Introduction to Urban Transportation Planning (UTP)

1. Introduction to Urban Transportation Planning (UTP) • Planning = Looking into future • Investigate current situation • Investigate possible decisions • Do nothing • Do something (alternatives) • Rating alternatives – Depending on our goals and objectives • Estimate future requirement • Presenting Useful Information to Decision Makers (like Government)

2. UTP Process (simplified)

3. Formulation of Goals and Objectives • State Purpose of Planning • Identify the issues • Mobility • Safety • Environment (etc. for example) • Recognize problems and constraints • Goal = ideal, abstract • Objective = specific, measurable

4. Formulation of Goals and Objectives (ex:) Goal • Improve Public Safety Objectives • Reduce number of traffic accidents • Reduce injuries and deaths resulting from traffic accidents • Improve personal security of urban travelers

5. Inventory • Data collection of relevant data • Population (pattern and quantity) • Land use (pattern and intensity) • Socio-economic (income, occupation, car ownerships) • Travel pattern (O-D studies) • Survey of existing facilities and current behavior • Street classification • Volume Studies • Travel time studies • Accident studies • Parking studies • Traffic control device studies, etc.

6. Analytical Methods • Analyze the data • Appropriate quantitative methods (models) to understand the system • Use information from the inventory step to develop and calibrate (mathematical) models • Use the models developed in forecasting the travel demand for the future

7. Forecasting • Derive forecasts of future situations • Future situations • Predicted future condition in the study area (population, socio-economic activity, land use activity, etc.) • Relate above conditions to travel demand by the model developed • General analysis period is about 5-20 years (short-medium-long term plan)

8. Formulation of Alternatives Plans • Several alternative plans should be developed/proposed

9. Evaluation • Choose most appropriate plan • Evaluation criteria • Best satisfied goal&objective • Engineering Feasible • Economically Feasible (B/C analysis) • Financially Feasible • Environmentally and Socially Feasible

10. Implementation • Recommended appropriate course of action • Work program • Detail Design • Land acquisition, bid-letting • Funding • Construction • Operation and maintenance

11. Information Needed for UTP • Physical/Geographical Information of the Study Area • Information of the Socio-Economic Activities in the Area • Information of Transportation System • Information of Travel

12. The Study Area • Defining the Boundaries • Exact Area of Study • Current Developed Land + Future Expansion • Cordon Line • Political Jurisdictions • Census Areas • Natural Boundaries Note: Should Intersect minimum number of roads

13. Subdividing the Area for Forecasting • Subdivide Study Area into Analysis Units = Zones We will analyze estimate) the activities (trips) between these analysis units • Size of Zone - Depends of density of urban development • Homogenous urban activites • residential, commercial, industrial, etc. • Considering Natural boundaries and transportation network

14. Analysis Units • Group of Zones = District • CBD = Central Business District • Group of Districts moving radially from CBD = Sectors • District in circumferential groups = Rings

17. Urban Activities • Getting Info by Analysis Unit = Zonal Basis • Zonal Activities & Info Residential • Population • Households • Income • CBD • Employment • Retail • Non-retail • Industrial • Employment • Blue Collar • White Collar • Suburban Shopping Center • Parking space • Emploment • Retail • Non-retail

18. Transportation System • Network Geometry • Not include every local street • Node Numbering (intersection) • Link Definition • Zonal Centroid (center of activity)

20. Transportation System Characteristics and Level of Service (LOS) • Only Node and Link does not tell enough information about the system (like 2 lanes or 4 lanes) • LOS relates to system capacity, volume, speed, etc. • LOS depending on type of system • Info to be collected • No. of lanes, link length, type of facility • Useful info for calculate travel time and travel cost between zones, generalized cost, and also LOS

21. Travel Information • O-D Data (survey data) • Where trips come from • Where trips go to • By what mode • By what purpose • Characteristics of trip makers • Socio-economic, income • Activities of origin and Destination of the trip

22. O-D Surveys • Home Interview Survey (Census) : Most Complete Accurate Info, Expensive, Time • Small Sample Survey: to Update • Telephone interview • On-board transit survey • Mailed Questionnaires

23. Stratification of Trip Purposes • Home-Based-Work • Home-Based-Other • Non-Home-Based • Internal-External • Through Trips

24. Processing of Travel Data • Trip Tables (by trip purpose) • Travel Impedance Matrix

25. Estimating Zonal Trip Productions

26. Estimating Trip Distribution Patterns

27. Estimating Network Flows of Traffic