Lecture-5

Speed and Delay Studies

 Speed Study

Introduction
• Speeds is the rate of movement of a vehicle, generally expressed in fps, kph or mph.
• It is a basic measure of traffic and roadway performance.
• If influences the individual travel behavior such as selecting routes or modes.

Objectives
The main objectives of speed studies are:
• Capacity analysis
• Geometric design
• Accident analysis
• Economic studies
• Performance analysis of traffic control measures
• Planning and designing of traffic control measures viz.
• Traffic signal design
• Designing road signs and marking
• Establishing speed limits, etc.
 Speed Study
Factors Affecting Speeds
Vehicles speed depend on:
• Traffic conditions (e.g. traffic volume, traffic composition)
• Roadway geometry, operation and surface conditions
• Amount of side frictions (Road side friction like buses stopping at bus stops, parked vehicles, pedestrian traffic,
frequent side roads, turning movements, trading activities etc.)
• Position of vehicle on the road
• Time of the day
• Weather conditions
Different Forms of Speed
Spot speed : Instantaneous speed of a vehicle at a point.

Running speed : The speed in a road section excluding stops. Running speed = distance traveled/ running time

Journey speed : Overall speed including stops. Journey speed= distance traveled/ total travel time

Operating speed : Operating Speed is the highest overall speed at which a driver can travel on a given highway
under favorable weather conditions and prevailing traffic conditions.

Free flow speed : when drivers face no restriction in driving and can maintain their desired speeds.
 Speed Study

Types of Speeds

Time-mean speed
It is defined as the average speed of all vehicles passing a point on a highway over some specified time period. It
gives arithmetic mean of the spot speeds vehicles passing a point.
TMS= (∑d/ti)/n

𝑆
σ
σ vit 𝑡𝑖
vത t = = where, 𝑣𝑡 =individual speed and n= no. of observation
n 𝑛

Space-mean speed
It is defined as the average speed of all vehicles occupying a given section of a highway over some specified time
period.

S ns
vs = 𝑡 = σ 𝑡𝑖
where, s=space distance and t=total travel time
σ𝑖
𝑛
 Speed Study
Example: The following travel times have been recorded for 4 vehicles traversing a 1 mile segment of highway:

Vehicle Time(min)
1 1.6
2 1.2
3 1.5
4 1.7

Calculate the space and time mean speeds of the vehicles.

Answer
1 1 1 1
Time Mean Speed=[(1.6) + + + (1.7)]/4 =0.68 miles per minute
1.2 1.5

Space Mean speed=(4x1)/(1.6+1.2+1.5+1.7)=0.67 miles per minute

 Speed Study

Methods of Speed Measurement

Spot/ Time-Mean Speed: Measured at free flow/unobstructed conditions

Methods
❖ Manual method- measuring travel time over a short distance.

❖ Automatic method-
✓ Road tube
✓ Video camera method.
✓ Radar speed meters.
 Speed Study

❑ Travel/ Space-mean speed: Measured at existing operating condition by using:

✓ Floating car method- by use of test vehicle.

✓ License plate method.
✓ Elevated observer method

❑ Presentation of Speed Data: Graphically in the form of :

✓ Histogram & frequency curve

✓ Cumulative frequency distribution curve
✓ Statistical distribution
Spot Speed Study
 Spot Speed Study

When are spot speed studies needed?

Spot speed studies are conducted to estimate the distribution of speeds of vehicles in a
stream of traffic at a particular location on a highway.

Useful for
• Monitoring speed trends
• Establishing traffic operation and control parameters
• Establishing highway design elements
• Evaluating highway capacity
• Assessing highway safety
• Measuring effectiveness of changes
Spot Speed Study
 Spot Speed Study

Parameters of interest
• Safe speed :85th percentile speed
• Design speed :98th percentile speed
• Median speed :50th percentile speed
• Mean speed :average speed of all vehicles
• Modal speed : speed at the highest frequency
• Pace : speed range in which the higher percentage of drivers is observed
• Speed limits : upper limit at 85th percentile speed
lower limit at 15th percentile speed
85th Percentile: 85% of vehicles traveling at or below that speed; 15% traveling over that speed
 Spot Speed Study
Study Considerations
•Select roadway section with typical travel speed;
•Unless a specific requirement of the speed study, make an attempt to avoid the following, primarily to avoid
accelerating/decelerating vehicles:
• Traffic signals and other junctions
• Intersections
• Work zones
• Curves
• Parking zones
• Active crosswalks
•Consider free flow vehicles only (those not impacted by speed of preceding vehicle)
•Consider date and time
• Typical weekdays (Tues., Wed., Thur.) preferred
•Avoid unusual conditions, including:
•Unique events •Inclement weather •Holidays
 Spot Speed Study

Spot Speed Study Analysis

•Data reduction (tabular and graphical presentation)
•Descriptive statistics (mean, median, mode, standard deviation, pace, etc.)
•Statistical inference (do significant differences exist between mean speeds for different conditions, etc.)

