commands. First we’ll see how to add intervals to a file.
Delete This can be useful if you have files you want to combine using the Copy and Paste commands, or
Intervals if you are manually entering data.

Click on Insert in the menu options, then go to Intervals. You are presented with three options: Add
to Beginning, Add Before Current Interval and Add to End. For this lesson, we’ll add some intervals
to the start of the file, so select Add to Beginning. You are then asked how many intervals to add.
Enter ‘4’ and click OK. Notice that there are now four empty intervals at the start of the data. Also
notice that the Start Time of the file has changed. Since we added four 15 minute intervals to the
beginning, the program has automatically changed the Start Time from 6 AM to 5 AM.

Note that the Insert an Interval icon in the toolbar can be used to quickly add one interval to a file.
When using this icon one interval is automatically added before the currently highlighted interval.

Now that we’ve seen how easy it is to add intervals, we’ll try deleting them. Click on Edit in the
menu options, then go to Delete Interval. Like with adding intervals, you are presented with three
options: Delete From Beginning, Delete Current Interval and After and Delete From End. We’re
going to delete the intervals we just added, so select Delete From Beginning. You are then asked
how many intervals to delete. Enter ‘4’ and click OK. Notice that the four empty intervals have been
removed, and the Start Time has been adjusted back to 6 AM.

Note that the Delete Current Interval icon in the toolbar can be used to quickly remove one interval
from the file. When using this icon the currently highlighted interval is automatically deleted.

Chapter 4 — Learning the Basics of PETRA

 4.12
PETRA also makes it easy for you to add, or subtract, columns of data. This can be useful if you
have files that don’t have the standard Right, Through and Left movements for all approaches.

Insert & Click on Insert in the menu options, then go to Col-

umns. The Add a Column Window will then appear.
Delete
Note that you can also use the Insert a Column icon
Columns to access this screen.

You use this screen to instruct the program where

the column you are adding should go. The Entrance
field should be set to the approach that the data is
coming from, while the Exit field should be set to
Figure 4-12: the approach it is exiting to.
Add a
Column We’re going to add an additional Right column
coming from the North and headed to the West
(westbound). Leave the Entrance field set to ‘1 Park
Ave.’, since this is the North approach, and set the Exit field to ‘7 Main St.’, since this is the West
approach. Notice that the diagram at the lower left of the screen updates to show you the direction
of the column you are adding. Also notice that the Movement Description field updates as well.
The Descriptions that appear are the same as the ones that have been setup in the Wording tab of
the Preferences, covered in Lesson 1. You can use the default or manually add a title. We’re going
to pretend this column is for Right Turn on Red data, so change the Description to RTOR. We want
this column to apply to the entire file, so leave the Which Group field set to Add to All Groups. Click
OK and notice that a new column, titled RTOR has been added to the From North approach.

Deleting a Column of data is even easier than adding one. To do

this, you start by highlighting the column you want to remove.
We’ll remove the column we just added, so click on the RTOR
column title and the entire column will be highlighted. Next, click
Figure 4-13: on the Edit menu and select Delete Column. The Delete Current
Delete a Column window will then appear, asking whether you want to
Column delete the column from just the active group or all groups. Note
that you can also use the Delete Current Column icon to access
this screen. We’re going to remove it from all groups, so leave
the default setting and click OK. Notice that the RTOR column is now gone.

In addition to adding columns of data, PETRA allows you to move existing columns to new loca-
tions, or edit their titles. This is especially useful if you used the Other keys (1 ,5, 9 ,13) to record
Edit (Move)
movements other than the standard right, through and left at an intersection. To see how this works,
A Column double click on the Rght column title in the From North (Southbound) approach, and the Edit (Move)
A Column window will appear. Note that you can also access this screen by selecting Edit (Move)
Column from the Edit menu.

Notice that this screen is essentially the same as the Add a Column screen described earlier. You
can use the Entrance and Exit fields to change the direction of the column and use the Movement
Description field to change the title. We’re not going to move any of the columns in the Sample
Turn file, so click on Cancel.

Note that the Movement Description field should not be changed to a different movement name
without also changing the actual Entrance or Exit fields. If we were to change the description of
the Right column we selected to read Left, the title would change but the data would still appear as
right turn data in any diagrams of the intersection.

PETRA Reference Manual

 4.13
Edit Street As we just saw, double clicking on a movement’s column title allows you to access an editing feature
of the program. This is also the case for double clicking on an approach’s title. Double click on the
Names
box that reads ‘Park Ave. From North’ and the New Street Name window will appear.

This screen lets you quickly and easily enter new street names
Figure 4-14: or change existing names. We don’t want to change the street
New name for this file, so click on Cancel. Note that you can also
Street Name apply street names to a file using the Intersection Design tool,
which is discussed in the next lesson.

In addition to giving you a lot of flexibility for adding or removing data to a file, PETRA gives you
Format a lot of flexibility in how your data should look. You can choose custom fonts for the Street Names,
Data Column Titles and Count Data of your file by using the Format menu. Each of these selections al-
lows you to choose a font type, font style, and font size.

The fonts that are used when a file is downloaded are taken from those that are set up in the Fonts tab
of the Preferences screen. Since we took the time to set the fonts while we were in the Preferences
(refer to Lesson 1 for more information on this), we’ll apply them by using the Set to Default option.
Click this selection and notice that the fonts of the file are changed to match what we designated in
the Preferences screen.

View Another benefit that PETRA gives you is the ability to view your data in several different formats.
To see a few of these, click on the View menu. Move to Size and notice that you are given several
Data
ways to change the size of your data file window.

Below Size are two selections, As Numbers and As Gradient, that let you see your data in two differ-
ent ways. The program is defaulted to show you your data as numbers; that’s what you are looking at
on the screen right now. The As Gradient selection lets you see your data as shades of color, which
can be very helpful in getting a quick understanding of your traffic volumes. There are four colors
you can pick from: Red, Green, Blue and Gray.

Click on the Red selection and notice that the data grid changes from showing numbers to showing
colors. The black areas represent low volumes, while the red areas represent higher volumes – the
lighter the red, the higher the volume. Now go back to the View menu, go to Size and select Fit to
Both. This tells the program to show all your intervals on the screen at one time. You can now easily
see that the highest volume movements for the file are the through movements for the eastbound
and westbound approaches, with some additional elevated volumes for the Right movement on the
northbound (From South) approach. Once you are done looking at this, go back to the View menu,
reset the Size to Fit to Width, and reselect As Numbers. Your file should then be back to the default
view.

The last item in the View menu is the Count Info Status bar. This is a useful
feature, located at the bottom left of the data screen, that lets you quickly
and easily see volume information by providing Column and Row totals for
any highlighted cell.

Congratulations! You have completed lesson three. In this lesson we learned some of the standard
editing techniques for data files. In the next lesson we’ll learn how to use some of the Tools PETRA
has. You can take a break now, or jump right into the next lesson.

Chapter 4 — Learning the Basics of PETRA

 4.14
Lesson 4 — The Tools Menu
In this lesson you’ll learn about some of the options that are available in the Tools menu, a selection
of functions that let you further define and customize your data files. For this lesson we’ll again
be working with the Sample Turn file that was installed with the program. If you already have the
Sample Turn file open, you’re ready to go. Otherwise, follow the procedure described in Lesson 2
to open it.

The first selection in the Tools menu is Intersection Design. Select this from the menu and the Inter-
Intersection
section Geometry window will appear. You can also access this screen by clicking on the Intersection
Design
Design icon in the toolbar.

The Intersection Geometry tool allows

you to provide a graphical represent-
ation of the intersection where your
data was collected. This can be very
beneficial in helping people who look
at the data have a better understanding
of it.

Up to eight different approaches can

be defined, with options for selecting
the number and type of inbound and
outbound lanes as well as median di-
Figure 4-15: viders. The tabs on the right side of
Intersection the screen are used to select the ap-
Design proach you want to work with. To edit
an existing approach, click on its tab
(From East, From West, etc.) or click
on the approach leg itself and the program will automatically call up the corresponding tab. The
existing street name for the approach is listed and can be changed if necessary. Lanes can be added
for straight, left turn, right tun and outbound by changing the number listed in each of these boxes.
Median dividers can be added by using the Between In and Out box.

The default view that you see for the Sample Turn file is pretty accurate for its intersection, but we’re
going to make a few changes anyway just so we get a better feel for how this tool works. Click on
the From South (or Northbound) tab so this approach is active. We’re going to add a Left Turn lane
to this approach, so click in the Left Turn box and enter a 1. Notice that the display updates to show
the change, but it doesn’t look exactly the way we want.

First, we want to make the lanes a little smaller so they are easier to see. To do this, use the Lane
Width slider bar at the lower right of the screen. This is currently set to 100, so slide it to the left with
your mouse until it says 75. Notice that the display look a little clearer now. Next, we’re going to
add a corresponding left turn lane to the From North approach. Click on this tab, and add a 1 to the
Left Turn box. Now we want to line up the approaches a little better. To help us do this we’ll use the
cross hair guides. Click on the button labelled Cross Hairs and you’ll see some guidelines appear.

The North, South and East approaches look pretty good, but the West approach is a little off center.
Click on the From West tab so this approach is active, then use the down arrow in the Offset Ap-
proach field to move the approach down until it lines up with the cross hair.

PETRA Reference Manual

 4.15
While the arrows in the Offset Approach field can be used to move approaches left and right, or up
and down, you can actually do this even easier by using your mouse to click and drag an approach.
Click your mouse on the From West approach and while you hold the mouse button down, move the
mouse up and down, left and right. Notice that the approach moves with the mouse. You can do this
with any of the approaches simply by clicking on them and holding the mouse button down. Once
you are done, re-position your approaches so they are again lined up.

Now that we’ve seen how to set up the intersection geometry, let’s see how to customize the look
of it. The green background is a little hard on the eyes, and the yellow text for the street names is
difficult to see, so we’re going to change these.

Click on the Properties button and the Inter-

section Design Properties window will appear.
There are a number of different areas of the
design you can change, including background
colors, street colors, and line styles. The first
thing we are going to do is change the green,
which is actually controlled by the Non-Street
Figure 4-16: Area tab (this is the area in front of the back-
Intersection ground, not on the street itself).
Design
Properties Click on the Select Color button of this tab and
change the color to a purple or dark blue. If you
use a black and white printer you may want to
choose a dark gray. Next, we’ll change the color of the text, so click on the Text tab. Click the Select
Font button and the standard windows font screen will appear.

Change the font color to white and to

make the text stand out a little more
change the size to 48 and the style to
bold. Once this is done, click OK to
exit out of the Design Properties. Your
intersection should now look similar to
the one in Figure 4-17.

Once you are satisfied with the look

of your intersection you can print it by
Figure 4-17: itself using the Print button, or include
Revised it with the full report for your data file.
Intersection We’ll cover how to do this in a later
lesson. Click Ok to exit out of the In-
Design
tersection Geometry screen and return
to the main data screen.

Note that there are a wide variety of ways you can change the look of the intersection design with
this tool. We covered just a few to give you an idea of what you can do – use can use your own
creativity when you start to work with your own data.

Chapter 4 — Learning the Basics of PETRA

 4.16
The next Tool on the list of options is Order Approaches. This tool allows you to rearrange the order
Order in which the approaches in the file are listed in the program and on reports. Go to the Tools menu
Approaches and select Order Approaches. The Order Approaches window will then appear. The current order
of the approaches is listed from top to bottom - North, East, South, West. To move an approach,
you click on it and then click on the large up and down arrows until it is placed in the order desired.
Let’s give this a try.

