CEE 121 MIDTERM

The following are federal transportation agencies:

a. FHWA

b. FTA

c. NHTSA

d. All of the above

d. all of the above

The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 created the:

a. Transcontinental railroad

b. Requirement for environmental impact statements for highway projects

c. Interstate system

d. None of these

c. Interstate system

Major urban transportation projects may induce latent demand, generating new trips that were not previously made: True/False

True

The construction cost of most of the US Interstate highway system is shared between Federal and State funding, respectively, as follows:

a. 80%/20%

b. 20%/80%

c. 90%/10%

d. 50%/50%

c. 90%/10%

The Highway Trust Fund is administered by the:

a. California Transportation Commission

b. Metropolitan Planning Organizations

c. Federal Government

d. AASHTO

c. Federal Government

Gasoline taxes provide a sound and sustainable basis for financing future transportation projects:

(True/False)

False

Important socioeconomic factors known to affect travel behavior include:

a. income

b. household size

c. auto availability

d. all of the above

d. all of the above

The US Federal gasoline tax is:

a. 79.4 cents/gallon

b. 55.4 cents/gallon

c. 18.4 cents/gallon

d. none of these

c. 18.4 cents/gallon

The H-3 freeway, which is entirely within the island of Oahu in Hawaii, qualified for funding under the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 due to its importance for:

a. Tourism

b. Future connections to west coast states

c. National defense

d. Emergency evacuation

c. National defense

Travel is often referred to as a derived demand because it is derived from the demand to pursue activities at a destination:

(True/False)

True

Passenger and freight transportation comprise about what percentage of the United States' Gross Domestic product (GDP)?

a. 75%

b. 9%

c. 22%

d. 50%

b. 9%

12. The fundamental legal authority for transportation rests with the:

a. State Governments

b. Metropolitan Planning Organizations

c. Federal Government

d. AASHTO

c. Federal Government

13. The US Secretary of Transportation is:

a. Norman Mineta

b. Bud Weiser

c. Anthony Foxx

d. Pete Buttigieg

e. None of these

d. Pete Buttigieg

Caltrans has ___ Districts in California:

a. 7

b. 11

c. 12

d. none of these

c. 12 (Orange is in district 12)

The transportation acronym "AASHTO" stands for:

a. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

b. Association for the Advancement of State Highway and Transit Organizations

c. Administration of Associated State Highway Technical Officials

d. None of these

a. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

Vehicle skid marks at an accident scene are indicative of the:

a. total stopping distance

b. perception-reaction distance for braking

c. braking distance (prior to any impact)

d. none of these

c. braking distance (prior to any impact)

A common pedestrian design walking speed for traffic design purposes is:

a. 1 mph

b. 2 mph

c. 4 mph

d. 6 mph

c. 4 mph

If a vehicle's velocity is doubled, the force required to overcome aerodynamic resistance is:

a. decreased by a factor of 4

b. increased by a factor of 4

c. increased by a factor of 8

d. decreased by a factor of 8

e. unchanged

b. increased by a factor of 4

The most recent and most aerodynamic production passenger cars have a drag coefficients of:

a. over 1.00

b. 0.75 - 1.00

c. 0.50 - 0.75

d. 0.25 - 0.50

e. less than 0.25

e. less than 0.25

For design purposes, the coefficient of friction used in calculating stopping sight distance is for a:

a. vehicle with antilock brakes on wet pavement

b. vehicle skidding on dry pavement

c. vehicle with antilock brakes on dry pavement

d. vehicle skidding on wet pavement

d. vehicle skidding on wet pavement

A Vehicle's rolling resistance increases linearly with vehicle speed:

(True/False)

True

The AASHTO braking perception-reaction time for highway design purposes is:

a. 1.0 sec

b. 1.5 sec

c. 2.5 sec

d. 3.5 sec

c. 2.5 sec

One horsepower is equal to ______ ft-lb/sec

a. 32.2

b. 3.5

c. 550

d. 1100

c. 550

Traffic design for pedestrians is facilitated by their common willingness to change grades and not

take the shortest path in crossing streets:

(True/False)

