Understanding Traffic Systems: Data Analysis and Presentation

by Taylor,Michael A.P.

• ISBN13: 9780754612483
• ISBN10: 0754612481
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-09-28
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This second edition of the highly successful " Understanding Traffic Systems" demonstrates techniques for examining traffic problems, through good information and processing. Issues addressed include: traffic flow, survey planning, data collection, analysis and techniques for developing and improving traffic systems.

Author Biography

Michael A. P. Taylor is Professor of Transport Planning, University of South Australia.

Table of Contents

List of figures	xv
List of tables	xxi
Preface	xxv
Acknowledgements	xxvii
Part A: INTRODUCTION	1	(38)
Introduction and context	3	(14)
Traffic impacts	5	(1)
Traffic studies	5	(2)
Principles of information gathering	6	(1)
Important traffic parameters	7	(1)
Levels of analysis	7	(7)
Link level analysis	7	(4)
Junction level analysis	11	(1)
Area level analysis	12	(1)
Relationships between link, junction and area	13	(1)
Roles of the traffic analyst	14	(3)
The traffic analysis process	17	(22)
Information, planning and decision making	17	(2)
The traffic planning and decision making process	19	(6)
Data collection	21	(1)
Modelling and analysis	22	(2)
Appraisal of policy options	24	(1)
Monitoring	24	(1)
Statistics and data	25	(5)
Measurement	26	(1)
Continuous and discrete data	26	(1)
Quantitative and qualitative data	27	(1)
Stationary and time-dependent data	28	(2)
Analytical tools	30	(7)
Database managers	30	(3)
Spreadsheets	33	(1)
Statistical analysis packages	33	(1)
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)	34	(2)
Specialist models	36	(1)
A perspective on the traffic analysis process	37	(2)
Part B: BASIC TRAFFIC THEORY	39	(96)
Basic traffic flow theory	41	(30)
The traffic stream and its elements	41	(2)
The traffic lane	42	(1)
Traffic strems	42	(1)
Modifying factors	43	(1)
Basic relationships	43	(11)
Trajectory diagram	44	(2)
Speed distributions	46	(3)
Average speed and volume	49	(1)
Average speed and density	50	(1)
Volume and density	51	(1)
Ancillary characteristics	52	(1)
Combining traffic streams	53	(1)
Statistical modelling of traffic streams	54	(9)
Discrete distributions	55	(3)
Continuous distributions	58	(4)
Bunching of traffic	62	(1)
Vehicle interactions in traffic	63	(5)
Car following	64	(1)
Lane changing and overtaking	65	(2)
Bunches and platoons	67	(1)
Shock waves	67	(1)
Applications in traffic analysis	68	(3)
Theories of interrupted traffic flow	71	(38)
Gap acceptance	73	(6)
Gap acceptance mechanisms	74	(1)
Basic results	75	(2)
Multi-lane traffic flows	77	(1)
Combined lanes	78	(1)
Queuing and delay	79	(7)
Arrival pattern	80	(1)
Service mechanism	80	(1)
Queue discipline	80	(1)
Traffic intensity	81	(1)
Derivation of simple queuing model	81	(3)
Results of simple queuing theory	84	(2)
Theory of traffic signal operation	86	(18)
Basic parameters for signal operation	87	(1)
Wardrop-Webster model	88	(2)
Capacity of one movement	90	(1)
Capacity of entire intersection	91	(3)
Capacity analysis	94	(1)
Degree of saturation	94	(1)
Saturation flows	95	(4)
Measures of performance	99	(5)
Link congestion functions	104	(5)
Theories of area-wide traffic flow	109	(26)
Principles of network analysis	110	(4)
Trip generation	111	(1)
Trip distribution	112	(1)
Trip timing	112	(1)
Modal choice	112	(1)
Trip assignment	113	(1)
The origin-destination matrix	114	(6)
Synthesis of O-D matrices from link counts	116	(3)
Modelling of O-D matrices from known trip end totals	119	(1)
Network flow modelling	120	(4)
Assignment strategies	121	(2)
Mathematical formulation of equilibrium assignment	123	(1)
Area-wide traffic control	124	(2)
Platoon dispersion	124	(2)
Congestion	126	(5)