Click on the From South approach in the list of options, then click
the up arrow once. This moves From South up, and drops From
East down. Click OK and notice that the data in the Sample Turn
file moves to reflect the change we made. You can use this tool
to rearrange the approaches of a file in any order you like.

Now that we’ve seen how this works, lets go back and return
Figure 4-18: the file to its default order. Go back to the Order Approaches
Order selection of the Tool menu, and again click on From South. This
Approaches time click the down arrow once, which moves From South back
below From East. Click OK and the approaches move back to
their original order.

Now that we’ve seen how to move an approach with its data, let’s take a look at how to move data
Rotate
without changing the order of the approaches. This is done using the next tool on the list, Rotate
Count Board
Count Board.

When data is downloaded from a JAMAR hand-held data collector PETRA assumes that the From
North approach was counted with the 1 through 4 keys, From East with keys 5 through 8, From
South with 9 through 12 and From West with 13 through 16. In fact, the turning movement diagram
on the data collectors has a compass depiction that indicates the North direction.

Ideally, when in the field collecting data you would turn the data collector so that the compass faces
North. However, some people do not like to do this, preferring to count with the data collector in
its standard position regardless of the direction they are facing. This is where the Rotate Count
Board tool comes in handy. It allows you to orient your data in PETRA regardless of how it was
collected.

Go to the Tools menu and click on Rotate Count

Board. The Rotate Count Board window will
then appear. Note that you can also access this
screen by clicking on the Rotate Count Board
icon.

The Count Data Currently In: list shows how

the data is presently laid out and below it is a
color-coded display of the current layout. The
Will be Moved To: list shows any of the changes
Figure 4-19: you’ve set.
Rotate
Count Board To rotate the data you use the up and down ar-
rows on the right-hand side of the screen. The up
arrow rotates the data clockwise, while the down
arrow rotates the data counterclockwise. Let’s pretend that when the data for the Sample Turn file
was collected the person doing the data collection was actually facing South. Click the down arrow

PETRA Reference Manual

 4.17
twice and notice that the Will Be Moved To: list changes along with the color-coded display below it.
Now click the Apply button. The data that had been in the From North approach is now in the From
South approach, and vice versa. The same is also true of the From East and From West data. Notice,
however, that the order of the approaches hasn’t changed – we’ve only moved the data itself.

Now that we’ve seen how this works, let's return the data to its default order. Go back to the Rotate
Count Board selection of the Tool menu, and again click the up arrow twice. This moves the data we
have rotated back to its original position. Click Apply and the data is back to where we started.

The next item on the list of Tools is Correction Factors. This tool can be used to apply an adjustment
factor to the data in the study. This is typically done to increase or decrease volumes, either for all
Factor the data or for just a specific movement. Factors can be applied from the Seasonal Factor Table or
Data Daily Factor Table of the Preferences, or from a universal User Supplied Factor.

Note that applying a factor with this tool will change the actual data of the file. If you wish to factor
your data without actually changing it you can apply a factor to your finished report. The procedure
for doing this is explained in a later lesson.

Let’s take a look at how this tool works. Go to the Tool menu and select Correction Factor. The
Factor Data window will then appear on the screen.

The top of the screen contains the

selection boxes for Seasonal or Daily
factors. The Factors tab of the Prefer-
ences can be used to store multiple sets
of factor tables. Refer to Lesson 1 for
more information on this.

To use a factor from one of the tables

you click on the Previous or Next but-
tons to select the table you want. Once
the table you want has been selected,
be sure to place a check in the Apply
Factor box. We aren’t going to apply
any seasonal or daily factors to our data,
Figure 4-20: so you can leave the default settings in
Factor Data place.

Below the Daily Factor field is the User Supplied Factor field. This field allows you to enter one
universal factor and apply it to your data, which is what we’re going to do now. Change the value
listed from 1.000 to 2.000, then place a check in the Apply User Factor box. Notice that the Final
Factor table at the bottom of the screen updates to show this selection. This table is useful for keep-
ing track of the factor you are going to use if you are using a combination of seasonal, daily or user
supplied factors.

To the left of the User Supplied Factor field is the Which Group field. This is used to instruct the
program how to apply the factor. In our case, we’re going to use the default setting and only ap-
ply it to the current group. Click the Apply button and notice that the data in our file has now been
doubled. Applying a factor of 2 tells the program to multiply all the data points by 2, which results
in double the amount of data.

Chapter 4 — Learning the Basics of PETRA

 4.18
Now that we’ve seen how applying a factor can affect the data, let’s change the data back to its origi-
nal volumes. Change the User Supplied Factor to 0.5 then click the Apply button again. Applying a
factor of 0.5 tells the program to multiply all the data points by 0.5, which results in it being divided
in half. The data is now back to where we started.

Note that factors do not have to be applied to all the data in the file, or all the data in a group. You can
apply a factor to any specific portion of the data by highlighting the data you want to factor before
going to the Correction Factor tool. Any factor that is applied will then only affect the highlighted
data. This can be especially useful if you want to factor specific movements, like all Left movements
or all Right movements.

The next tool we are going to look at is the Merge Wizard. This is one of the more powerful features
Combining of PETRA. It allows you to quickly and easily combine multiple files into one. Data can be merged,
Files chained or moved from one group into another. Merging is typically done if two or more people
were used to collect data at the same intersection at the same time. Chaining is typically done if data
was collected at the same intersection at different times throughout the day.

The Merge Wizard will only work if you have two or more files open on the screen at one time, so
we are going to make a copy of the Sample Turn for this lesson. You should still have the Sample
Turn file open – if not, open it now. Go to the File menu and select Save As. This will open the Save
As window, which lets you save a copy of an existing file with a new name. Change the file name
to Sample Turn2 (clever, huh?) and click the Save button. We’ve now saved a copy of the Sample
Turn file – while keeping the original file as well.

For this lesson we’re going to chain the data from our Sample Turn2 file to the end of the original
Sample Turn file. Since both file have the same start time, we’re going to change the start time of the
Sample Turn2 file and pretend that its data was collected at a different time of the day. The original
start time is 6 AM and the data goes through the 5:45 PM interval. We’re going to change the start
time of Sample Turn2 to 6 PM, so we’ll end up with two files that have 12 hours of data.

To change the Start Time of a file you use the Edit Header function, as we covered in Lesson 3. Click
on the Edit Header icon, then go to the Start Time field. The times used in this screen are military,
so enter 18:00. Click OK and notice that the time of the file has now changed to 6 PM.

Now that we have the file ready to go, let’s reopen the original Sample Turn file. Go to the File
menu, but don’t select Open this time. Notice instead that at the bottom of the File menu is a list of
recently used files. PETRA keeps a list of the last eight files used and displays them here for easy
access. Locate Sample Turn in the list and click on it to open it.

We’re now ready to use the Merge Wizard, so

go to the Tools menu and select Merge Wizard.
The first of the Wizard screens will then appear
on the screen. Note that you can also access this
screen by clicking on the Merge Wizard icon in
the toolbar.

The first screen you see lists the files you are
going to combine. If you have more than two
Figure 4-21: files open you can choose the two you want.
Merge Wizard Note that the Merge Wizard will only merge two
– Step 1 files at a time. Sample Turn and Sample Turn2
are the ones we want, so click Next.

PETRA Reference Manual

 4.19
The next screen prompts us to decide what we
want to do with the two files – either Merge/
Chain the data into one file or move the data
from one group into a new group.

Most of the time, if not all of the time, you will

be Merge/Chaining data into one file. That’s
what we are going to do for this lesson so click
the radio button next to Merge/Chain the data
Figure 4-22: into one count. Once this is done, click Next.
Merge Wizard
– Step 2

The last screen of the Merge Wizard is for error

checking. In a typical file merge or chain, data
would not normally exist at the same point in
the files being combined. However, if it does
you must decide how the program should deal
with it. The options you have are: Add the two
data points together, Use the value from [file
1], Use the value from [file 2], or Cancel the
Operation.
Figure 4-23:
Merge Wizard The Add the two data points together option
– Step 3 would normally only be used if a person took
a break during an interval and their co-worker
picked up their count during that time. The other
options are self-explanatory. Our files should not have any overlapping data, so we’ll want to stop
the operation if the program finds any. Click on the Cancel the Operation radio button to have this
happen.

Note that the Final Options also contains a feature that can be very helpful in finding potential
problems. The Pause and show warning checkbox, if selected, will stop and give you a warning if
the program does find data at the same point in both files. The warning tells you at what interval,
column and group the overlapping data was located.

Now that we have all of our options selected, click on the Finish button. PETRA will then create a
new file, combining the data from the two existing files in the manner we have specified. Notice that
our new file has 96 intervals, 48 from each original file. At this point you would normally save the
new file. We recommend that you save the file with a name different than the original two files so you
can always got back to the originals if you encounter a problem. We don’t need to save our merged
file this time, so you can close it without saving it. Go ahead and also close the Sample Turn2 file.

Note that while the Merge Wizard automates the process of combining files, you can also combine
files though simple Copy and Paste commands. This can sometimes be quicker when you are deal-
ing with short files.

Chapter 4 — Learning the Basics of PETRA

 4.20
The next tool on the menu is Graphs.
Graphs PETRA contains a powerful graphing
engine that allows you to create visually
informative charts and graphs in a mat-
ter of minutes. To access the program’s
graphs, go to the Tools menu then select
Graphs. This will open the Turn Graphs
Window. Note that you can also access
this screen by clicking on the Graphs
icon.

We will cover the capabilities of the

Graph tool in detail in the Advanced
Lessons found in Chapter 5.
Figure 4-24:
Graphs

Variable The final tool on the list is the Variable Width Plot. The Variable Width Plot is a graphical repre-
sentation of turning movement data using thick and thin lines to show volume differences – the
Width Plot
thicker the line, the higher the volumes.

To access this feature, go to the Tools

menu and select Variable Width Plot
and the Turn Plot window will ap-
pear. Note that you can also access
this screen by clicking on the Variable
Width Plot icon.

The left side of the screen displays the

data, with arrows showing the direction
the traffic is moving. The thick lines
Figure 4-25: represent the heaviest traffic volumes
Variable while the thin lines represent the light-
est volumes.
Width Plot
At the top right, the Select Approaches
field is used to determine what approach
data will be used for the display. Click on the box next to Park Ave. – From North and notice that
the volumes for this approach disappear. Reclick the box to put the data back.

Note that in this field the data for the approach listed at the top appears in the forefront of the display,
while the data for the approach listed at the bottom appears at the back of the display. The order
in which the approaches are listed can be changed by clicking on an approach then clicking on the
arrow to the right.

The Select Groups field works in the same manner. Click on the box next to 2 – Trucks and notice
that the overall volumes go down. Also notice that the list of groups in the center of the screen gets
updated to show that Group 2 is no longer being shown with the data. Reclick the box to put the
data back.

PETRA Reference Manual

 4.21
The Select Colors field is used to pick what colors will be used to represent each approach’s data,
as well as the background and text colors. To change a color, click on the button representing the
direction of traffic you want to affect and you can choose an existing color or define a custom color.
This can also be done for the background of the plot by clicking on the large button in the lower left
and for the text used in the plot by clicking on the Text Color button.

The current black background of the plot makes it a little difficult to see some of the information, so
let’s change it. Click on the background button and pick one of the light gray colors. Once you’ve
selected the color, click OK and the display will update to show the change.

The Select Times field is used to pick a specific time period within the data to be plotted. The default
selection uses the start and end times of the study, but by clicking on the arrows in either the From
or To boxes you can choose any time period. Change the To field to 6:45 AM and the volumes
change accordingly.