False

The perception-reaction time to be used in designing the yellow change interval at a signalized

intersection is:

a. 2.5 seconds

b. 1.0 seconds

c. 4.4 seconds

d. 0.0 seconds

b. 1.0 seconds

The "Good Driver Syndrome" discussed in class is an example of which driver characteristic:

a. physical

b. sensory

c. behavioral

d. none of these

c. behavioral

Vehicle rolling resistance arises mostly from:

a. Turbulent air flow around the vehicle

b. Deformation of tires as they pass over the roadway surface

c. Tire slippage and air circulation around the tires and wheel

b. Deformation of tires as they pass over the roadway surface

If someone with 20/20 vision can just read a sign at a distance of 200 ft., a person with 20/40 vision

can just read the sign at:

a. 400 ft

b. 200 ft

c. 500 ft

d. 100 ft

d. 100 ft

The design perception-reaction time for a vehicle traveling through a signalized intersection is

reduced (versus the AASHTO braking perception-reaction time) because:

a. the driver has already stopped at a red light

b. the driver is mentally prepared to stop

c. it is the 15th percentile value

d. it is not reduced relative to the value used in stopping sight distance calculations

b. the driver is mentally prepared to stop

A dilemma zone at a traffic signal approach is an upstream section of roadway where the driver is

too far away from the stopline to safely continue and clear the intersection at constant speed at the

end of a green phase, and is also:

a. far enough away to safely brake

b. too close to safely brake

c. potentially so surprised by the yellow signal phase that their increased perception-reaction

time prevents them braking quickly enough

d. B and C

b. too close to safely brake

The low point of a sag parabolic vertical curve is never at the station of the PVI:

(True/False)

False

The assumed height of an object used in the stopping sight distance formula for crest vertical curves

is:

a. 3.5ft

b. 0.5ft

c. 1.0ft

d. 0ft

b. 0.5ft

The ______ view of a highway corresponds to the vertical alignment

a. Plan

b. 2-D

c. Profile

d. 3-D

c. Profile

Sag vertical curves may be designed based on passing sight distance and stopping sight distance, however only passing sight distance must be provided, whereas stopping sight distance is optional.

(True/False)

False

Given a PVC (Sta. 5+55.0 and elev. 250.3 ft) of a crest vertical curve that joins a grade of +2.5% and

-2.3%, and has a length of 1080 ft, the PVI station is:

a. 17+35.0

b. 10+95.0

c. 8+05.3

d. 11+80.0

e. 5+90.0

b. 10+95.0

Broken back vertical curves (2 vertical curves in the same direction separated by a short tangent section) are encouraged for use in highway design, particularly for aesthetic reasons.

(True/False)

False

In the parabolic function y = a·x2+b·x+c for vertical curve design, what does c usually represent?

a. G1

b. G2

c. (G2 - G1)/200L

d. Elevation of the PVC

d. Elevation of the PVC

Typically, sight distance in daylight controls the design of sag vertical curves and headlight

illumination at night controls the design of crest vertical curves.

(True/False)

False

Useful properties of parabolic curves for vertical curve design include:

a. A parabolic curve retains its parabolic shape when drawn to an exaggerated scale

b. Vertical acceleration is constant when a vehicle is traveling at a constant horizontal speed

c. Each tangent section has an equal horizontal length

d. All of the above

e. None of the above

d. All of the above

The length of a vertical curve (L) is measured along the curve itself from the PVC to the PVT.

(True/False)

False

For crest vertical curves, the PVI is always at a higher elevation than any point on the curve.

(True/False)

False

Point A on a road is located 1050ft from Point B, measured horizontally along the road centerline.

What is the station of Point A, given that Point B is at station 25+50.00 and Sta B is larger?

a. 27+00.00

b. 24+00.00

c. 36+00.00

d. 15+00.00

d. 15+00.00

In highway vertical curve design, the more common case is that the vertical curve length is _______

than the stopping sight distance.

a. Greater

b. Less

a. Greater

In hilly terrain it may be less expensive to design a 4-lane road using stopping sight distance to control vertical curve lengths than to design a 2-lane road using passing sight distance to control vertical curve lengths.

