CE 531: Traffic Flow Characteristics

An overview of Microscopic and Macroscopic traffic flow characteristics, and their associated techniques such as traffic Stream modeling, capacity and level of service analysis, shock wave analysis, supply-demand analysis, queuing analysis, and simulation modeling. (3 credits). Pre-Requisite: CE 436: Traffic Engineering, or equivalent.

This course provides “the basic” concepts and theories that form the foundation for understanding a variety of traffic flow characteristics and the associated analytical techniques. It seeks to convey a conceptual understanding of different traffic processes through the development of mathematical models of these processes. The course is organized in three parts: the first is concerned with the microscopic and macroscopic characteristics of the three traffic flow parameters; flow, speed, and density. The second part will deal with the analytical techniques used in traffic analysis such as traffic stream models, shock wave analysis, deterministic and stochastic queuing theories, and capacity analysis. The third and final part of the course will introduce the concepts of computer simulation and optimization models and the traffic flow models utilized in them.
By the end of the course you should be able to:

• Understand the microscopic and macroscopic characteristics of the traffic flow parameters (flow, speed, and density);
• Understand the fundamental relations among the three traffic flow parameters (flow, speed, and density);
• Understand and be able to use different analytical techniques (Traffic stream models, shock wave analysis, queuing analysis and capacity analysis) for analyzing different traffic applications;
• Understand and be able to use a wide variety of traffic simulation and optimization models