Notice, however, that the line widths do not change dramatically. This is because the width of each
line is always in relation to the widths of the other lines in the plot. The westbound through move-
ment volumes went from 4352 when we showed all the data to 175 when we showed just the first
hour, but the width of the line did not change much, if at all. This is because the volumes for all the
other movements were also reduced. Generally, if the line widths do not change appreciably when
you show different portions of the data it is an indication that the volumes of the movements are
uniform, in relation to each other, throughout the day.

The Variable Width Plot can be printed directly from this screen, or included with a larger report.
How you included it with a larger report will be covered in the next lesson. You can also copy the
plot for pasting in other programs, like Word or Excel, by clicking the Copy button.

If you want to print the plot by itself

you can do so by clicking on the Print
button. Click this button and the print
setup for the plot will appear.

This screen shows a preview of how the

plot will look when printed. The Report
Headings field is used to select a title
for the printout from the list of titles
created in the Titles tab of the Prefer-
ences. The Options field is used to se-
Figure 4-26: lect whether you want to print Headings
VWP Print and Comments with the plot. The Plot
Preview Size slider bar is used to adjust the size
of the plot for the printout.

We won’t bother to print the plot now, so click on the Close button then click the Quit button to
return to the main data screen. Click the Save icon to save the changes you’ve made.

Note that the Variable Width Plot is not available for files with diagonal approaches, such as South-
westbound, Northeastbound, etc. It can only be used for files with standard North, South, East or
West approaches.

Congratulations! You have completed lesson four. In this lesson we learned how to use some of the
Tools in PETRA. In the next lesson we’ll learn how to produce a report from the data. You can take
a break now, or jump right into the next lesson.

Chapter 4 — Learning the Basics of PETRA

 4.22
Lesson 5 — Producing a Report
Once you have edited a data file to your liking, you are most likely going to want to produce a report
containing the data. For this lesson, we’ll produce a report from the data contained in the Sample
Turn data file. If you already have this file open on your screen, you’re set to go. If not, retrieve it
now. If you’re not sure how to do this, refer to lesson 2 for instructions.

To begin the report creation process, click on the File menu and select Print. This will open the Turn
Print Setup screen. Note that you can also access this screen by clicking on the Print icon.

There are seven separate tabs on this

screen that can be used to set up a re-
port for printing. The first of these is
the General tab. This tab allows you
to pick the times for the report and set
some other options that will determine
how the data is printed.

At the top left is the Select Interval

Length field. If you want to see the data
Figure 4-27: presented in different interval lengths
Turn Print you can use this field. Two other options
Setup - are No Data and Grand Total. Select No
General tab Data if you do not want to see the actual
count data. This can be useful if you
only want to produce a peak report or an
intersection plot. Select Grand Total to
see the totals for the entire count without an interval break down. The most commonly used interval
length is 15 minutes, so that’s what we’ll use. Set this field to 15 Minutes.

Below the Select Interval Length field is the Empty Intervals field. This is used to determine how
the report should deal with intervals that contain all zeroes. This most often occurs when you col-
lect data at specific times of a day (AM peak, PM peak, etc.) rather than continuously. If the Hide
Empty Intervals box is not checked, the report will include intervals with all zeros in the report. If
the box is checked, the report will replace the empty intervals with whatever is entered in the Word-
ing box. ‘Break’ is the default setting but this may be changed to any wording desired. The data in
the Sample Turn file is continuous, so we really don’t have to worry about this.

To the right of the Select Interval Length field is the From - To field. This field lets you select the time
period for the report. It is defaulted to use the start and end times of the data, but you can change
these if you don’t want to print all of the data. We’re going to use all the data in the sample turn file,
so leave the default times alone.

Below the From - To field is the Options field. This is a very important field because it allows you to
include a variety of features with the report. Any items that are checked will be included. Unchecked
items are not included.

The first item on the list is Approach Totals. If this is checked an extra column of data is added to
each approach in the report and shows the total for that approach. This can take up a lot of space,
so unless you specifically need this information we recommend leaving this box unchecked. We’ll
leave it unchecked for this lesson.

PETRA Reference Manual

 4.23
The second item on the list is Print Comments. If this is checked the Comments that were entered in
the header for the file will be printed in the upper left corner of the report. Refer to the Edit Header
portion of Lesson 3 for more information on this. Since we took the time to enter these comments,
we might as well print them so leave the box checked.

The third item on the list is Print Peaks. If this is checked the program will look for peak information
based on what has been entered in the Peak tab. Place a check in this box. We’ll see how the peak
tab works in a minute.

The fourth item on the list is Plot Totals. If this is checked the report will contain a standard inter-
section plot of the overall data. We want to include this, so place a check in the box.

The fifth item on the list is Intersection Drawing. If this is checked the report will include a copy of
the Intersection Geometry that was setup using the Intersection Design tool, as discussed in Lesson
4. Since we set this up in Lesson 4, place a check in the box.

The sixth and last item on the list is Graph. If this is checked the report will include a copy of the
Variable Width Plot, which we covered in Lesson 4. Place a check in this box as well.

To the right of the Options field is the Combine Groups field. This fields lets you select which groups
you want to include in the report. We’re going to print both group 1 (Cars) and well as group 2
(Trucks), so place a check next to group 2.

Now that we have the General tab

finished, lets move to the next one
– Peaks. Click on the Peak tab.

This tab is used to setup the peak in-

formation you wish to include in the
report. There are several standard peak
settings that can be accessed by clicking
on the list box at the top of the screen,
such as 1 Peak - Whole Count, 2 Peaks
– 1 AM 1 PM, 3 Peaks – 1 AM 1 Noon
Figure 4-28: 1 PM, etc. Or, you may set the peak
Turn Print information for any amount and times
Setup - that you like. We’re going to look for
Peak tab just one peak, so change the box to 1
Peak – Whole Count.

The # column at the far left of the screen allows you to look for multiple peaks within the time listed
on that line. We only want one, so leave the default setting.

For each peak that is programmed, you are also given several options as to how the data should be
presented when printed out. To select an option, click on the box shown below it and a check mark
will appear. The options are:

By Approach Select this option to have the program determine the peak hour on an ap-
proach by approach basis.
By Intersection Select this option to have the program determine the peak hour based on
the entire intersection total. The largest hour(s) will determine the peak,
with no regard taken for individual approaches.

Chapter 4 — Learning the Basics of PETRA

 4.24
New Page Select this option to force a page break to occur before printing the peak
analysis.
Plot Select this option to include a standard intersection plot of the peak data in
the report.
Graph Select this option to include a Variable Width Plot of the peak informa-
tion.

The most common way of looking for peak information is By Intersection, so check the box for
that. We want our peak information to start on a new page, so check the New Page box. We won’t
bother with a plot or graph, so leave these unchecked.

Note that the settings you select in the Peak tab will not be used unless you have checked off Print
Peaks in the Options field of the Gen-
eral tab.

Now that the Peak information is set,

let’s take a look at the next tab. Click
on the Comments tab. This tab allows
you to include a variety of information
printed with your data. Does the infor-
mation in the Count Comments field at
the upper right look familiar? It should
– we entered these comments using the
Figure 4-29: Edit Header in lesson 3. You can use
Turn Print them the way they are, or you enter new
Setup - ones directly on this screen. We’ll leave
Comments tab them the way they are.

You are also given the option of where

you want to have them printed: Top of first page only, Bottom of last page only or Top of each page.
We’ll use the default setting of Top of each page.

The rest of this tab is used to enter additional information for the report. You are given three sections
to work with: Before Data, After Totals and At End of Report. We aren’t going to add any additional
information, so delete the text in these three boxes.

The next tab is the Factors tab. Click

on it to bring it up on the screen. This
screen works in much the same way
as the Factors tool that we covered in
Lesson 4. The difference, however, is
that using factors here does not change
your original data; it only changes it on
the report itself.

This tab also gives you the option of

Figure 4-30: applying your factor to individual ap-
Turn Print proaches. To do this you place a check
Setup - in the Apply field for each of the ap-
Factor tab proaches you wish to have the factor
used on.

PETRA Reference Manual

 4.25
Another option found on this tab is the ability to print the factor with the report. You do this by
checking the Print Correction Factor on Report box.

We aren’t going to apply any factors to our report, so leave the factors with the 1.000 defaults.

Note that when a factor other than 1.000 has been programmed, an asterisk (*) will appear on the
Factor tab to let you know that a factor is going to be used in the report.

The next tab, Page, is used to select the Printer you want to use and set some of the physical char-
acteristics for the report. Click on this tab.

The Current Printer Setup field at the

top of the screen provides information
on the currently selected printer. To
choose a different printer, click on the
‘Setup’ button.

The Orientation field allows setting

your printout for either Portrait or
Landscape, while the Margins field al-
lows you to set the margins that will be
Figure 4-31:
used with the printout. Generally, you
Turn Print want the margins to be small enough so
Setup - that there is enough room to print the
Page tab actual data, but do not set them to zero
otherwise information may get cut off.
A setting of .25 is usually a good compromise.

To the right of the Margins field is the Line Spacing field. This allows you to set the spacing that will
be used between each interval of data. The default setting is for single spacing, but can be changed
to 1.25, 1.50, 1.75 or double spacing.

The final field on this tab is the Preview. This shows how the currently selected orientation and
margins will appear in the printout. Change the Orientation from Portrait to Landscape, then back
again. Notice that the Preview updates each time to show the change.

Now click on the Headings tab.

The Report Headings field is used to

pick the title that will be printed at the
top of each page in the report. Notice
that the default titles are the ones we
entered in the Preferences in Lesson
1. If you create multiple sets of titles
in the Preferences, you can choose the
ones you want using the Previous and
Next buttons. For this report, we’ll use
the default titles.
Figure 4-32:
Turn Print Below Report Headings field is the
Setup - Starting Page Number field. This field
Heading tab gives you the opportunity to start the

Chapter 4 — Learning the Basics of PETRA

 4.26
page numbering at something other than the number 1. This feature would generally be used if
you were planning to use the report as part of a larger document, or with other reports produced in
PETRA. For this report, we’ll leave it set for 1.

Now click on the final tab, Exclude.

This tab is used to exclude movements

from different areas of the report.
Movements can be excluded from the
entire report, from the totals, or from
peak analysis. To exclude a movement,
find the appropriate row and check off
the boxes for the approaches from
which you wish to have the movement
excluded. The Toggle Selected button
will reverse the currently selected set-
Figure 4-33: ting while the Reset Button will clear
Turn Print all settings.
Setup -
Exclude tab When movements are excluded from
the Totals, they will still be printed on
the report. However, you can use the
Exclude From Totals Format function
to choose a style in which these numbers are displayed so they can be distinguished from the move-
ments that are being included in the totals. Also note that if a movement is excluded from the Totals
it is automatically excluded from the Peak as well.

When movements have been excluded, an asterisk (*) will appear on the Exclude tab. We aren’t
going to exclude any data from our report, so don’t check any boxes.

Now that we’re finished setting the report up, we want to see how it is going to look and decide how
we are going to output it. Click on Preview.

Once you click on Preview, the Print Preview screen will appear. This screen allows you to see how
the finished report will look.

When the preview screen first

appears, you may not be able to
see the report clearly. To zoom
in for a closer look, double
click your mouse anywhere
on the preview screen. You can
zoom in closer by continuing
to double click your mouse.
If you get too close, you can
zoom out by double clicking
your right mouse button.