Measuring the level of congestion	127	(1)
Generalised cost of travel	128	(1)
Congestion pricing	129	(2)
Fuel consumption and emissions	131	(1)
Exposure measures for accident analysis	132	(3)
Part C: DATA CAPTURE	135	(98)
Principles of survey planning and management	137	(10)
Elements of the survey planning and management process	137	(6)
Objectives	138	(1)
Availability of existing data	138	(1)
Specification of the requirement for new data	139	(1)
Available resources	139	(1)
Choice of survey instrument	139	(1)
Design of sample	140	(1)
Survey plan	140	(2)
Pilot survey	142	(1)
Conduct of main survey, data processing and archiving	142	(1)
What constitutes a good survey instrument?	143	(1)
Good practice in survey administration	144	(1)
Data capture without surveys	145	(2)
Experimental design and sample theory	147	(16)
An introduction to experimental design	147	(1)
Choice of variables	148	(1)
Alternative experimental designs	149	(6)
Comparison of one variable over two alternatives	149	(1)
Comparison of one variable over a number of alternatives	150	(3)
Analysis of situations with multiple variables	153	(2)
Sampling methods	155	(8)
Target population	155	(1)
Definition of sampling unit	155	(1)
Selection of sampling frame	156	(1)
Choice of sampling method	156	(3)
The basis of statistical inference	159	(1)
Sampling error and bias	159	(1)
Sample size determination	159	(3)
Requirements for sample design	162	(1)
Vehicle counting and classification surveys	163	(22)
Measures of flow	163	(4)
Classifications of flow	165	(1)
Choice of survey technique	166	(1)
Manual counting methods	167	(5)
Counting methods involving video	172	(3)
Automatic detection of vehicles	175	(6)
Pneumatic tube detectors	175	(2)
Switch tapes	177	(1)
Multicore cables	178	(1)
Summary on axle detectors	178	(1)
Inductive loop detectors	178	(2)
Magnetic imaging sensors	180	(1)
Electromagnetic beams	181	(1)
Automatic classification of vehicles	181	(1)
Data capture without surveys	182	(3)
Traffic condition data	185	(26)
The need for data on traffic conditions	185	(5)
Point velocities	185	(1)
Vehicle headways	186	(1)
Journey times and speeds	186	(3)
Traffic incidents	189	(1)
Methods of collecting data on spot speeds	190	(5)
Manual methods	190	(1)
Methods involving automatic timing	191	(1)
Methods employing the Doppler effect	192	(2)
Methods involving video	194	(1)
Data on vehicle headways	195	(2)
Instrumentation of a stretch of road	195	(1)
Analysis of video	196	(1)
Use of instrumented vehicles	196	(1)
Data on travel times	197	(10)
Registration plate matching	197	(4)
Remote or indirect tracking of individual vehicles	201	(1)
Input-output methods	202	(1)
Moving observer methods	203	(3)
The use of volunteer drivers and fleets of probe vehicles	206	(1)
Data on delays	207	(2)
Estimation of delay	207	(1)
Direct methods of calculating delay	208	(1)
Off-line use of on-line data	209	(2)
Environmental impacts	211	(22)
Transport fuels	212	(1)
Pollutants from road transport sources	213	(3)
Estimating the environmental impacts of road traffic	216	(2)
Survey methods for fuel consumption and emissions	218	(4)
Individual vehicle surveys	218	(1)
Surveys of system-wide consumption and emissions	219	(3)
Traffic noise	222	(6)
Surveys of traffic noise levels	228	(2)
Actual noise levels	228	(1)
Community reactions	229	(1)
Environmental sensitivity	230	(1)
Role of the traffic analyst	230	(3)
Part D: TRAFFIC STUDIES	233	(86)
Intersection studies	235	(24)
Tuning movement flows	235	(6)
Delays and queuing	241	(5)
Queuing	242	(2)
Traffic delay	244	(2)
Intersection delay studies	246	(3)
Stopped delay	246	(1)
Overall delay	247	(2)
Saturation flow studies	249	(7)
Headway ratio method	250	(5)
Regression methods	255	(1)
Gap acceptance studies	256	(3)
Origin-destination and route choice studies	259	(22)
Issues in O-D and route choice studies	259	(2)
