Republic of the Philippines

President Ramon Magsaysay State University

(Formerly Ramon Magsaysay Technological University)
Iba, Zambales, Philippines
Tel/Fax No.: (047) 811-1683
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

COURSE CODE: HRE 313

COURSE TITLE: HIGHWAY AND RAILROAD ENGINEERING
1st Semester of SY 2020-2021

Introduction

Transportation is essential for a nation’s development and growth. In both the public and private
sector, opportunities for engineering careers in transportation are exciting and rewarding.
Elements are constantly being added to the world’s highway, rail, airport, and mass transit
systems, and new techniques are being applied for operating and maintaining the systems safely
and economically. Many organizations and agencies exist to plan, design, build, operate, and
maintain the nation’s transportation system.

Intended Learning Outcomes

A. Importance of transportation
B. Different modes of transportation
C. Characteristics of road transport
D. Scope of highway and traffic engineering

Learning Activities

1. Recall all trips you make for a period of three to five days (or before the Covid-crisis). State
the purpose of each trip, how you traveled, the approximate distance traveled, and the trip
time. What conclusions can you draw from the data?
2. Identify one significant transportation event that occurred in your place. Discuss the
significance of this event.
3. Estimate the proportion of your monthly budget (or your family member, if you strictly stay at
home) that is spent on transportation. What conclusions can you draw from the data?

Content

1. IMPORTANCE OF TRANSPORTATION

For as long as the human race has existed, transportation has played a significant role by facilitating
trade, commerce, conquest, and social interaction, while consuming a considerable portion of time
and resources. The primary need for transportation has been economic, involving personal travel in
search of food or work, travel for the exchange of goods and commodities, exploration, personal
fulfillment, and the improvement of a society or a nation. The movements of people and goods,
which is the basis of transportation, always has been undertaken to accomplish those basic
objectives or tasks that require transfer from one location to another.

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 1.1 Transportation and Economic Growth

Good transportation, in and of itself, will not assure success in the marketplace, as the
availability of transportation is a necessary but insufficient condition for economic growth.
However, the absence of supportive transportation services will serve to limit or hinder the
potential for a nation or region to achieve its economic potential. Thus, if a society expects to
develop and grow, it must have a strong internal transportation system consisting of good roads,
rail systems, as well as excellent linkages to the rest of the world by sea and air. Thus,
transportation demand is a byproduct derived from the needs and desires of people to travel or
to transfer their goods from one place to another. It is a necessary condition for human
interaction and economic competitiveness

1.2 Social Costs and Benefits of Transportation

The improvement of a region’s economic position by virtue of improved transportation does not
come without costs. Building vast transportation systems requires enormous resources of
energy, material, and land. In major cities, transportation can consume as much as half of all the
land area. An aerial view of any major metropolis will reveal vast acreage used for railroad
terminals, airports, parking lots, and freeways. Transportation has other negative effects as well.
Travel is not without danger; every mode of transportation brings to mind some major disaster—
be it the sinking of the Titanic, the infrequent but dramatic passenger air crashes, and highway
accidents. In addition, transportation can create noise, spoil the natural beauty of an area,
change the environment, pollute air and water, and consume energy resources.
Society has indicated a willingness to accept some risk and changes to the natural environment
in order to gain the advantages that result from constructing new transportation systems. Society
also values many social benefits brought about by good transportation. Providing medical and
other services to rural areas and enabling people to socialize who live some distance apart are
just a few examples of the benefits that transportation provides.
A major task for the modern transportation engineer is to balance society’s need for fast and
efficient transportation with the costs involved.

2. DIFFERENT MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

The transportation system today is a highly developed, complex network of modes and facilities
that furnishes shippers and travelers with a wide range of choices in terms of services provided.
Each mode offers a unique set of service characteristics in terms of travel time, frequency,
comfort, reliability, convenience, and safety. The term level of service is used to describe the
relative values of these attributes. The traveler or shipper must compare the level of service
offered with the cost in order to make tradeoffs and mode selection. Furthermore, a shipper or
traveler can decide to use a public carrier or to use private (or personal) transportation.

2.1 Freight and Passenger Traffic

The principal modes of intercity freight transportation are highways, railroads, water, and
pipelines. Air freight is an important carrier for high-value goods, but it is insignificant on a
ton-mile basis
The four principal carriers for freight movement (rail, truck, pipeline, and water), account for
varying proportions of total number of ton-miles of freight. The railroad’s share is highest on
a ton-mile basis, but it has been reduced significantly due to competition from truck and
pipeline. The railroads have lost traffic due to the advances in truck technology and pipeline
distribution.