Figure 4-34: The options listed under

Report the Zoom menu can also be
Review used to get a different look
at the report. The Thumbnail

PETRA Reference Manual

 4.27
selection provides small pictures of each page of the report. Click on this selection to see how it
looks. The Two Pages selection will do just what is says, show two pages at a time in the preview.
Click on this selection to see how it looks. The Whole Page selection shows a complete page in the
preview. Click on this selection to see how it looks. This is the default selection when the preview
first appears. The Page Width selection will zoom in on the report until it fits the entire width of the
preview screen. Click on this selection to see how it looks. Once you are done, click back on the
Whole Page selection.

To view additional pages of a report when you are in Whole Page view, use the page selection options
found at the upper left of the screen. Click the Next button and you’ll see the standard intersection
plot. Click Next again and the Variable Width Plot appears. Click Next a third time and the peak
information is shown. Click Next one last time and the Intersection Drawing appears. Notice that
once you get to the last page of the report the Next button is no longer enabled.

Should you need to save the finished report in an electronic format you can do so by clicking on
Save the Save button. This will create a copy of the report in .ppf format, which is the format used by the
Reports JAMAR Review program. With this program, which can be downloaded for free from our web site,
Electronically other people can view your finished PETRA report without having to have PETRA. This allows you
to e-mail reports or post them on the Internet.

Now that we are finished previewing the report, it’s time to print it out. To do this, click on the Print
button and the report will be sent to the printer.

Congratulations! You have completed lesson five. In this lesson you learned how to produce a report
from a data file. This lesson concludes the tutorial for learning the basics of PETRA. You should
now have a good working knowledge of how to use the program.

Chapter 4 — Learning the Basics of PETRA

 4.28

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PETRA Reference Manual

 5.1

Chapter 5

Advanced Lessons

Chapter 5 — Advanced Lessons

 5.2

Advanced Lessons
Lesson 1 — Creating a Three Approach File
When working with turning movement files, one of the most common occurrences you will encounter
is an intersection which has only three approaches, also know as a ‘T’ intersection. PETRA allows
you to customize your data and reports to reflect this, using some of the functions discussed in the
previous chapter. For this lesson we’ll change a standard four approach file to a three approach file,
using the Sample Turn file that was installed with the program. Open this file in the program. If
you’re not sure how to do that, refer to Lesson 2 of Chapter 4.

After opening the Sample Turn file, you will see it lists four standard approaches.

Figure 5-1:
Initial Four
Approaches

For this lesson we’re going to remove the Park Ave. From North (or Southbound) approach. The first
step to doing this is to access the Intersection Design, which can be found in the Tools menu.

When first accessed, the intersection

diagram shows four approaches. To
remove the approach at the top, select
it from the list of tabs on the right of
the screen. Change any of the 1s listed
in the Straight, Left Turn, Right Turn,
Between In and Out or Outbound boxes
to zeroes and the approach will be re-
moved, as shown in figure 5-2.

Figure 5-2: Removing an approach from the Inter-

Edited section Diagram does not automatically
Intersection remove the data for the approach from
the file. The next step is to remove the
Design
data from the deleted approach. After
clicking OK in the Intersection Design
screen you will be returned to the data screen. To remove the columns of data from the approach,
click on the column title of the column you want to remove. This will highlight the column as shown
is figure 5-3.

Figure 5-3:
Highlighted
Data Column

PETRA Reference Manual

 5.3
Next, delete the column by using the Delete Column selection of the Edit menu, or by clicking on
the Delete Current Column icon. Follow the same procedure to delete the other columns from this
approach. The columns can only be deleted one at a time. Once the columns are deleted, the data
screen should look like figure 5-4 below.

Figure 5-4:
Modified
Data Screen

The final step in the process is to delete the columns of data that would normally be moving into the
fourth approach from the remaining three approaches. In the file we are working with, this would
be the Thru column in the From South approach, the Right column in the From East approach, and
the Left column in the From West approach. Once these columns are deleted the data screen should
look like figure 5-5 below.

Figure 5-5:
Final Data
Screen

At this point, the process is finished. When a report is produced it will reflect the data as being from
a three legged approach.

Figure 5-6:
Three
Approach Plot

Congratulations! You have completed lesson one. In this lesson we learned how to create a three
approach file. In the next lesson we’ll learn how to produce a five (or more) approach file. You can
take a break now, or jump right into the next lesson.

Chapter 5 — Advanced Lessons

 5.4
Lesson 2 — Creating a Five (or more) Approach File
Like three approach intersections, you may occasionally encounter an intersection with five (or more)
approaches. PETRA allows you to customize your data and reports to reflect this, using some of the
functions previously discussed. For this lesson we’ll change a standard four approach file to a five
approach file, using the Sample Turn file that was installed with the program. If you still have this
file open from the previous lesson close it without saving your changes, then reopen it.

After opening the Sample Turn file, you will see it lists four standard approaches.

Figure 5-7:
Initial Four
Approaches

For this lesson we’re going to add the fifth leg as the From Northeast approach. The first step to
doing this is to access the Intersection Design, which can be found in the Tools menu.

When first accessed, the intersection

diagram shows four approaches. To add
a fifth approach, select From Northeast
from the list of tabs on the right of the
screen. Next, assign a street name to the
approach. For this lesson we’ll name it
Fifth Leg. Now change the zeroes listed
in the Straight and Outbound boxes to
1s and the approach will be added. You
may need to move the other approaches
Figure 5-8: around to line everything up correctly.
Edited If you are not sure how to do this refer
Intersection to lesson 4 in Chapter 4. Once you are
Design finished your design should look simi-
lar to figure 5-8.

Adding an approach to the Intersection Diagram does not automatically add data columns for the
approach to the file. The next step is to add the data columns to the new approach. After clicking OK
in the Intersection Design screen you will be returned to the data screen. To add columns of data to
the approach, select Column from the Insert menu or click on the Insert a Column icon. This will
open the Insert a Column window.

To add columns for the new approach, set the Entrance

to Fifth Leg and the Exit to any of the other approaches.
When the column is added, you will see the new ap-
proach start to appear in the data. Follow this same
procedure until columns are added for data going into
each of the other four approaches. To add an ‘Other’
(or Peds) column, set the Entrance and Exit both to the
Figure 5-9: Fifth Leg. Once this is done, the data screen should
Insert a Col- look like figure 5.10.
umn

PETRA Reference Manual

 5.5

Figure 5-10:
Modified
Data Screen

The next step in the process is to add the columns of data from the other four approaches that would
normally be moving into the fifth approach. Use the Insert a Column function to do this, setting the
Exit each time to the Fifth Leg. After this is done, remove all the ‘Other’ columns so we don’t have
to try to squeeze too much information onto the report. This is done by highlighting the column to
remove then clicking the Delete a Column icon. Once these changes are complete your data screen
should look like figure 5-11 below.

Figure 5-11:
Final Data
Screen

At this point, you need only add the actual data for these added columns. This can be done using the
Copy and Paste function to move the data from where you collected it, usually either in a different
file or in Group 1 or Group 2. Once your data is added you can produce a report that will reflect the
additional approach.

Figure 5-12:
Five
Approach Plot

The previous steps can be repeated to add additional approaches, up to a total of eight. When pro-
ducing reports with five or more approaches you may need to print in landscape mode in order for
all the information to fit on the page properly.

Congratulations! You have completed lesson two. In this lesson we learned how to create a five
approach file. In the next lesson we’ll learn about some of the capabilities of the graphing tool in
PETRA. You can take a break now, or jump right into the next lesson.

Chapter 5 — Advanced Lessons

 5.6
Lesson 3 — Working with Graphs
The graphing ability of PETRA is one of the most powerful features of the program. With it you
can present your data in an almost unlimited number of formats. For this lesson we’ll create just
one of the many formats, and along the way show some of the functions that can be used to create
comprehensive graphs.

We’ll be working with the Sample Turn file that was installed with the program. If you still have this
file open from the previous lesson close it without saving your changes, then reopen it.

The graphs for the program can be accessed by either selecting Graph from the Tools menu or by
clicking on the Graph icon. Click on this icon now.

The initial graph screen that appears breaks down

each movement of each approach over the entire
length of the file. For this lesson we will change
the graph to a three dimensional pie graph rep-
resenting the data from the four approaches for
the entire length of the file.

Note that graphs can be created from any portion

of your data; you do not have to graph all of the
data. To graph a portion of the data, highlight the
specific area you want graphed then click on the
Figure 5-13: graph icon. This can be used to graph a specific
Default time period, or individual approaches.
Graph
The first step is to select the type of graph we
want. This is done by using the Options menu.
Select Options from the menu then slide to
Type.

PETRA allows you to create a wide range of

graphs in both 2D and 3D format. Two-dimen-
sional graphs include Bar/Pictograph, Line, Area,
Step, Horizontal Bar and Pie. Three-dimensional
graphs include Column, Tape, Area, Step, Hor-
izontal Bar and Pie. Select Pie from the 3D
selections and the graph is changed from a two
dimensional line graph to a three dimensional
pie graph.
Figure 5-14:
Initial In the initial pie graph a graph is shown for each
3D Pie Graph interval, which does not give a good represent-
ation of the data. To give a better representation
of the data we’ll again use the Options menu.

The Sum Intervals and Sum Approaches options allow you combine data to present it more clearly.
Select Sum Interval and the data will be combined into one pie graph representing all the intervals
in the study. Next, select Sum Approaches and the various movements within an approach are com-
bined. This produces a single pie graph of all the data.

PETRA Reference Manual

 5.7
Now that we have the graph set up to show the data the way we want, we’ll make a few more
changes to make the graph even more descriptive. For these changes we’ll be working with the
Chart Designer.

The Chart Designer is a tool used to edit the more

technical aspects of charts and graphs. You can
start the designer by right-clicking on the graph
and selecting Chart Designer from the pop-up
window. However, it is usually better to start the
Figure 5-15: designer by double-clicking on the area of the
Chart graph you want to edit, as this takes you directly
Designer to that location in the designer. We’re going to add
labels of the actual volume total for each approach
to the graph, so start by double clicking on the box next to Park Ave. From North.

The Chart Designer opens and takes us directly

to the selection for Park Avenue From North.
Click on the ‘+’ sign next to this series and you’ll
see the options that are available. Click on Data
Point Labels. The Text Location field in the Ap-
pearance tab is what we need to change to have
the datapoint labels appear in the graph. The de-
fault setting is for None. You can choose to have
the labels shown either inside the section of the
graph or outside it by selecting the appropriate
entry. Since there isn’t much data for the From
Figure 5-16: North approach (and therefore its slice of the pie
Graph with is pretty small), we’ll select Outside. Click on
First Label the OK button and you will see the volume totals
listed in the graph for this approach.

Next we’ll do the From East approach. Double click on the box next to it and then go to the Datapoint
Labels selection the same way did previously. The From East approach has the most data of the file,
so its pie slice is pretty big. Since this is the case we’ll put the label right on the slice by selecting
Inside. Once this is done, click OK and you’ll see the new label, this time on the graph itself.

Double click on the box next to From South and

repeat the same procedure, selecting Inside. This
time, however, we’re going to change the format
of the label. The pie slice for the From South
approach is a little dark, so to make the label
easier to read we’ll have it be in white text rather
than the default black text. To do this select the
Font tab of the Datapoint label screen (several
tabs over from the Appearance tab we have been
using). The font tab works just like the standard
windows font tab, allowing you to change the
Figure 5-17: type, style, size and color of the text. We’re just
Highlighted going to change the color so select white and
Data Column click OK. The label is added on the graph, but
this time in white type.

Chapter 5 — Advanced Lessons

 5.8
Now do the final approach, From West. You can choose whether to put the label inside or outside,
and pick whatever style you want.