Data presentation
•Frequency distribution
•Cumulative frequency distribution
•Indicate central tendency and dispersion
•Evaluation depends on whether or not individual speeds or speed classes collected
Spot Speed Study
 Spot Speed Study
10
∗ 100
830
Speed Range(mph) No.of vehicle observed(f) Mid-speed,V(mph) % Frequencies Cumulative % Frequencies
0-5 0 2.5 0.00 0.00
5-10 10 7.5 1.20 1.20
10-15 20 12.5 2.41 3.61
15-20 40 17.5 4.82 8.43
20-25 110 22.5 13.25 21.69
25-30 200 27.5 24.10 45.78
30-35 250 32.5 30.12 75.90
35-40 120 37.5 14.46 90.36
40-45 40 42.5 4.82 95.18
45-50 20 47.5 2.41 97.59
50-55 10 52.5 1.20 98.80
55-60 7 57.5 0.84 99.64
60-65 3 62.5 0.36 100.00
65-70 0 67.5 0.00 100.00
Total 830

𝐕𝐚𝐯𝐠 =sum(f×V)/sum(f)=30.2mph
Spot Speed Study
Spot Speed Study
 Spot Speed Study

Comparison of mean speeds

✓ It is needed to measure the effectiveness of spot speed measure.
✓ This is done by comparing the difference between two sample mean speeds by using statistical Z-test.
✓ Assuming that two sample means are considered from the same distribution.
✓ In traffic engineering studies, it is usual to perform the test at 95% confidence level.

Check if, Z= 𝑢1 − 𝑢2 /𝑠𝑑 >𝑍𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙

𝑠1 2 𝑠2 2
Where: 𝑠𝑑 =sqrt[ 𝑛 + ]
1 𝑛2

𝒖𝟏 = mean speed of before study, 𝒖𝟐 = mean speed of after study, 𝒏𝟏 =sample size for before study
𝒏𝟐 = sample size for after study, 𝒔𝒅 =standard deviation of the difference in means
𝒔𝟏 = standard deviation for before study, 𝒔𝟐 = standard deviation for after study
𝒁𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 =Critical value at a particular confidence level=1.96 at 95% C.L. or 5% los.
 Spot Speed Study
Problem: Two spot speed data were collected at a section of highway before and after maintenance work. The speed
characteristics are given below. Determine whether there was any significant difference between the average speed
at the 95% confidence level.

𝐮𝟏 =35.5 mph 𝐮𝟐 = 𝟑𝟖. 𝟕 𝐦𝐩𝐡

𝐒𝟏 =7.5 mph 𝐒𝟐 = 𝟕. 𝟒 𝐦𝐩𝐡
𝐧𝟏 = 𝟐𝟓𝟎 𝐧𝟐 = 𝟐𝟖𝟎

Solution:
𝑠1 2 𝑠2 2 7.52 7.42
𝑠𝑑 =sqrt[ 𝑛 + ]=sqrt[ 250 + ]=0.65 mph
1 𝑛2 280

Now, Z= 𝑢1 − 𝑢2 /𝑠𝑑 = 35.5 − 38.7 /0.65=4.92

𝑍𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 =1.96 at 95% Confidence level

As Z>𝑍𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 , it can be concluded that the difference in mean speeds is significant at 95% confidence level.
Delay Studies
 Delay Studies
Delay/Congestions
It indicates the situation when extra time is needed to travel through a roadway facility.

Objectives of delay study

✓ To find out the locations, causes and duration of traffic congestion

✓ To prescribe the remedied measures of congestion
✓ To assess the quality/efficiency of road network
✓ For economic evaluation of improvement measures
✓ To evaluate the performance of particular measure
✓ For travel demand management/route guidance

Causes of Delay
❑ Fixed Causes/Geometric delay
Delay incurred due to roadway geometry. It occurs mainly due to road intersections/ signals, narrow road/bridges, sharp
horizontal and vertical curves etc. It is unavoidable and almost same for all vehicles.
 Delay Studies

❑ Operational Delay: It is mainly caused by road-side and inter-vehicular frictions such as:
✓ Road side parking
✓ Road side activities.
✓ Mixed traffic
✓ Random pedestrian movements and crossing.
✓ Bus stoppage near intersections.
✓ High traffic volume and lack of roadway capacity.
✓ Merging, turning, lane changing/overtaking or weaving maneuvers etc.
Traffic engineers are interested about the operational delay which is fluctuating in nature and controllable.