(True/False

True

Relevant criteria for highway sag curve design include:

a. Headlight illumination at night

b. Rider comfort

c. Drainage control

d. Appearance

e. All of the above

e. All of the above

Horizontal alignment shall provide at least the following at all points on the highway:

a. minimum stopping sight distance

b. minimum passing sight distance

c. both A and B

d. none of the above

a. minimum stopping sight distance

For a highway right-turning horizontal curve (with stations increasing from left to right), Sta PT can

be found from:

a. Sta PI - (Tangent distance) + (Length of curve)

b. Sta PI + (Tangent distance)

c. Sta PC + 2x(Tangent distance)

d. a) or b)

e. None of the above

a. Sta PI - (Tangent distance) + (Length of curve)

The Caltrans maximum allowed superelevation rate, emax, on 2-lane highways is:

a. 18%

b. 12%

c. 9%

d. there is no defined maximum

b. 12%

Horizontal curves are viewed in a ______ view of the highway

a. Profile

b. Grade line

c. Plan

d. Circular

c. Plan

In designing horizontal curves, the length of curve is measured __________

a. Along the tangent to the curve.

b. Around the curve, along the middle of the outermost lane.

c. Around the curve, along the centerline of the roadway.

d. Along the chord connecting the PC and the PV.

c. Around the curve, along the centerline of the roadway.

On 2-lane highways, the minimum horizontal curve length allowed by Caltrans is:

A. 300 ft

B. 500 ft

C. 750 ft

D. 2640 ft

E. None of the above

B. 500 ft

The purpose of banking, or superelevation, of horizontal curves is to:

a. Reduce side friction force on the vehicle

b. Guarantee that side friction is eliminated

c. Increase centrifugal force acting on the vehicle

d. Increase driving enjoyment

a. Reduce side friction force on the vehicle

For year-round use, including under adverse weather conditions, the minimum coefficient of side friction (fs) must be greater than or equal to the maximum superelevation (e):

(True/False)

True

The radius calculated from centrifugal force considerations for safe vehicle operation on a 2-lane

highway horizontal curve is measured with respect to the centerline of the:

a. Highway

b. Inside lane

c. Outside lane

d. None of these

b. Inside lane

The acceptable design distance from the middle of the inside lane of a horizontal curve to a lateral

sight obstruction is derived from considerations of:

a. Tangent length

b. Vertical curvature of the roadway

c. Stopping sight distance

d. Weather conditions

c. Stopping sight distance

For a given design speed, as the superelevation rate decreases, the minimum horizontal curve radius

required by Caltrans:

a. Increases

b. Decreases

c. Remains constant

a. Increases

Which of the following is a correct method for determining the station (where stations increase from

left to right in a plan view) of the PT for a simple circular horizontal curve?

a. Station PI + (tangent distance)

b. Station PI + (length of curve) / 2

c. Station PC + (length of curve)

d. Station PC + (tangent distance) x 2

e. Station PI - (tangent distance)

f. Station PI - (tangent distance) + (length of curve)/2

c. Station PC + (length of curve)

Compound Horizontal Curve

A. Two consecutive horizontal curves that turn in opposite directions

B. Horizontal curve with a single, constant radius

C. Two or more circular horizontal curves with centers on the same side of the centerline

D. Horizontal curve with continuously changing radius

E. Parabolic curve of fixed length

C. Two or more circular horizontal curves with centers on the same side of the centerline

Reverse Horizontal Curve

A. Two consecutive horizontal curves that turn in opposite directions

B. Horizontal curve with a single, constant radius

C. Two or more circular horizontal curves with centers on the same side of the centerline

D. Horizontal curve with continuously changing radius

E. Parabolic curve of fixed length

A. Two consecutive horizontal curves that turn in opposite directions

Simple Horizontal Curve

A. Two consecutive horizontal curves that turn in opposite directions

B. Horizontal curve with a single, constant radius

C. Two or more circular horizontal curves with centers on the same side of the centerline

D. Horizontal curve with continuously changing radius

E. Parabolic curve of fixed length

B. Horizontal curve with a single, constant radius