With the labels added to the graph it is more

informative, but there’s another change we can
do to make it even better. The default title for the
graph is the data file’s name and location but this
may not mean too much to the person looking
at the graph. We’ll change it to make it more
descriptive. Double click on the current title and
you’ll be taken back into the Chart Designer, but
this time to the Title selection.

Click on the Text tab and delete the current title.

You can then enter any title you want that you
Figure 5-18: think will help properly describe the data. One
Final Graph example would be Approach Volumes for Cars.
Once you have added the new title click OK.

The completed graph can be printed by selecting Print from the File menu. It can also be copied for
pasting into other programs by selecting Copy from the Edit menu.

This lesson covered just a few of the many ways you can customize your graphs. You can also change
background colors, use graphics (such as organization logos) for backgrounds, rotate graphs, change
lighting and otherwise edit your graphs to make them unique.

Congratulations! You have completed lesson three. In this lesson you learned how to create and edit
graphs. This lesson concludes the tutorial for learning some of the advanced features of PETRA. You
should now have a good understanding of some of the more powerful functions of the program.

PETRA Reference Manual

 6.1

Chapter 6

Turning Movement
Files & Reports

Chapter 6 — Turning Movement Files & Reports

 6.2

Turning Movement Files

Menu Options

Toolbar

Header
Information
Approach
Descriptions
Movement
Descriptions

Data Grid

Figure 6-1: Interval Times

Turning
Movement
File

Once a Turning Movement study is open in the program, there are a number of things that can be
done to edit or adjust the file. Each file appears in its own window in the program; you may have
more than one file open in the program at a time.

Turning Movement files contain five main areas of information: the Header Information, Approach
Descriptions, Movement Descriptions, Interval Times and Data Grid. These area are shown in Figure
6-1 above.

The information contained in the file can be adjusted and modified in several ways using the Toolbar
and Menu Options, shown above. How these functions work are covered in detail in Chapter 4.

PETRA Reference Manual

 6.3

Interpreting Turning Movement Reports

Turning Movement reports can be produced with a number of different options either included or
excluded. The following sections cover the various options that can be used. Your reports may not
include all of these options but they will contain some of them.

Overall
Data

Figure 6-2:
TM Report -
Overall Data

This area of the report contains all the data that was collected for the study. Generally the data is in
15-minute intervals, although it can also be done in 1, 5, 30, and 60-minute intervals.

The data is listed in chronological order with each interval’s start time or end time displayed, de-
pending on what option has been selected in the Preferences. Which groups of data are being shown
is listed at the top of the report on the Groups Printed line.

At the end of the data each column is broken down into what percentage of the approach it is and
what percentage of the overall data it is.

Standard If the Plot Totals box is checked in the Op-

Intersection tions field of the General tab of the Turn
Plot Print Setup, an intersection plot of the over-
all data will be produced with the report.
This is a graphical depiction of the data
showing the Inbound and Outbound totals
for each approach to the intersection.

The middle of the Intersection Plot contains

a North arrow as well as a box listing the
beginning and ending times of the data
shown and what groups are being shown.

Note that In and Out listing are always in

Figure 6-3: reference to the intersection itself. Refer
TM Report - to Chapter 12 for a more detailed expla-
Standard Plot nation of this.

Chapter 6 — Turning Movement Files & Reports

 6.4
Variable If the Graph Totals box is checked in the
Options field of the General tab of the Turn
Width Plot
Print Setup, a variable width plot of the overall
data will be produced with the report. This
is a graphical depiction of the data that uses
lines of varying width to show volume dif-
ferences — the thicker the line, the higher
the volume.

The middle of the plot lists the beginning

and ending times of the data shown and what
groups are being shown.
Figure 6-4:
TM Report -
Variable
Width Plot

Peak Peak analysis information will be printed with a report if the Print Peaks box is checked in the Op-
Analysis tions field of the General tab of the Turn Print Setup. The Peak tab of the Turn Print Setup is used
to set the parameters for the peak analysis. Refer to page 4.23 for more information on setting up
peak information for reports.

Figure 6-5:
TM Report -
Peak Analysis

The first line of the analysis says ‘Peak Hour From’ and lists the start and end time that was picked
for the analysis. It also lists whether one or more peaks are being looked for in this time period.
The second line lists whether the analysis is for the entire Intersection or By Approach and lists the
actual starting time of the peak hour. The third line lists the volumes for the hour by each movement
while the fourth line lists what percentage they are of the approach.

The next two lines list the time of the highest interval within the peak hour, and the volumes for
that high interval for each approach. The Peak Factor, also know as peak hour factor or phf is then
given for the entire intersection at the far right if the peak is being done by intersection. Below this
is listed the high interval and volumes of each approach within the peak hour, along with their Peak
Factor. Refer to the Appendix for more information on how the Peak Hour Factor is calculated.

If a plot of the peak data has been requested in the Peak tab of the Turn Print Setup, a standard in-
tersection plot of the peak data will follow the regular peak analysis. This plot is similar to the one
described on the previous page. Note that By Approach peak plots will only show Inbound volumes
as the Outbound volumes would vary due to the different peak times of each approach.

If a graph of the peak data has been requested in the Peak tab of the Turn Print Setup, a Variable
Width plot of the peak data will be produced with the report. This is a graphical depiction of the
data using lines of varying width to depict the volumes of specific movements. Refer to the section
titled Variable Width Plot on page 4.20 for more information on this.

PETRA Reference Manual

 6.5
Intersection If the Intersection Drawing box is
Drawing checked in the Options field of the
General tab of the Turn Print Setup, a
graphical depiction of the intersection
where the data was collected will be
included with the report.

The Intersection Drawing can be cre-

ated or edited using the Intersection
Design selection of the Tools menu.
Refer to Chapter 4 for more infor-
mation on how to design an intersec-
tion with this tool.

Figure 6-6:
TM Report -
Intersection
Drawing

Chapter 6 — Turning Movement Files & Reports

 6.6

This page was intentionally left blank.

PETRA Reference Manual

 7.1

Chapter 7

Classification
Files & Reports

Chapter 7 — Classification Files & Reports

 7.2

Classification Files

Menu Options

Toolbar

Header
Information
Class
Descriptions

Data Grid

Interval Times

Figure 7-1:
Classification
File

Classification studies can be done in two formats: using the standard Federal Highway Administra-
tion’s (FHWA) Scheme F of thirteen classes, or using a user defined classification scheme. Refer to
the Appendix for a detailed description of the FHWA’s scheme F.

Whether the file is user defined or FHWA Scheme F, they are edited in the same manner, the only
difference being the number of classes used. Each file appears in its own window in the program;
you may have more than one file open in the program at a time.

Classification files contain four main areas of information: the Header Information, Class Descrip-
tions, Interval Times and Data Grid. These area are shown in Figure 7-1 above.

The information contained in the file can be adjusted and modified in several ways using the Toolbar
and Menu Options, shown above. These functions work in much the same way as they do for Turn-
ing Movements files. Refer to Chapter 4 for more information.

PETRA Reference Manual

 7.3
Edit Class One feature that is unique to Clas-
Descriptions sification files is the Edit Class De-
scriptions Tool. This Tool, which can
also be accessed from the Tools menu
or by double-clicking on one of the
existing class definition column titles,
is used to enter the descriptions of the
classes being used. When first opened,
the current class names are shown and
can be edited as desired. The Class
Schemes button expands the window
Figure 7-2: for selecting a previously saved scheme
Edit Class or importing a scheme from the DOS
version of PETRA.
Descriptions
You can create a new scheme by click-
ing on the Add button and entering the number of bins (up to 32) to use in the scheme, followed by
the definitions of each and the description you want to give the scheme. Click the Use button to use
the currently selected scheme in the active file.

Interpreting Classification Reports

Classification reports are set up in a manner very similar to Turning Movement reports. Refer to
Chapter 4 for more details. Reports can be produced with a number of different options either in-
cluded or excluded. The following sections cover the various options that can be used. Your reports
may not include all of these options but they will contain some of them.

Overall
Data

Figure 7-3:
Class Report -
Overall Data

This area of the report contains all the data that was collected for the study. Generally the data is
collected in 15-minute intervals, although it can also be done in 1, 5, 30, and 60-minute intervals.

The data is listed in chronological order with each interval’s start time or end time displayed, de-
pending on what option has been selected in the General tab of Preferences. Which directions of
data are being shown is listed at the top of the report on the Directions Printed line. At the end of
the data the total for each class is listed, as well as the percentage it is of the overall data.

Chapter 7 — Classification Files & Reports

 7.4
Peak Peak analysis information will be printed with a report if the Print Peaks box is checked in the Op-
Analysis tions field of the General tab of the Classification Print Setup. The Peak tab of the Classification
Print Setup is used to set the parameters for the peak analysis.

Figure 7-4:
Class Report -
Peak Analysis

The first line of the analysis reads Peak Hour From and lists the start and end time that was picked
for the analysis. It also lists whether one or more peaks are being looked for in this time period. The
second line lists the starting time of when the peak hour occurred. The third and fourth lines list the
volumes for the hour by each class and what percentage they are of the overall peak data. The next
two lines list the time of the highest interval within the peak hour, and the volumes for that high
interval. The last line gives the PHF, also know as Peak Hour Factor.

Classification reports can also contain a printout of the Intersection Drawing. Refer to page 6.5 for
more information on this.

PETRA Reference Manual

 8.1

Chapter 8

Signalized Intersection
Delay Files & Reports

Chapter 8 — Signalized Intersection Delay Files & Reports

 8.2

Signalized Intersection Delay Files

Menu Options

Toolbar

Header
Information

Quick Analysis

Figure 8-1:
Signalized Interval Data Grid
Intersection Times
Delay File

Once you have opened a Signalized Intersection Delay file in the program there are several things
that can be done to edit or adjust the file. Each file appears in its own window in the program; you
may have more than one file open in the program at a time.

Intersection Delay files contain four main areas of information: the Header Information, Interval
Times, Data Grid and Quick Analysis. These are shown in figure 8.1 above.

For each interval, the Stopped and Through totals are shown, which are then summed in the Total
Volume column. The Stopped at End of Interval column lists the number of vehicles that were en-
tered into the data collector as being in the queue. These numbers are used to calculate the values
that are shown on the screen in the Quick Analysis.

The information contained in the file can be adjusted and modified in several ways using the Toolbar
and Menu Options, shown above. These functions work in much the same way as they do for turning
movements files. Refer to Chapter 4 for more information.

PETRA Reference Manual

 8.3

Interpreting Signalized Intersection Delay Reports

Signalized Intersection Delay reports are set up in a manner very similar to Turning Movement
reports. Refer to Chapter 4 for more details. Reports can be produced with a number of different
options either included or excluded. The following sections cover the various options that can be
used. Your reports may not include all of these options but they will contain some of them.

Overall
Data

Figure 8-2:
Intersection
Delay Report -
Overall Data

This area of the report contains all the data that was collected for the study. The data can be collected
with an interval length of between 10 and 16 seconds. The data is listed in chronological order with
each interval’s start time or end time displayed, depending on what option has been selected in the
General tab of Preferences. A Direction Description is listed at the top of the report if one has been
entered using the Edit Count Header tool.

The first column of data is the Stopped at End of Interval data, which is the number of vehicles in
the queue at the end of the interval, as entered by the person collecting the data. The second column
is the Stopped data, which represents the total number of vehicles that had to stop at the intersec-
tion during the interval. The third column is the Through data, which represents the total number of
vehicles that were able to proceed through the intersection without stopping during the interval. The
final column of data is the Total Volume, which is a total of both the Stopped and Through vehicles
in the interval. At the bottom of the data, the Grand Totals of each column are listed as well as the
total percentage of Stopped and Through vehicles.

