WOLLEGA UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
TRANSPORT PLANNING AND MODELING (CENG 2191)

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Chapter One outline

Introduction to Transport engineering

✓Overview
• Transport
• Transportation Engineering
• Transportation Importance
• Social cost and benefit of transportation
• Transportation system
• Factors in transportation development
• Characteristics of Transportation
✓Modes of Transport

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Introduction to Transport engineering

Chapter One
▪ Transportation is the movement of people and goods
▪ The primary need of transportation is economic.
▪ Most developed and industrialized societies are noted for their
high quality transportation services.
▪ Goods transportation, in and of itself, will not assure success in
the market place; however, the absence of excellent transportation
will contribute to failure.
▪ The availability of transportation facilities can strongly influence
the growth and development of a region or nation.
▪ The goal to move passengers and freight faster, in greater
quantities, safely and efficiently remains the fundamental drive to
improve transport technology.

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Chapter 2: Transportation Planning

Outline
2.1. Transport planning process
2.2. Basic Elements of Transport Planning Process
2.3. Transport Policy
2.3.1. The transport policy formulation process
2.3.2. Policy Instruments/Measures

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Transportation Planning

Transport projects are normally justified for the

improvements in:
• Traffic flow and safety
• Savings in energy consumption and travel time
• Economic growth,
• Increased accessibility, etc…

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Transportation Planning

Some other transport projects, however, may be

selected for other reasons:
• To stimulate employment in a particular region
• To compete with other cities or states for prestige
• To attract industry
• To respond to pressures from political constituency, or
• To gain personal benefits from a particular route location
or construction projects
In some instances, transport projects may not be selected
because of opposition from those who would be adversely
affected by the project.

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Transportation Planning

What is Transport Planning?

Transport planning deals with the preparation and
implementation of actions designed to address
specific problems.
• A rational way of furnishing unbiased information
about the effects of the proposed transport project
on the community and on its expected users to
decision makers.
• Different Scales of transport planning:
National > Regional > Local

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Transportation Planning

Transport planning process

• Transportation planning is often described as an orderly and
rational process of steps that logically follow one another.
• In reality, planning and project development are much more
complex, often with many different activities occurring
concurrently.
• The planning process starts with understanding the
problems facing a community and ending with a solution to
identified problems (projects programmed and designed)
For example, if noise or air pollution is a concern, the process will examine and estimate how much
additional noise or air pollution will occur if the transportation facility is built. Usually cost is a major
factor, and so the process will include estimates of the construction, maintenance, and operating costs.

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Transportation Planning

The process of transportation planning involves the elements

of situation and problem definition, search for solutions and
performance analysis, as well as evaluation and choice of
project.
The transportation planning process is not intended to furnish
a decision or to give a single result that must be followed,
although it can do so in relatively simple situations.
The process is intended to provide the appropriate information
to those who will be affected and those responsible for
deciding whether the transportation project should go forward.

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Transportation Planning

Transportation planning process

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Transportation Planning

Contributors to the Transportation Planning Process

• The transportation planning processes includes many contributors. The thoughts
and ideas from all of the stakeholders are critical to ensure a successful outcome.

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Transportation Planning

The Transportation planning process has many factors

to consider.
• Modes of transportation ,
• Infrastructure ,
• Technology,
• Demand and users are
all needs to be considerations
for the overall process.

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Transportation Planning

BASIC ELEMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

The transportation planning process comprises seven
basic elements, which are interrelated and not necessarily
carried out sequentially. The elements in the process are:
• Situation definition
• Problem definition
• Search for solutions
• Analysis of performance
• Evaluation of alternatives
• Choice of project
• Specification and construction
Transportation Planning
Situation Definition
▪ The first step in the planning process is situation definition, which
involves all of the activities required to understand the situation
that gave rise to the perceived need for a transportation
improvement.
▪ In this phase, the basic factors that created the present situation are
described, and the scope of the system to be studied is delineated.
▪ The present system is analyzed and its characteristics are
described.
▪ Information about the surrounding area, its people, and their travel
habits may be obtained.
▪ Previous reports and studies that may be relevant to the present
situation are reviewed and summarized.
Transportation Planning

Problem Definition
• The purpose of this step is to describe the problem in terms
of the objectives to be accomplished by the project and to
translate those objectives into criteria that can be quantified.
• Objectives are statements of purpose, such as to reduce
traffic congestion; to improve safety; to maximize net
highway-user benefits; and to reduce noise.
• Criteria are the measures of effectiveness that can be used to
quantify the extent to which a proposed transportation
project will achieve the stated objectives.
For example, the objective “to reduce traffic congestion”
might use “travel time” as the measure of effectiveness.
Transportation Planning

Search for Solutions

▪ In this phase of the planning process, consideration is given
to a variety of ideas, designs, locations, and system
configurations that might provide solutions to the problem.
▪ This is the brainstorming stage, in which many options may
be proposed for later testing and evaluation.
▪ Alternatives can be proposed by any group or organization.
In fact, the planning study may have been originated to
determine the feasibility of a particular project or idea, such
as adding bike lanes to reduce traffic volumes.
▪ Some data gathering, field testing, and cost estimating may
be necessary at this stage to determine the practicality and
financial feasibility of the alternatives being proposed.
Transportation Planning