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 The distribution of passenger transportation is much different from that for freight: one
mode—the automobile—accounts for the highest number of all domestic intercity
passenger-miles traveled in the United States. The remaining modes—air, bus, and rail—
shared a market representing about one-quarter of the total, with air being the dominant
mode and intercity bus, private air carriers, and rail representing 1 percent or less of the
total.
Of the four transportation carriers for intercity passenger movement, two—air and auto—
are dominant. In cities, buses are the major public transit mode, with the exception of larger
urban areas that have rapid rail systems

2.2 Public Transportation

Public transportation is a generic term used to describe the family of transit services
available to urban and rural residents. Thus, it is not a single mode but a variety of
traditional and innovative services, which should complement each other to provide
system-wide mobility.

2.2.1 Transit Modes

The modes included within the realm of public transportation are:

Mass transit, characterized by fixed routes, published schedules, designated
networks, and specified stops. Mass-transit vehicles include buses, light rail (trolleys)
or rapid transit that either share space in mixed traffic or operate on grade-separated
rights of way.
Paratransit is characterized by flexible and personalized service intended to replace
conventional fixed-route, fixed-schedule mass-transit lines. Paratransit is available to
the public on demand, by subscription, or on a shared-ride basis. Examples include
taxi, car rental, dial-a-ride, and specialized services for elderly, medical, and other
designated users.
Ridesharing (as the name implies) is characterized by two or more persons traveling
together by prearrangement, such as carpool, vanpool, or shared-ride taxi.

2.3 Comparative Advantages of Transportation Modes

Each mode has inherent advantages of cost, travel time, convenience, and flexibility that
make it “right for the job” under a certain set of circumstances. The automobile is
considered to be a reliable, comfortable, flexible, and ubiquitous form of personal
transportation for many people. However, when distances are great and time is at a
premium, air transportation will be selected—supplemented by the auto for local travel. If
cost is important and time is not at a premium or if an auto is not available, then intercity
bus or rail may be used.
Selecting a mode to haul freight follows a similar approach. Trucks have the
advantages of flexibility and the ability to provide door-to-door service. They can carry a
variety of parcel sizes and usually can pick up and deliver to meet the customer’s schedule.
Waterways can ship heavy commodities at low cost, but only at slow speeds and between
points on a river or canal. Railroads can haul a wide variety of commodities between any
two points, but usually require truck transportation to deliver the goods to a freight terminal
or to their final destination. In each instance, a shipper must decide whether the cost and
time advantages are such that the goods should be shipped by truck alone or by a
combination of truck, waterway, and rail.

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Table 1. Transportation Modes

Mode Typical Function Approximate Range of Capacities

Urban People
Transportation Systems
Private personal transportation; 1-6 persons/vehicle; approx. 2,000veh/h
Automobile
available on demand for all trips per freeway lane

Public transportation along fixed routes 40-70 persons/bus; capacity limited by

Local bus transit on a fixed schedule; low speed with schedule; usually 100-5000
many stops persons/h/route
Public transportation with flexible
Express bus 40-50 persons/bus (no standees);
routing and schedules, usually
transit capacity limited by schedule
available on call
Public transportation with flexible Variable seating capacity depending on
Para-transit routing and schedules, usually vehicle design; total capacity depends on
available on call number of vehicles

Rail service using one- to two-car units 80-120 persons/car; up to 15,000

Light Rail
along fixed routes with fixed schedules persons/h/route

Multicar trains along fixed routes with 150-300 persons/car depending on

Heavy Rail fixed schedules on fully separated seating configuration and standees; up to
tunnels or on elevated structures 60,000 persons per track

Waterborne public transportation for

Highly variable with ferry and terminal
Ferry people and vehicles along fixed routes
design and schedule
on fixed schedules

Intercity People
Transportation Systems

Private personal transportation;

Automobile Same as urban automobile
available on demand for all trips
Public transportation along fixed
40-50 passengers per bus; schedules
Intercity Bus intercity routes on a fixed schedule;
highly variable
Central terminal location in each city
Passenger intercity rail service on fixed 500-1000 passengers per train depending
Railroad routes on a fixed schedule; Central on configuration; schedules highly
terminal location in each city variable

A variety of air-passenger services From 3-4 passengers to 500 passengers

from small commuter planes to jumbo per aircraft depending on size and
Air
jets on fixed routes and fixed configuration. Schedules depend on
schedules destination and are highly variable
Passenger ship service often
Ship capacity highly variable from several
associated with onboard vacation
Water hundred to 3,500 passengers; schedules
packages on fixed routes and
often extremely limited.
schedules

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Table 1. Transportation Modes (Continued)
Approximate Range of
Mode Typical Function
Capacities

Urban and
Intercity Freight
Transportation Systems
Single, double and triple tractor-trailer
combinations and large single-unit trucks
Long-haul trucks
provide over-the-road intercity service, by
arrangement

Smaller trucks provide distribution of goods

Local trucks
and services throughout urban areas

Intercity haulage of bulk commodities with Hauling capacity of all freight

Railroad some local distribution to locations with rail modes varies widely with the
sidings design of the vehicle (or pipeline)
International and intercity haulage of bulk and limitations on fleet size and
Water commodities on a variety of container ships schedule availability.
and barges.

