Transportation Engineering I - Comprehensive Review

Flashcards generated covering Intro to CE 121, Highway Economics & Finance, Transportation Planning, and Traffic Management.

How does the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) define Transportation Engineering?

The application of technology and scientific principles to the planning, functional design, operation, maintenance, and management of facilities for any mode of transportation in order to provide safe, rapid, comfortable, convenient, economical, and environmentally compatible movement of people and goods.

Why is transportation described as the circulatory system of a society?

Just as blood carries vital oxygen to critical body organs, transportation moves people and goods to different neighborhoods, cities, states, and countries to sustain societal functioning.

What are the two primary, often contradictory, goals of a transportation engineer?

1. Provide a high Level of Service (LOS) by minimizing travel time and delays.

2. Provide a high level of safety by minimizing accidents and harmful environmental effects.

According to AASHTO guidelines, what functional relationship exists between vehicle speed and street accessibility?

Speed and accessibility have an inverse relationship: Freeways/Expressways offer the highest speed and lowest accessibility, whereas Local Streets offer the highest accessibility and lowest speed.

What are the core operational differences between Arterial, Collector, and Local roads?

Arterials connect expressways and urban centers at the highest mobility level; Collectors balance mobility and access by connecting local roads to arterials; Local roads provide direct access to abutting land with high accessibility and low mobility.

What three components make up total Highway Transportation Cost?

Highway investment cost, maintenance and operation cost, and highway user cost (HUC).

Which specific vehicle operating expenses are included under Highway User Costs (HUC)?

Fuel, oils and lubrications, tires, and mechanic fees.

Which four vehicle expenses are explicitly excluded when computing Highway User Costs (HUCs)?

1. Registration

2. Parking fees

3. Premium insurance

4. Portion of depreciation

What are the three principal sources of revenue for highway expenditures?

1. Highway User Taxes (fuel tax, registration tax/fees, commercial vehicle taxes)

2. Property Taxes (ad valorem property taxes, special assessment taxes)

3. Tolls

How are vehicle classes categorized for Philippine expressway toll rates?

Class 1: Cars, Motorcycles, SUVs, Jeepneys. Class 2: Buses, Light Trucks. Class 3: Heavy Trucks (not allowed on Skyway).

What financial funding schemes are predominantly used for modern skyways/expressways versus rural/local roads in the Philippines?

Modern skyways and expressways are mostly constructed under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) scheme, whereas local/rural roads traditionally derive funds from the pork barrel budget.

What are the five specific classifications of Travel Surveys used in data collection?

a. Household travel survey b. Roadside surveys c. Modal surveys d. Goods movement surveys e. Parking surveys

What is the difference between Induced Traffic and Development Traffic?

Induced traffic did not previously exist in any form but results directly from providing new or improved facilities. Development traffic occurs due to improvements on adjacent land beyond what would have occurred without the highway.

What is Transportation Demand Management (TDM)?

The application of strategies and policies to increase the efficiency of transportation systems, reduce travel demand, or redistribute demand across space or time.

What are the four sequential steps in Travel Demand Modeling?

1. Trip Generation ($T_i$)

2. Trip Distribution ($T_{ij}$)

3. Modal Split ($T_{ijm}$)

4. Trip Assignment ($T_{ijmr}$)

In the classical Gravity Model formula for Trip Distribution, what does $T_{ij}$ compute?

The number of trips produced in zone $i$ and attracted to zone $j$ based on the total trips produced at zone $i$ ($P_i$), zone attraction ($A_j$), distance ($D_{ij}$), and an exponent ($n$) varying by trip purpose.

What is the core working principle of the Fratar Method in Trip Distribution?

Future travel patterns between zones are determined by present travel patterns and growth factors at the destination zone through an iterative process holding future zone origins constant.

What is the role of the Logit Method in the Modal Split step?

It predicts the percentage of travelers choosing a specific transport mode based on relative utility functions that incorporate travel time, travel cost, and socioeconomic factors.

What primary assumption governs All-or-Nothing Traffic Assignment?

It assumes drivers select a path from origin to destination based entirely on the route with the minimum travel resistance (most commonly minimum travel time).

What is Traffic Management (TM)?

Activities undertaken by a highway transportation agency to improve roadway system safety, efficiency, and effectiveness using traditional traffic engineering tools or advanced technology like Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).

What are four basic requirements that every Traffic Control Device must satisfy?

1. Compel attention

2. Convey a simple clear meaning at a glance

3. Allow adequate time for easy response

4. Command the respect of road users

What are the four standard size designations for regulatory traffic signs?

Size A: Urban low-speed roads Size B: Rural roads with speed limits between $60\,\text{kph}$ and $70\,\text{kph}$ Size C: High-speed rural highways and multi-lane urban roads Size D: Expressways

What is Asian Highway AH26, and what route does it cover in the Philippines?

AH26 is a designated segment of the Asian Highway Network covering approximately $3,517\,\text{km}$ in the Philippines, primarily along the Maharlika Highway (Pan-Philippine Highway).

How are longitudinal pavement markings distinguished from transverse pavement markings?

Longitudinal markings run parallel to the direction of travel (e.g., centerlines, lane lines, double yellow lines), while transverse markings are laid across travel lanes (e.g., stop lines, yield lines, pedestrian crossings).

What two main concerns are addressed by Traffic Calming measures?

1. Physically discouraging spillover traffic from congested arterials from bypassing through local streets.

2. Speed reduction.

Which traffic calming engineering elements are specifically designed to discourage spillover traffic on local streets?

Median barriers, Cul-de-sacs, and Chicanes.

What are the types of Object Markers defined for hazards within or adjacent to roadways?

Type 1 (objects within roadway), Type 2 (objects adjacent to roadway), Type 3 (slanted yellow/black stripes for clearance/hazard identification), and End-of-Roadway Markers (OM4).