Analysis of Performance
▪ The purpose of performance analysis is to estimate how each
of the proposed alternatives would perform under present
and future conditions.
▪ Included in this step is a determination of the investment cost
of building the transportation project, as well as annual costs
for maintenance and operation.
▪ This element also involves the use of mathematical models
for estimating travel demand.
▪ The number of persons or vehicles that will use the system is
determined, and these results, expressed in vehicles or
persons/hour, serve as the basis for project design.
Transportation Planning

Evaluation of Alternatives
▪ The purpose of the evaluation phase is to determine how well each
alternative will achieve the objectives of the project as defined by the
criteria.
▪ The performance data produced in the analysis phase are used to
compute the benefits and costs that will result if the project is selected.
▪ In cases where the results cannot be reduced to a single monetary value,
a weighted ranking for each alternative might be produced and compared
with other proposed projects.
▪ Other economic tests might also be applied, including the net present
worth of benefits and costs.
Transportation Planning

Choice of Project
▪ Project selection is made after considering all the factors involved.
▪ The chosen project would be the one with the lowest cost.
▪ With a more complex project, however, many factors have to be
considered, and selection is based on how the results are perceived by
those involved in decision-making.
▪ If the project involves the community, it may be necessary to hold
additional public hearings. It is possible that none of the alternatives will
meet the criteria or standards, and additional investigations will be
necessary.
▪ The information gathered in the earlier phases would be used, together
with engineering judgment and political considerations, to arrive at a
final project selection.
Transportation Planning

Specification and Construction

▪ Once the transportation project has been selected, the project
moves into a detailed design phase in which each of the
components of the facility is specified.
▪ For a transportation facility, this involves its physical
location, geometric dimensions, and structural configuration.
▪ Design plans are produced that can be used by contractors to
estimate the cost of building the project.
▪ When a construction firm is selected, these plans will be the
basis on which the project will be built.
Transportation Planning

Transport Policy
Transport policy deals with developing a set of
constructs and propositions that are established to
achieve specific objectives relating to:
✓Social,
✓Economic,
✓Environmental conditions, and
✓The functioning and performance of the transport
system.

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Transportation Planning

The goal of transport policy is to make effective

decisions concerning the allocation of transport
resources, including the management and regulation
of existing transportation activities.
Thus, transport policy can be concomitantly a public
and private endeavor.

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Transportation Planning

All transport policies should basically have common

features such as:
• Inclusion of all affected parties (transport operators,
transport users, politicians, etc.);
• Inclusion of all affected aspects (transport, modes of
transport, health, environment, social policies,
economics, etc.);
• Approval of a majority (voters, experts, etc.);
• Strategic view, logical and consistent layout and
implementation over longer periods;
• Possibilities to (re)adjust the policies based on feedback
and evaluation, etc.

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Transportation Planning

The transport policy formulation process

• The process of policy formulation is a political process
to determine what public actions the government can take to
address certain public issues.
• To find out how the political process in order to determine
public action with policy formulation, it is necessary
through the steps that must be taken, among others, as
follows:

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Transportation Planning
1) Assessment of problems, to discover and understand the
problems and then to formulate them in causal relationships
with a clear understanding and elaborate which factors cause
(Independent Variables) and the factors that result
(Dependent Variables);
2) A goal setting, in principle, a policy always aims to
achieve more and better virtues or prevent the occurrence of
evils and losses to the maximum extent possible;
3) Formulation of alternatives, used to achieve directly or
indirectly a number of objectives that have been taken;
4) The modeling, simplification of the problems faced is
manifested in relationships that are clausal, or functional to
facilitate the description of the problem culturally, in
predicting the consequences of whether or not the changes in
the causal factors;

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Transportation Planning

5. Criteria determination, in policy formulation requires

clear and consistent criteria for assessing alternatives, not
only on pragmatic matters, such as economics, politics,
administration, but also about fundamental abstract values
such as ethics and philosophy (equity and equality);
6. An alternative assessment, used to get an idea of
effectiveness and flexibility extent so as to derive
conclusions about designing which feasible alternatives are
most effective and efficient;
7. The formulation of recommendations, to illustrate a
number of appropriate options and recommendations, it is
also worth putting forward the implementation strategy
of suggested policy alternatives.

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Transportation Planning
The process of policy formulation in the transport planning process

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Transportation Planning

Transport policy instruments

▪ Transport planners have available to them, at least in
principle, a wide range of transport policy instruments.
▪ These are the means by which the policy objectives can
be achieved and the problems identified overcome.
▪ They are the key elements of the strategy.

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Transportation Planning

These instruments can be categorized in several ways

• Land use measures
• Attitudinal and behavioral measures
• Infrastructure provision
• Management of the infrastructure
• Information provision
• Pricing
⸎This grouping focuses on the type of intervention rather than the mode of
transport, since the same principles often apply whichever mode is used.