Statistical
Summary

Figure 8-3:
Intersection
Delay Report -
Summary

The Statistical Summary of the data provides a breakdown of the overall data into a number of statis-
tical categories. The first two lines of the summary give the times of the first and last intervals done
in the study. This is followed by the sample rate (interval length) chosen for the study, the number
of samples collected and the total elapsed time of the study.

Chapter 8 — Signalized Intersection Delay Files & Reports

 8.4
The Number Stopped entry shows the total number of vehicles recorded as being in a queue at the
end of an interval. Below this is the Approach Volume, which is broken down into the total number
of vehicles that had to stop and the total number that were able to pass through the intersection.
These are then summed as the Approach Total. The next line lists the Total Delay in seconds, which
is calculated by multiplying the Number Stopped by the Sample Rate value.

The Avg. Delay per Stopped vehicle gives the average delay for a vehicle that had to stop at the
intersection (Total Delay divided by Approach Volume Stopped). The Avg. Delay per Approach ve-
hicle gives the average delay of all approaching vehicles (Total Delay divided by Approach Total).
The last line gives the percentage of all approaching vehicles that had to stop at the intersection
(Approach Volume Stopped divided by Approach Total, multiplied by 100).

Peak Analysis information can be included with the report, but only if there is more than one hour
of data. Otherwise this option is not available.

Signalized Intersection Delay reports can also contain a printout of the Intersection Drawing. Refer
to page 6.5 for more information on this.

PETRA Reference Manual

 9.1

Chapter 9

Gap
Files & Reports

Chapter 9 — Gap Files & Reports

 9.2

Gap Files

Menu Options

Toolbar

Header
Information
Gap Bins

Data Grid

Interval Times

Figure 9-1:
Gap File

Gap files contain data on the number of gaps that occur in traffic, broken down into 15 two-second
bins. These are: 2-3 seconds, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21, 22-23, 24-25,
26-27, 28-29 and greater than 29 seconds. These bins cannot be changed. Each file appears in its
own window in the program; you may have more than one file open in the program at a time.

Gap files contain four main areas of information: the Header Information, Gap Bins, Interval Times
and Data Grid. These are shown in Figure 9-1 above. The data grid lists the number of specific gaps
that occurred per interval. For example, in the Gap file shown in figure 9-1 above there were 33 dif-
ferent gaps of between two and three seconds from 2:30 to 2:45 for the Eastbound direction. There
were 23 different gaps of four to five second, etc.

The information contained in the file can be adjusted and modified in several ways using the Toolbar
and Menu Options, shown above. These functions work in much the same way as they do for turning
movements files. Refer to Chapter 4 for more information.

Column 1 One feature that is unique to Gap files is the Column 1 Label Tool. This Tool, which can be accessed
Label from the Tools menu, is used to change the label of the first column in gap studies. When doing a
gap study you have the option to also count vehicles. This is not required to get gap information,
but it can be useful in putting the gap information into perspective.

For example, imagine that at two different locations there were 100 gaps measured, and the aver-
age gap was 10 seconds. Now imagine that at the first location there were 125 cars counted, and at
the second location there were 2000 counted. Location one is a quiet little street, with fairly steady
traffic. Location two is much heavier with platoons of cars. Knowing the volumes helps a lot.

PETRA Reference Manual

 9.3
However, some people use the count button to count
other things, such as pedestrians trying to cross during
Figure 9-2: gaps. With the Column 1 Label function you can change
Edit Column 1 the name of this count column to reflect what it was that
Label you actually counted.

Interpreting Gap Reports

Gap reports are set up in a manner very similar to Turning Movement reports. Refer to chapter 4
for more details. Reports can be produced with a number of different options either included or
excluded. The following sections cover the various options that can be used. Your reports may not
include all of these options but they will contain some of them.

Overall
Data

Figure 9-3:
Gap Report -
Overall Data

This area of the report contains all the data that was collected for the study. Generally the data is
collected in 15-minute intervals, although it can also be done in 1, 5, 30, and 60-minute intervals.

The data is listed in chronological order with each interval’s start time or end time displayed, de-
pending on what option has been selected in the General tab of Preferences. Which directions of
data are being shown is listed at the top of the report on the Directions Printed line. The names of
the directions can be changed for each specific file in the Edit Count Header function.

The first column is the count column, and will only contain data if a count was done while the gap
information was being recorded. The label for this column can be changed using the Column 1 Label
function, as described previously.

The report lists the number of specific gaps that occurred per interval. For example, in figure 9-3
above there were 33 different gaps of between two and three seconds from 2:30 to 2:45. There were
23 different gaps of four to five second, etc. The Int. Total column gives the total number of gaps
recorded (note that this number does not include the count data from column one) while the Average
column lists what bin the average gap for the interval fell into.

At the end of the data the total of each gap bin is listed, along with the overall average gap and what
percentage each bin was of the overall data.

Chapter 9 — Gap Files & Reports

 9.4
Peak analysis information will be printed with a report if the Print Peaks box is checked in the Op-
Peak tions field of the General tab of the Gap Print Setup. The Peak tab of the Gap Print Setup is used to
Analysis set the parameters for the peak analysis. Note that you can only get peak information for a gap
study if count information was collected while gaps were being recorded.

The first line of the analysis read Peak Hour From and
Figure 9-4: lists the start and end time that was picked for the anal-
Gap Report - ysis. It also lists whether one or more peaks are being
looked for in this time period. The second line lists the
Peak Analysis
starting time of when the peak hour occurred. The third
line lists the volume for the peak hour. The next two lines
list the time of the highest interval within the peak hour,
and the volume for that high interval. The last line gives the PHF, also know as Peak Hour Factor.

Gap reports can also contain a printout of the Intersection Drawing. Refer to page 6.5 for more
information on this.

PETRA Reference Manual

 10.1

Chapter 10

Stop Sign Delay

Files & Reports

Chapter 10 — Stop Sign Delay Files & Reports

 10.2

Stop Sign Delay Files

Menu Options

Toolbar

Header
Information

Quick Analysis

Vehicle Data Grid Graph

Number

Figure 10-1:
Stop Sign
Delay File

Once you have opened a Stop Sign Delay file in the program there are several things that can be
done to edit or adjust the file. Each file appears in its own window in the program; you may have
more than one file open in the program at a time.

Stop Sign Delay files contain five main areas of information: the Header Information, Vehicle Num-
ber, Data Grid, Graph and Quick Analysis. These are shown in figure 10-1 above.

In a stop sign delay file each vehicle recorded is listed, along with the time it entered and left the
queue, total time in the queue and a graphical representation of the time in queue. These numbers are
used to calculate the values that are shown on the screen in the quick analysis. In the quick analysis,
a numerical value can be entered for the Min. Secs for Delay. The program will use this number in
determining how long a vehicle had to stop in order to be considered delayed.

For example, if two seconds is entered the program will consider any vehicles that had to stop for
zero or one seconds as not having been delayed. An example of this would be a vehicle doing a
‘rolling’ stop where it was recorded as leaving the queue immediately after entering it.

The information contained in the file can be adjusted and modified in several ways using the Toolbar
and Menu Options, shown above. These functions work in much the same way as they do for turning
movements files. Refer to Chapter 4 for more information.

PETRA Reference Manual

 10.3

Interpreting Stop Sign Delay Reports

Stop Sign Delay reports are set up in a manner very similar to Turning Movement reports. Refer
to Chapter 4 for more details. Reports can be produced with a number of different options either
included or excluded. The following sections cover the various options that can be used. Your reports
may not include all of these options but they will contain some of them.

Overall
Data

Figure 10-2:
Stop Sign
Delay Report -
Overall Data

This area of the report contains all the data that was collected for the study on a vehicle by vehicle
basis. The data is listed in chronological order, with data from lane one listed first followed by data
from lane two, if more than one lane was studied.

The times at which the vehicle joined and left the queue are listed, as well as the time delayed, in
seconds. If Graph Totals has been selected in the Options field of the General tab of the Stop Sign
Delay Print Setup, then a bar graph representing the delay time will also be printed. The color used
for the bar graph can be changed using the Graph Color button in the Options field.

The wording for Lane 1 and Lane 2 can be changed using the Edit Count Header tool.

Statistical
Summary

Figure 10-3:
Stop Sign
Delay Report -
Summary

The Statistical Summary can be produced for every 1, 5, 10, 15, 30 or 60 minutes of the data, or
for all the data. This summary provides a breakdown of the overall data into a number of statistical
categories for one or two lanes, depending on how many were included in the study.

Start - End Times – This line lists when the first and last vehicles of the study were recorded.

Total Vehicle Count – This line lists the total number of vehicles recorded in the summary
period.

Delayed Vehicle Count – This line lists how many vehicles had to stop at the stop sign for a
period longer than has been entered for the Minimum Seconds for Delay. Refer to page 10.2
for more information on how to enter this value.

Chapter 10 — Stop Sign Delay Files & Reports

 10.4
Through Vehicle Count – This line lists how many vehicles had to stop for less than the time
entered for the Minimum Seconds for Delay and are therefore not considered to be delayed.

Average Stopped Time – This line provides the average amount of time a vehicle had to wait
at the stop sign.

Maximum Stopped Time – This line lists the longest time a vehicle had to wait at the stop
sign.

Minimum Seconds for Delay – This is the value that has been entered in the file in the Min.
Secs. for Delay field and is used in determining the Through and Delayed Vehicle Counts men-
tioned above. Refer to page 10.2 for more information on how to set this value.

Average Queue – To arrive at the average queue, the program scans through the data and, for
each second, computes the number of vehicles waiting at the intersection (queue size) and adds
it to the “total queue”. This total is then divided by the total number of seconds in the study
(stop time - start time).

Queue Density – This value is calculated in a manner similar to Average Queue, with the ex-
ception that seconds where the queue is zero are not counted in total time. In other words, this is
the average size of the queue when there was a queue. By looking at the Average Queue and Queue
Density together you can determine the amount of platooning occurring at the intersection. The
closer these two numbers are, the more evenly the traffic is arriving at the intersection. A large
difference in these two numbers would indicate that vehicles are arriving in larger platoons.

Maximum Queue – This line gives the largest queue that existed during the summary period.

Stop Sign Delay reports can also contain a printout of the Intersection Drawing. Refer to page 6.5
for more information on this.

PETRA Reference Manual

 11.1

Chapter 11

Spot Speed
Files & Reports

Chapter 11 — Spot Speed Files & Reports

 11.2

Spot Speed Files

Menu Options

Toolbar

Header
Information

Vehicle Data Grid

Number

Figure 11-1:
Spot Speed
File

Once you have opened a Spot Speed file in the program there are several things that can be done to
edit or adjust the file. Each file appears in its own window in the program; you may have more than
one file open in the program at a time.

Spot Speed files contain three main areas of information: the Header Information, Vehicle Number
and Data Grid. These are shown in figure 11-1 above.

In a spot speed file the speed of each vehicle recorded is listed, broken down into the classes that were
used during the data collection. For example, in figure 11-1 above the first motorcycle recorded was
travelling at a speed of 35 mph, the second 37, the third 33, etc. By looking at the Vehicle Number,
you can determine the total number of vehicles of each class. In figure 11-1, there is a total of six
motorcycles, eight heavy trucks, etc.

The information contained in the file can be adjusted and modified in several ways using the Toolbar
and Menu Options, shown above. These functions work in much the same way as they do for turning
movements files. Refer to Chapter 4 for more information.