Problems and difficulties	259	(1)
A categorisation of data sources	260	(1)
Methods of obtaining O-D data	261	(6)
Interviews and questionnaires	261	(2)
Registration plate matching	263	(2)
Use of vantage point observers or video	265	(1)
Tag surveys	265	(1)
Headlight surveys	265	(1)
Traffic counts	266	(1)
Vehicle tracking	266	(1)
Methods of obtaining route choice data	267	(3)
Observation of flows	267	(1)
Observation of individual vehicles	268	(1)
Interviews and questionnaires	268	(1)
Car following studies	269	(1)
The use of route choice simulators	269	(1)
Analysis of registration plate data for O-D surveys	270	(6)
Errors in data recording	271	(1)
Spurious matchings	272	(1)
Analysis of results from registration plate surveys	273	(2)
Computer analysis of registration plate O-D data	275	(1)
Presentation of results	276	(5)
Traffic generation and parking studies	281	(28)
An introduction to traffic generation and parking	281	(6)
Traffic generation	281	(3)
Parking	284	(3)
Supply of parking and entrance facilities	287	(2)
Traffic generation and parking demand surveys	289	(13)
Existing information	289	(2)
Interview surveys	291	(3)
Observational surveys	294	(8)
Summarising the requirements for parking surveys	302	(1)
Models of traffic generation and parking	303	(6)
Trip generation and parking rates	304	(1)
Regression models	305	(4)
Road safety studies	309	(10)
Some definitions	311	(1)
Statutory crash records	311	(2)
Other sources of crash data	313	(1)
Site investigations	314	(1)
Conflict studies	314	(2)
Driver behaviour studies	316	(1)
Controlled crash tests	317	(1)
Analysis of crash data	318	(1)
Part E: DATA ANALYSIS AND MODELLING	319	(104)
From data to information	321	(32)
Tables	321	(4)
Diagrams	325	(13)
One-dimensional plots	325	(9)
The comparison of one-dimensional data using diagrams	334	(1)
Two-dimensional plots	335	(3)
Multi-dimensional plots	338	(7)
Interactive mapping in data analysis	338	(2)
Three-dimensional data	340	(1)
Three-dimensional graphics	341	(1)
More than three dimensions	342	(3)
Decriptive statistics	345	(8)
Statistics and parameters	345	(1)
Measures of central tendency	346	(2)
Spread of the distribution	348	(2)
Shape of the distribution	350	(1)
Proportions	351	(2)
Statistical analysis	353	(34)
Faulty data	353	(3)
What to do about data errors	354	(1)
Data editing	355	(1)
Hypothesis testing	356	(12)
Selecting the hypothesis	357	(1)
Principles in hypothesis testing	358	(3)
Testing the difference in means	361	(4)
Confidence limits	365	(1)
Testing the difference in dispersion	366	(2)
Analysis of variance	368	(9)
Testing for differences	368	(6)
Two-way analysis of variance	374	(3)
Non-parametric tests	377	(10)
The sign test for small samples	377	(1)
Two matched samples	378	(1)
Confidence intervals from ordinal data	379	(2)
Rank order correlation	381	(1)
Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test	382	(1)
Contingency table test	383	(4)
Statistical modelling	387	(36)
Model development process	389	(3)
Regression	392	(18)
Simple regression	392	(6)
Multiple linear regression	398	(2)
Investigation of residuals	400	(2)
Significance of regression coefficients	402	(2)
Stepwise inclusion of variables	404	(4)
Correlation	408	(1)
Generalisation of the approach	409	(1)
Maximum likelihood estimation	410	(6)
The mean of a normal distribution	411	(2)
The poisson process	413	(1)
Normal regression	414	(1)
Other applications	415	(1)
Time series analysis	416	(7)
Time plots	416	(1)
Transformations	416	(1)
Analysing series that contain a trend	417	(1)
Autocorrelation	417	(2)
Cross-correlation	419	(1)
Probabilistic models of time series	420	(1)
An example of time series analysis	421	(2)
Appendix A: Statistical tables	423	(8)
Appendix B: Database of vehicle speeds on residential streets	431	(4)
References	435	(10)
Index	445