Urban Planning and Transportation Engineering Examination Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts in transportation engineering, urban and regional planning, and national economic development from the Planning (Degree) Examination.

Route Assignment

The fourth step in conventional transport modeling that determines the specific route for each trip.

Transportation Forecasting

The process of estimating the number of travelers or vehicles that will use a given transportation facility in the future.

Trip Generation

The stage in transportation planning that estimates the number of trips produced from given origins and attracted to given destinations.

Trip Distribution

The transportation planning stage that determines the destination for each trip originating from a given zone.

Camber

The transverse slope or convexity provided to the road surface to ensure effective lateral drainage.

Super Elevation

The inward transverse inclination or amount by which the outer edge of a curve on a road or railway is banked above the inner edge to counteract centrifugal force.

Average Lane Width

A fundamental geometric design parameter of a highway or road cross-section.

Highway Traffic Noise Level Intensity

The acoustic noise level produced by a roadway, which depends on the kind of traffic, vehicle speed, and the hourly rate of vehicle movements.

Urban Collector Road Design Speed (IRC)

The standard design speed recommended by the Indian Roads Congress for collector streets in urban areas, which is $50\,\text{km/hr}$.

Signal Cycle

The total duration of time taken to complete one full sequence of all signal display indications and phases.

Major Road Visibility Distance ($50\,\text{km/hr}$, $8\,\text{seconds}$)

The sight distance required on a major road for a design speed of $50\,\text{km/hr}$ corresponding to an $8\,\text{seconds}$ travel time, equal to $110\,\text{m}$.

Signalised Intersection Capacity Formula

The equation used to determine intersection capacity given by $\text{Capacity} = \frac{g \times s}{c}\,\text{vehicles per hour}$, where $g$ is green time, $s$ is saturation flow, and $c$ is cycle time.

Highway Conflict

The point at which a highway user crossing, merging with, or diverging from a road or driveway conflicts with another highway user using the same road or driveway.

Cycle Track Minimum Width (IRC)

The minimum roadway width allocated for a dedicated bicycle track as prescribed by the Indian Roads Congress, equal to $1.5\,\text{m}$.

Theoretical Lane Capacity ($50\,\text{kmph}$, $18\,\text{m}$ Spacing)

The maximum theoretical flow rate of a one-way traffic lane with an average centre-to-centre vehicle spacing of $18\,\text{m}$ at $50\,\text{kmph}$, calculated as $2778\,\text{vehicles per hour}$.

Traffic Actuated Signal

A traffic control signal whose phase timings vary in each cycle in direct response to detected vehicular and pedestrian demand.

Minimum Length of Overtaking Zone ($96\,\text{kmph}$)

The required length of an overtaking section on a one-way road designed for $96\,\text{kmph}$ (with acceleration of $0.69\,\text{m/s}^2$ and reaction time of $2\,\text{sec}$), which equals $1026\,\text{m}$.

Grade Effect on Overtaking Sight Distance

The longitudinal gradient effect that increases the safe overtaking sight distance on descending grades and decreases it on ascending grades.

Minimum Spacing of Vehicles

The longitudinal clearance maintained between vehicles in a traffic stream, which increases as the speed of the traffic stream increases.

Vehicle Length Influence

The vehicle dimension that directly governs the extra widening of pavements required on curves and determines the minimum turning radius.

Traffic Volume Equation

The fundamental macroscopic traffic flow relationship defining traffic volume as $\text{Traffic Volume} = \text{Traffic Density} \times \text{Traffic Speed}$.

Maximum Lane Capacity Variation

The operational response of maximum lane capacity to increasing speed, which first increases and then decreases after reaching a maximum value at optimum speed.

Theoretical Maximum Capacity ($10\,\text{m/s}$, $18\,\text{m}$ Stopping Distance, $6\,\text{m}$ Length)

The traffic capacity calculated under a speed of $10\,\text{m/s}$, vehicle length of $6\,\text{m}$, and stopping distance of $18\,\text{m}$, equal to $1500\,\text{vehicles per hour}$.

Jam Density Condition

The traffic state where vehicle speed falls to zero, causing traffic density to reach its maximum value while traffic volume drops to zero.

Basic Lane Capacity ($50\,\text{kmph}$, $20\,\text{m}$ Spacing)

The maximum number of vehicles passing a point per hour with an average centre-to-centre vehicle spacing of $20\,\text{m}$ at $50\,\text{kmph}$, equal to $2500\,\text{vehicles per hour}$.

Urban Area Criteria in India

The official census parameters used to define an urban settlement, comprising population size, population density, and the percentage of the male working population engaged in non-agricultural pursuits.

Formal Regions

Geographical territories defined and bounded by internal homogeneity in their physical environment and natural resources.

Functional Regions

Geographical areas demarcated by dynamic interdependence, movement patterns, and strong economic linkages.

Slum Networking

A planning concept that aims to promote holistic physical and social improvements across entire slum settlements by integrating infrastructure networks.

Eminent Domain

The sovereign legal power of the state to expropriate, acquire, and take possession of private property in order to serve the public interest.

Land Pooling

A land development mechanism involving the assembly of privately owned land parcels for infrastructure provision, replanning, and redistribution to original owners.

Incentive Zoning

A zoning system that awards additional Floor Area Ratio (FAR) or development rights to developers in exchange for the provision of public spaces or amenities.

HRIDAY

A central urban development program by the Government of India standing for Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana.

Perspective Plan (URDPFI Guidelines)

A long-term strategic spatial development framework prepared for a plan period of $20\text{--}30\,\text{Years}$ as per URDPFI guidelines.

Twelfth Five Year Plan Objective

The overarching vision adopted for India's 12th Plan (2012–2017), defined as 'Faster, sustainable and more inclusive growth.'

Economic Planning

The deliberate public mechanism responsible for the coordinated allocation of economic resources to attain designated growth targets.

Origin of Five Year Plans (India)

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), from which India adopted the model of centralized five-year developmental planning.

Architect of the Second Five Year Plan

Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis, the Indian statistician who formulated the economic development model focused on rapid industrialization and heavy industries.