Convert One feature that is unique to Spot Speed files is the Convert to MPH/KPH Tool. This Tool, which
can be accessed from the Tools menu, is used to convert the speed values from miles per hour to
Units
kilometers per hour, or vice versa.

PETRA Reference Manual

 11.3

Interpreting Spot Speed Reports

Spot Speed reports are set up in a manner very similar to Turning Movement reports. Refer To Chapter
4 for more details. Reports can be produced with a number of different options either included or
excluded. The following sections cover the various options that can be used. Your reports may not
include all of these options but they will contain some of them.

Overall
Data

Figure 11-2:
Spot Speed
Report -
Overall Data

This area of the report contains all the data that was collected for the study on a vehicle by vehicle
basis. The vehicles are listed in the order in which they were collected. If the speed data was recorded
for specific classes, each class is listed separately. The data can be shown in either MPH or KPH.

The Statistical Summary can be produced with a number of different categories, depending on what
Statistical has been selected in the Spot Speed Reports. The first column lists which class of vehicle is being
Summary analyzed while the second column gives the total vehicle count for that class.
Average Speed – This is derived by adding all the individual speeds within each class, and then

Figure 11-3:
Spot Speed
Report -
Summary

dividing that result by the number of speed samples.

Percentile Speed – Reports can include percentile speeds from 5 to 100 percent in 5 mph in-
crements. A percentile speed is determined by sorting all the speed samples from slow to fast,
and then moving up the list to the point where the percentile requested occurs. For example,
if you were looking for the 85th percentile and had a file with 100 speed samples, the program
would sort the samples and then take the 85th vehicle from the list, which would be the 85th
percentile speed. This is the same as saying ‘85 percent of the traffic was traveling at this speed
or slower’.

Pace Speed – This column represents the largest number of vehicles traveling in a 10 mph
speed range. For example, if the pace speed is 26 to 35, then you could say ‘More vehicles were
traveling 26 to 35 mph than any other 10 mph speed range’.

Chapter 11 — Spot Speed Files & Reports

 11.4
Number/Percent in Pace – Theses columns give the total number of vehicles that were in the
pace speed range and what percentage this was of the overall data. The lower the percentage of
vehicles in the pace speed range, the more widely dispersed the speeds in the study are.

Number/Percent of Vehicles Over Speed Limit – Theses columns give the total number of
vehicles that were traveling over the designated speed limit and what percentage this was of the
overall data. The Speed Limit value can be entered in the Print Setup screen.

Spot Speed reports can also contain a printout of the Intersection Drawing. Refer to page 6.5 for
more information on this.

PETRA Reference Manual

 12.1

Chapter 12

Saturation Flow
Files & Reports

Chapter 12 — Saturation Flow Files & Reports

 12.2

Saturation Flow Files

When you first process a Saturation Flow file, a window titled New Count Options will appear with
several options related to the data.

The Count Identification field at the top provides Start Date,

Start Time and Site Code information on the file being pro-
cessed.

The Type of Study field allows you to select how the data was
collected in the field. There are three different ways to collect
data:

Type 1 provides only saturation flow rates. For this type of data,
you only need to record the start of the green signal interval
Figure 12-1: and when each vehicle crosses the stop bar. If this type of data
Saturation has been collected, the Signal Timings area of the file will only
Flow New show when each green interval began and when each vehicle
Count Options crossed the stop bar.

Type 2 provides saturation flow rates as well as the timings of

each signal interval. For this type of data, you need to record all signal interval changes as well
as when the vehicles cross the stop bar. If this type of data has been collected, you will see the
timings for all three intervals of a cycle, and when each vehicle crossed the stop bar.

Type 3 provides saturation flow rates, signal timings and vehicle arrival types. For this type of
data, you need to record all signal interval changes, when vehicles cross the stop bar and when
vehicles stop in the queue. If this type of data has been collected, you will see the timings for all
three intervals of a cycle, when each vehicle crossed the stop bar and when each vehicle stopped
in the queue. Figure 12-2 shows an example of a Type 3 data file.

PETRA will default the selection in this field to either Type 1, Type 2 or Type 3 based on its analysis
of the data.

The Select Lane Usage field allows you to select how each of the available four lanes was recorded
during the study. The options are Not Used, Normal Lane or Left Turn Lane. PETRA will default
the selection for each lane to one of these options, based on its analysis of the data.

The Ignore Vehicles field allows you to select with which vehicle to start the saturation flow rate
analysis. The analysis should be based only on vehicles that have a saturation headway, which gen-
erally begins with the fourth vehicle in the queue.

How the data in a saturation flow is presented in PETRA is largely determined by the type of satura-
tion flow study you did, and the other options selected in the New Count Options window.

PETRA Reference Manual

 12.3
Menu Options

Toolbar

Header
Information
Signal
Timings

Lane
Information

Figure 12-2:
Saturation Display
Flow File Options

Once you have opened a Saturation Flow file in the program there are several things that can be done
to edit or adjust the file. Each file appears in its own window in the program; you may have more
than one file open in the program at a time.

Saturation Flow files contain three main areas of information: the Header Information, Signal Tim-
ings and Lane Information. These are shown in figure 12-2 above.

Signal The signal timigs of each cycle are graphically represented at the top of the file. The timings can be
Timings adjusted by clicking on one of the traffic signals and dragging the mouse while you hold down the
mouse button. This is usually done if an error was made during the data collection and the timings
were not recorded correctly.

You can also add a signal by right-clicking in the Signal Timing bar and selecting Add Signal. This
is usually done if an error was made during the data collection and a signal interval was not recorded
at all during the data collection. Note that the right-click menu can also be used to ignore or delete
a signal interval.

Lane Up to four lanes of traffic are displayed below the signal timings. For each lane, a green time marker
Information represents when a vehicle crossed the stop bar during the green interval. Vehicles that are being used
to calculate the saturation flow rate (usually starting with the fourth vehicle) are a lighter green. A
red time marker represents when a vehicle stopped in the queue during the red interval.

Vehicle markers can be added or deleted from a lane by right-clicking on the lane. You can also use
the right-click menu to select (or deselect) vehicles to be used in the saturation flow calculation,
and to completely delete a lane.

Chapter 12 — Saturation Flow Files & Reports

 12.4
Display The Display Options field at the lower left of the screen can be used to change the time scale used
Options in the display of data. This field can also be used to toggle the time listed for each vehicle from
headway (the time, in seconds, from the previous vehicle) to accumulative (the time, in seconds,
from the start of the signal interval).

Additional information contained in the file can be adjusted and modified in several ways using
the Toolbar and Menu Options. These functions work in much the same way as they do for turning
movements files. Refer to Chapter 4 for more information.

PETRA Reference Manual

 12.5

Interpreting Saturation Flow Reports

Saturation Flow reports are set up in a manner very similar to Turning Movement reports. Refer to
Chapter 4 for more details. Reports can be produced with a number of different options either in-
cluded or excluded. The following sections cover the various options that can be used. Your reports
may not include all of these options but they will contain some of them.

Individual
Cycle Data

Figure 12-3:
Saturation
Flow Report -
Individual
Cycle

If Include Individual Cycles has been selected in the Print Setup, the report will contain a statistical
breakdown of each cycle in the study. Depending on the type of saturation flow study done, this
breakdown includes:

Arrived on Red - the number of vehicles that arrived during the red interval.
Arrived on Green - the number of vehicles that arrived during the green interval.
Volume - the total number of vehicle that crossed the stop bar during the cycle (arrived on red
and arrived on green).
Arrival Type - a numerical designation representing the quality of progression. There are six
types:
Type 1 - Very poor progression, with dense platoons and over 80 percent of volume arriving
at the start of the red interval.
Type 2 - Unfavorable progression, with moderately dense platoons and between 40 and 80
percent of volume arriving throughout the red interval.
Type 3 - Random Arrivals, with highly dispersed platoons where the main platoon contains
less than 40 percent of the volume.
Type 4 - Favorable progression, with moderately dense platoons and between 40 and 80
percent of volume arriving throughout the green interval.
Type 5 - Highly favorable progression, with dense platoons and over 80 percent of volume
arriving at the start of the green interval.
Type 6 - Exceptional Progression, with very dense platoons progressing over a number of
closely spaced intersections.

Lost Time - The time (in seconds) that is lost while the first few vehicles in a queue start up
to proceed through the intersection when the green interval begins. This value is calculated by
determining the saturation headway of the cycle (the average headway of all vehicles used to
calculate the saturation flow rate) then subtracting this value from the headway of the vehicles
at the start of the queue that were not used to calculate the saturation flow rate.

Chapter 12 — Saturation Flow Files & Reports

 12.6

# for Sat Flow - the number of vehicles used in calculating the saturation flow rate for the
cycle
Sat Flow - the saturation flow rate calculated for the cycle. This number represents the number
of vehicle that could travel through the intersection in one hour if the signal were green for the
entire hour.

The breakdown is provided for each lane, along with an average for all the lanes and the total for
all the lanes. The signal timing for the cycle is also provided.

If Print Data as Headway and/or Print Data as Accumulative have been selected in the Print Setup,
individual vehicle data is provided for these, both when entering the intersection and when joining
the queue.

Summary If Include Overall Average Summary has been selected in the Print Setup, the report will contain a
Cycle Data statistical average summary of all the cycles in the study. This summary contains the same type of
information provided for the Individual Cycle Data listed above.

PETRA Reference Manual

 13.1

Chapter 13

Troubleshooting

Chapter 13 — Troubleshooting
 13.2

Software Updates
For you are having any trouble using your copy of PETRA, the first thing we recommend you check is your version
number. Updates to the program, which contain new features and bug fixes, are issued periodically and posted on
our web site at www.jamartech.com. To check the version of your program, select About from the Help menu.

Error Messages
PETRA is written in Visual Basic and makes use of the Windows Run Time library. Any unexpected problems that
occur in the program will usually generate a Run Time Error. These errors are listed by a number, followed by a text
message. Should you encounter one of these, make a note of the full error message then check the PETRA support
web page at www.jamartech.com/PETRAsupport.htm to see if the error is a known issue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any known problems with running the program on certain Windows operating systems?
No. The program should run properly on any 95 or higher Windows operating systems, including 98, NT, ME, 2000
and XP.

My equipment won’t download to the computer. What’s wrong?

With most computers, downloading your data should be fairly easy. However, if you encounter a problem, check
the following items.

1. Some devices that are plugged into a serial port will not allow you to download your data properly. These are
devices that require a program (called a DEVICE DRIVER) to be running in the computer at all times. These device
drivers are very self-centered, and think that all the data coming into the serial port is for them. Digital cameras,
Palm Pilots, scanners, power backups, mice, digitizer boards, and light pens are all devices that require these device
drivers to be running. If you have to unplug a device from the serial port to plug your download cable in, or if you
are using a switch box, be sure that the device does not have a driver running in memory.

2. Many computers have more than one serial port. You will need to know which serial port you are plugging the
download cable into. Serial ports are designated as COMx where x is a number from 1 to 4. You will need to know
this number to download the count board. Consult your computer instruction manual if you have any questions on
identifying the proper port number.

3. You must correctly identify the type of port you are plugging the download cable into. The 25 and nine pin con-
nectors used for serial (Com) ports are also used for serial or parallel printers, mice, plotters, video cards and other
devices. Just because your cable fits into a connector on your computer does not mean it is a serial port. Consult your
computer instruction manual if you have any questions on what ports are serial ports on your computer.

My computer doesn’t have a serial (com) port. What can I do?