Types of Delay
Non-recurrent Delay: Which is unpredictable by nature and occurs due to the following random events.
✓ Flow break down at peak periods (make shock wave – which quickly amplify and propagate to down
stream).
✓ Accidents
✓ Special events (sports, national events).
✓ Signal Malfunctions etc.
 Delay Studies
❑ Recurrent Delay: Which occurs periodically at particular locations and particular time of a day.
✓ Daily morning/evening peak period congestions due to rush commuter movements.
✓ Congestions other than the peak periods on all purpose roads due to increased flow level.

Data Collection Methods

❑ Manual
✓ Floating Car Method
✓ Random Car Selection Method

❑ Auto Data Acquisition Techniques

✓ Inductive loop detectors
✓ Radar devices (ultra sound/ infrared beams)
✓ CTVs with machine vision license plate reader (LPR)
✓ Tachometer and

✓ GPS
 Delay Studies
Presentation of results
Speed and delay data may be presented in tabular or graphical form to show speeds and speed variation profiles along the
route being studied together with the locations, causes and duration of delays.
Floating car or riding check method

✓ In the floating car method a test vehicle is driven over a given course of travel at approximately the average speed of
the stream, thus trying to float with the traffic stream. A number of test runs are made along the study stretch and a
group of observers record the various details.

✓ One observer seated in the floating car with two stop watches. One of the stop watch is used to record the time at
various control point like intersections, bridges or any other fixed points in each trip. The other stop watch is used to
find the duration of the individual delays.

✓ The time, location and cause of these delays are recorded by the second observer.

✓ The number of vehicle overtaking the test vehicle and the overtaken by the test vehicle are noted in each trip by third
observer.

✓ The no. of vehicles travelling in the opposite direction in each trip is noted by fourth observer.
Delay Studies
 Delay Studies

Problem: Speed and delay studies by floating car method were conducted on a city road of 3 km length running
North-South. The data is given below in tabular form. Find:
1. Average values of volume of traffic
2. Journey speed
3. Running speed
4. Delay time
Trip Direction of Journey time Total stop No. of vehicles No. of vehicles No. of vehicles
trip Min-Sec delay overtaking overtaken from opposite
Min-Sec direction
1 N-S 5’-30” 1’-30” 4 7 250
2 S-N 6’-35” 1’-40” 5 5 200
3 N-S 5’-22” 1’-30” 5 3 240
4 S-N 6’-20” 2’-15” 3 1 240
5 N-S 5’-38” 1’-10” 2 6 230
6 S-N 6’-18” 1’-20” 2 3 220
7 N-S 5’-20” 1’-40” 2 7 210
8 S-N 6’-32” 1’-50” 3 2 180
9 N-S 5’-10” 1’-30” 2 4 200
 Delay Studies
Direction Journey Time Stopped Time Overtaking Overtaken No. of 𝐕𝐥𝐨𝐦
5’-30” 1’-30” 4 7 250
5’-22” 1’-30” 5 3 240
N-S 5’-38” 1’-10” 2 6 230
5’-20” 1’-40” 2 7 210
5’-10” 1’-30” 2 4 200
Average 5’-24” 1’-28” 3 5.4 226
6’-35” 1’-40” 5 5 200
6’-20” 2’-15” 3 1 240
S-N 6’-18” 1’-20” 2 3 220
6’-32” 1’-50” 3 2 180
Average 6’-26.25” 1’-46.25” 3.25 2.75 210

Calculation for N-S: 𝑡𝑎 = 6’-26.25”= 6.44min , 𝐭 𝐰 = 5.4min, 𝑛𝑎 = 210, 𝐧𝐲 = 3-5.4 = -2.4

ny −2.4 𝑛𝑎 +𝑛𝑦
T= t w − = 5.4− 17.53 = 5.54 min q=
q 𝑡𝑎 +𝑡𝑤
210+(−2.4)
= = 17.53 veh/min
6.44+5.4
3 km
Average speed = 5.54 = 32.5 km/h
60
h
3 km
Running time={5.54−(1′ − 28′′)}= 4.07min So, Running speed = 4.07 = 44.23km/hr
60
h
THANK YOU