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Transportation Planning

Also distinguishes, for the final four categories, between

measures which:
• Influence car use;
• Influence public transport use;
• Provide for cyclists and pedestrians;
• Provide for freight.

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Transportation Planning

Land use measures

This set of measures focuses not on the transport system, but
on the land use patterns which generate the demand for
transport.
The overall emphasis is to identify ways in which the demand
for travel can be reduced, or modified to lessen its impact.

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Transportation Planning

The key measures identified are:

• Development densities, involving an increase in density of
development throughout an area to reduce the need to travel;
• Development pattern, including transport corridor-based
developments designed to encourage provision and use of public
transport;
• Development mix in which homes, jobs and shops are placed close
together, thus reducing the need to travel;
• Parking standards for new development;
• Commuted payments, whereby developers can provide less parking,
but pay for public space;
• Developer contributions to the financing of infrastructure;
• Value capture taxes, designed to reflect the windfall benefits to
existing developments from improved accessibility; and
• Other land-use taxes, including property taxes.
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Transportation Planning

Attitudinal and behavioral measures

• These are measures which aim to change users‘
understanding of transport problems, or provide alternatives
outside the transport sector, and hence induce changes in
travel patterns.
The principal ones are:
✓Individualized marketing campaigns, designed to encourage
individuals to use alternatives which reduce overall travel,
and travel by car;
✓Flexible working hours;
✓Telecommunications as an alternative to travel; and
✓Company travel plans, in which firms set out ways in which
they can reduce their demands on the transport system.

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Transportation Planning

Infrastructure measures
• The measures listed under this heading involve
additions or enhancements to the existing transport
infrastructure.

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Transportation Planning

The main ones are:

Measures to influence car use
• New road construction; and
• New off-street parking.
Measures to influence public transport use
• New rail stations;
• New rail lines;
• New rail services on existing lines;
• Light rail systems;
• Guided bus systems;
• Park and ride;
• Terminals and interchanges

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Transportation Planning

Provision for cyclists and pedestrians

• Cycle routes;
• Pedestrian routes; and
• Pedestrian areas.
Provision for freight
• Lorry parks; and
• Transshipment facilities.

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Transportation Planning

Management measures
• The measures listed under this heading involve changing the
way in which the existing transport infrastructure is used.
They involve a wide range of approaches, including
increases and reductions in road capacity, reallocations of
that capacity, and changes in the operation of public
transport.

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Transportation Planning

They include:
Measures to influence car use
• Road maintenance;
• Conventional traffic management;
• Urban traffic control systems;
• Intelligent transport systems, which use new technology to
improve the performance of the road network;
• Accident remedial measures, including speeds control;
• Traffic calming measures;
• Physical restrictions;
• Regulatory restrictions;
• Parking controls, including controls on duration, entry times
and designated users
• Car/Ride sharing and car clubs.

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Transportation Planning

Measures to influence public transport use

• Maintenance of existing fixed infrastructure;
• New and modified bus services;
• Bus priorities;
• High occupancy vehicle lanes;
• Changes in bus and rail frequencies;
• Bus service management measures designed to improve
reliability

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Transportation Planning

Provision for cyclists and pedestrians

• Cycle lanes and priorities;
• Cycle parking provision;
• Pedestrian crossing facilities; and
• Safe routes to school, including innovations such as
"walking bus services" in which children walk together.
Provision for freight
• Lorry routes and bans; and
• Lorry parking and loading restrictions.

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Transportation Planning

Information provision
• The measures listed under this heading involve
improvements in the information available to transport users
and operators. Some are traditional fixed information
systems, others draw on real time applications of information
technology.

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Transportation Planning

They include:
Measures to influence car use
• Conventional direction signing;
• Variable message signs;
• Real-time driver information systems and route guidance; and
• Parking guidance and information systems.
Measures to influence public transport use
• Conventional timetable and other service information;
• Real time passenger information;
• Trip planning systems which provide information on
alternatives before the start of the journey
• Operation information systems such as bus fleet management.

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Transportation Planning

Provisions for cyclists and pedestrians

• Static direction signs; and
• Tactile footways.
Provision for freight
• Static direction signs; and
• Fleet management systems.

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Transportation Planning

Pricing measures
The measures listed here involve changes in the cost of
transport use for both private vehicles and public transport.

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Transportation Planning

They include:
Measures to influence car use
• Parking charges;
• Charges for ownership of private parking space;
• Urban road charging, including area licensing and road
pricing;
• Vehicle ownership taxes; and
• Fuel taxes.
Measures to influence public transport use
• Fare levels;
• Fares structures, such as flat fares, zonal fares and monthly
passes;
• Concessionary fares, which are lower for identified groups of
users such as elderly people

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Transportation Planning

Bases for assessing performance

• All of the above policy instruments will affect the
performance of the transport system in one or more
of three ways:
• by changing the demand for travel
• by changing the supply of transport facilities
• by changing the cost of provision and operation of the transport
system.
• It is through these three types of change that the instrument
can help to achieve policy objectives and overcome transport
problems; conversely these changes can, if inadequately
understood, lead to new problems, and failure to achieve
certain objectives.

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