All JAMAR equipment currently downloads to a computer’s serial (COM) port. If your computer does not have a
serial port, or if you have a conflict on a serial port, an alternative is to use a USB to Serial Adapter. These devices
allow you to download data using a USB port as if it were a COM port. A wide variety of these devices are avail-
able, usually for less than $30. A link to one of these devices can be found on our web site at www.jamartech.com/
hardwaresupport.htm.

PETRA Reference Manual

 13.3
The message ‘This file is already marked in use.’ appears when I try to open a file. What does that mean?
This message appears if the file being opened is already open in another window
or is being accessed from a network drive and has been opened by another user.
This is to warn the user that someone else may be working on the file at that
moment.

This message will also appear if the file was open when the program crashed.
Selecting ‘Yes’ to continue will open the file and it can then be edited. When the
file is properly closed, the message will not appear the next time that the file is opened.

You should only answer ‘Yes’ to continue if you know you are the only one working with the file and it was open
when the program crashed. Answering ‘Yes’ while the file is open in another window or on another computer will
result in data loss.

Some of the data in my report does not fit properly and wraps to a lower line. Why?
PETRA will always try to fit the information to be printed in the space available. If the program cannot fit a piece
of information in the space allocated, it will subscript the portion that does not fit onto another line. To avoid this,
try adjusting the size of the left and right margins to give the report more space. If printing in the portrait mode, try
using the landscape mode. These changes can be made in the Page tab of the Print Setup

Data Subscripting Normal Format

You may also reduce the font size of the count data or column titles through the Format selection of the main
menu.

The sides of my report are being cut off. Why?

This can occur on some printers if the margins for the report have been set to zero. To correct this, set the left and
right margins to a minimum of 0.1. This can be done in the Page tab of the Print Setup.

The In and Out totals on the intersection plot appear

reversed. Are they?
No. The In and Out listing of the Intersection plot are always
in reference to the intersection itself.
Entering In to the intersection
from an approach
A vehicle is considered to be going In to the intersection
from an approach or travelling Out of the intersection to
an approach. As a result, each vehicle is counted twice in
the plot. Once as it enters IN to the intersection, and once
as it exits OUT of the intersection.

In the figure to the right, the Thru total of 25 of Park Ave.

southbound is counted as part of the southbound IN to- Exiting Out of the intersection
tal, since the vehicles are entering IN to the intersection. to an approach
However, the 25 is also counted as part of the OUT total
(along with the eastbound Right and westbound Left) of
the northbound approach since it is travelling out of the
intersection to this approach.

Chapter 13 — Troubleshooting
 13.4
How do I get data into other programs?
There are several ways to transfer data from PETRA into other programs. The easiest way is to use the Windows Copy
and Paste commands. PETRA supports these commands so data can be easily moved out of (or into) the program.

PETRA also contains an Export function that allows data to be saved in several formats, including AAP (for import
into other traffic programs like Synchro) and delimited ASCII. Refer to the appendix for more information on how
the export function works.

PETRA Reference Manual

 A.1

Appendix

Appendix
 A.2

Federal Highway Administration Scheme F

Class 1 - Motorcycles. This class includes all two- or three-wheeled motorized vehicles. These
vehicles typically have a saddle-type of seat and are steered by handlebars rather than a steering
wheel. This includes motorcycles, motor scooters, mopeds, motor-powered bicycles and three-wheel
motorcycles.

Class 2 - Passenger cars. This class includes all sedans, coupes and station wagons manufactured
primarily for the purpose of carrying passengers, including those pulling recreational or other light
trailers.

Class 3 - Pickups, Vans and other 2-axle, 4-tire Single Unit Vehicles. This class includes all two-
axle, four tire vehicles other than passenger cars, which includes pickups, vans, campers, small motor
homes, ambulances, minibuses and carryalls. These types of vehicles which are pulling recreational
or other light trailers are included.

Class 4 - Buses. This class includes all vehicles manufactured as traditional passenger-carrying
buses with two axles and six tires or three or more axles. This includes only traditional buses, in-
cluding school and transit buses, functioning as passenger-carrying vehicles. All two-axle, four tire
minibuses should be classified as Class 3. Modified buses should be considered to be trucks and
classified appropriately.

Class 5 - Two-Axle, Six-Tire Single Unit Trucks. This class includes all vehicles on a single frame
which have two axles and dual rear tires. This includes trucks, camping and recreation vehicles,
motor homes, etc.

Class 6 - Three-Axle Single Unit Trucks. This class includes all vehicles on a single frame which
have three axles. This includes trucks, camping and recreation vehicles, motor homes, etc.

Class 7 - Four or More Axle Single Unit Trucks. This class includes all vehicles on a single frame
with four or more axles.

Class 8 - Four or Less Axle Single Trailer Trucks. This class includes all vehicles with four or
less axles consisting of two units, in which the pulling unit is a tractor or single unit truck.

Class 9 - Five-Axle Single Trailer Trucks. This class includes all five-axle vehicles consisting of
two units in which the pulling unit is a tractor or single unit truck.

Class 10 - Six or More Axle Single Trailer Trucks. This class includes all vehicles with six or more
axles consisting of two units in which the pulling unit is a tractor or single unit truck.

Class 11 - Five or Less Axle Multi-Trailer Trucks. This class includes all vehicles with
five or less axles consisting of three or more units in which the pulling unit is a tractor or
single unit truck.

Class 12 - Six-Axle Multi-Trailer Trucks. This class includes all six-axle vehicles con-
sisting of three or more units in which the pulling unit is a tractor or single unit truck.

Class 13 - Seven or More Axle Multi-Trailer Trucks. This class includes all vehicles
with seven or more axles consisting of three or more units in which the pulling unit is a
tractor or single unit truck.

PETRA Reference Manual

 A.3

File Utilities
PETRA includes an Export function that allows data to be saved in a variety of formats. To export
your data, open a data file then go to the File menu and select Export. The Save As Type selection
box at the bottom of the Save As screen is used to select the export format. The options are:

IMC v3 (*.dfl) – This will save the data in the format of

the IMC program, which was the original software for use
with JAMAR hand-held data collectors in the 1980s. The
IMC file format only allows three lines of comments, so
Figure A-1: you are given the option of selecting the comments you
IMC Export want to use. This file format also only uses two groups of
data, so you are given the option of either not using group
Options
3 or combining it with group 2.

PC-Warrants (*.war) – This will save the data in the

format of the DOS PC-Warrants program. Note that the current War-
rants program, PC-Warrants for Windows, does not use this format.
Figure A-2: PC-Warrants for Windows directly imports data from PETRA .pwf
PC-Warrants files. When exporting into this format you are given the option of
Export Options exporting just the first group, or all groups combined. You are also
given the option of exporting the ‘Other’ keys, which are assigned to
Pedestrian volumes in the Warrants file.

ASCII (*.txt) – This will save the data in a delimited text format. When
exporting to this format you are given the option of exporting just the
first group, or all groups. You are also given the option of selecting the
delimiter (the character used to separate data points) for the file. The op-
tions are tab, comma, semicolon, space or user defined.
Figure A-3:
ASCII Export
Options

AAP (*.vol) – This will save the data in an AAP

format, which was an early standard for traffic anal-
ysis software programs. This format can be used
to transfer data into programs like Synchro. When
exporting to this format you are given the option of
Figure A-4: selecting the groups to export. A four digit reference
AAP Export number is used when naming the file and you may
Options also assign an optional line of text.

Appendix
 A.4

Statistical Calculations
Peak Hour Factor (PHF)
The Peak Hour Factor (PHF) is used to indicate how evenly the rate of flow of traffic is during the peak hour. For
15 minute intervals the equation for determining the PHF is:

PHF = V
4 x V15
Where V equals hourly volume (vehicles per hour) and V15 equals the maximum 15 minute volume within the
hour.

The maximum value a PHF could be is 1.000, which would occur if the volumes in each 15 minute interval of the
peak hour were equal. This is shown in the example to the left. The minimum value a PHF could be is 0.250, which
would occur if the total volume for the peak hour occurred in only one interval. This is shown in the example to the
right.
Time Volume Time Volume
8:00 25 8:00 0
8:15 25 100 8:15 0
100
= 1.000 = 0.250
8:30 25 4 x 25 8:30 100 4 x 100
8:45 25 8:45 0
Maximum Possible PHF Minimum Possible PHF

Typically the PHF will fall into a range of 0.700 to 0.980. The lower the value, the higher the degree of variation
in volumes during the peak hour.

Registry Entry
PETRA creates an entry in the Windows Registry when it is
installed. This entry contains the default settings that are con-
figured for the program, and can be reviewed or edited if an error
is encountered in using the program.

WARNING: Incorrect changes to the Windows Reg-

istry may cause your computer to stop operating cor-
rectly. Only use this function if you are sure of what
you are doing.

The registry entry for PETRA can be located at:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Software, VB and VBA Program

Settings, PETRA

Figure A-5:
Registry
Entry

PETRA Reference Manual

 A.5

Data Formats
The data that is read by PETRA from a hand-held data collector (TDC-12, TDC-8, DB-400, DB-100) is in standard
ASCII (text) format. In PETRA, the temporary file JAMAR.jcd is created every time a data collector is downloaded.
This file contains all the data that was output from the data collector. The program then uses this file to create the
various data files you work with in the program, which are in a binary format. If an error occurs during this process,
the JAMAR.jcd file can be reviewed using any program that will read text files, such as Windows WordPad. The
general format of the data of each of the support studies is as follows:

Turning Movements: Intersection Stop Delay:

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ leader characters (20) $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ leader characters (20)
001 count number 001 count number
001 interval number 001 interval number
01 interval length (min) 01 interval length
nnnnnnnn 8 digit site code nnnnnnnn 8 digit site code
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Alpha site code AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Alpha site code
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (20 characters) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (20 characters)
hhmm start time hhmm start time
mmddyy start date mmddyy start date
nnnn,nnnn,...nnnn data, 10 per line nnnn,nnnn,...nnnn data, 10 per line
... ...
ccc checksum ccc checksum

Classification: Stop Sign Delay (and Saturation Flow*):

#################### leader characters (20) <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< leader characters (20)
001 count number 001 count number
001 interval number 001 interval number
01 interval length (min) (always = 001)
nnnnnnnn 8 digit site code nnnnnnnn 8 digit site code
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Alpha site code AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Alpha site code
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (20 characters) AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (20 characters)
s scheme code hhmm start time
kk number of classes mmddyy start date
hhmm start time ss tttt data, 2 per line
mmddyy start date ...
nnnn,nnnn,...nnnn data, 10 per line
... ss = switch number (01-16, but not all switches are used)
ccc checksum ttt = # of timer ticks since last time marker (0001-2048)
1 tick = 15.6 msec
or
Gap: ss = 00 for time marker (1 every 30 seconds)
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ leader characters (20) tttt = checksum for all data since last time marker
001 count number
001 interval number *The Saturation Flow format is the same as Stop Sign Delay, with the excep-
01 interval length tion of the Leader Characters. Saturation Flow uses twenty + symbols.
nnnnnnnn 8 digit site code
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Alpha site code Spot Speed:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (20 characters) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! leader characters (20)
hhmm start time 001 count number
mmddyy start date 001 interval number
nnnn,nnnn,...nnnn data, 10 per line 01 interval length (min)
... nnnnnnnn 8 digit site code
ccc checksum AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Alpha site code
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (20 characters)
hhmm start time
mmddyy start date
nn MPH speed data, 1 per line
...
ccc checksum
Notes:
• Checksum is mod 256 of all characters in interval
• All lines are followed by CR, LF characters
• Last line of data followed by 20 colons “:” (end of data character)

Appendix
 A.6

PETRA Reference Manual