Topic 2 - TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Transportation Engineering

It is a sub-discipline of civil engineering which deals with the application of technology and scientific principles to the planning, functional design, operation and management of facilities for any mode of transportation (land, water, air)

Functional Areas of Transportation Engineering

1. Transportation Planning

2. Functional Design

3. Operation and Management of Facilities

Transportation Planning

Process of evaluating the current transportation system

Purpose of Transportation Planning

➢ To identify multiple options for transportation

• System/network applied

• Modes of transportations

• Structural aspect/elements of transportation

• (bridge, tunnel, railway, expand, etc

➢ To identify outlying problems to a transportation system

➢ To formulate solutions to those identified problems

➢ To recall the purpose of the construction design

➢ To organize the existing transportation systems and structural design

Basic Elements of Transportation Planning

1. Situation Definition

2. Problem Definition

3. Search for Solutions

4. Analysis of Performance

5. Evaluation of Alternatives

6. Choice of Project

7. Specification and Construction

Scientific Methods

1. Problem Identification

2. Data Gathering

3. Hypothesis Formation

4. Testing of Hypothesis

5. Data Analysis

6. Conclusion

7. Findings

Situation Definition

Involves all of the activities required to understand the situation that gave rise to the perceived need for a transportation improvement

Problem Definition

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

Problem Definition

• Idea generating phase

• Considering variety of ideas, designs, locations, and system configurations

• that might provide solutions to the problem

• Includes conducting preliminary feasibility studies, some data gathering, field testing, and cost estimating.

Analysis of Performance

• To estimate performance of proposed alternatives under present and future conditions.

• Estimation of investment cost and annual cost of the project, the travel demand, the environmental effects.

Evaluation of Alternatives

• 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

Choice of Project

Project selection is made after considering all the factors involved

Specification and Construction

Detailed design phase in which each of the components of the facility is specified.