International and intercity haulage of small

and moderately sized parcels and/or time-
Air Freight
sensitive and/or high-value commodities
where high cost is not a disincentive

Pipelines Continuous flow of fluid

Where do you classify jeepneys, SUVs, tricycles

and other modes of transportation in the
Philippines?

NOTES TO PONDER
Of the available urban transportation modes (such as bus, commuter train,
subway, private vehicle, and others), private vehicles (and single-occupant private
vehicles in particular) offer an unequaled level of mobility. The single-occupant
private vehicle has been such a dominant choice that travelers have been willing to
pay substantial capital and operating costs, confront high levels of congestion, and
struggle with parking-related problems just to have the flexibility in travel departure
time and destination choices that is uniquely provided by private vehicles.
In the last 50 years, the average private-vehicle occupancy has dropped from
1.22 to 1.09 persons per vehicle, reflecting the fact that the single-occupant vehicle
has become an increasingly dominant mode of travel. Traffic congestion that has
arisen as a result of extensive private-vehicle use and low-vehicle occupancy
presents a perplexing problem.

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Figure 1. Selecting a Transportation Mode

(Source: Garber, Nicholas & Hoel, Lester. 2001. Highway and Traffic Engineering. Brookes/Cole Publishing)

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3. CHARACTERISTICS OF ROAD TRANSPORT

 Roads are used by various types of road vehicles, like passenger cars, buses, trucks two
and three wheeled automobiles ,pedal cycles and animal drawn vehicles. But railway tracks
are used only by rail locomotives and wagons, water ways are used by only ships and boats
 Road transport requires a relatively small investment for the government. Motor vehicles are
much cheaper than carriers like rail locomotives and wagons, water and air carriers.
Construction and maintenance of roads is also cheaper than that of railway track, docks,
harbours and airports.
 Road transport completely offer freedom to road users to transfer the vehicles from one lane
to another and from one road to another according to the need and convenience. This
flexibility of changes in location, direction, speed and timings of travel is not available to other
modes of transport.
 In particular for short distance travel, road transport saves time. Trains stop at junctions and
main stations for comparatively longer time.
 Speed of movement is directly related with severity of accident. The road safety decreases
with increase dispersion in speed. Road transport is subjected to high degree of accidents
due to flexibility of movements offered to the user. Derailment of railway locomotives and air
planes and air crashes are not uncommon. They are in fact more disastrous.
 Road transport is the only means of transport that offer itself to the whole community.
 Road transport is a basic need in case of fire and police protection.
 It gives door step connectivity even in case of rural area or villages
 It is important access to reach railways, waterways and airways.
 The Major defect of road is Traffic.

4. SCOPE OF HIGHWAY AND TRAFFIC ENGINEERING

Highway engineering and traffic analysis involve an extremely complex interaction of economic,
behavioral, social, political, environmental, and technological factors. This complexity makes
highway engineering and traffic analysis far more challenging than typical engineering disciplines
that tend to have an overriding focus on only the technical aspects of the problem. To be sure, the
technical challenges encountered in highway engineering and traffic analysis easily rival the most
complex technical problems encountered in any other engineering discipline. However, it is the
economic, behavioral, social, political, and environmental elements that introduce a level of
complexity unequalled by any other engineering discipline.
In nutshell, it may be said that the highway engineering deals with various phase like development,
planning, alignment, highway geometric design and location, highway traffic operation and its
control, materials, pavement design, construction and maintenance, economic considerations,
finance and administration.

Many other special aspect which are not included in the general layout are related to problems of
development and construction of hill-roadside development including landscaping road architecture
and arboriculture.

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Figure 2.

Assessment

1. There are many benefits related to our highway system, but there are also many costs or
detrimental effects that have come into focus in recent years. List three major detrimental
effects that are directly related to the construction and use of our highway transportation
system.
2. Cite four statistics that demonstrate the importance of transportation.
3. Recall modes of transportation/types of road transport that are obsolete or no longer being
used in the Philippines. Provide analysis as to why these are no longer used.
4. The expectations the public has for the transportation system continue to increase. What is
the principal challenge faced by the transportation engineer in meeting these expectations?
What fields of knowledge beyond traditional transportation engineering are needed?
5. How would your typical day be changed without availability of your principal mode of
transportation? Consider both personal transportation as well as goods and services that you
rely on.
6. What are the most central problems in our country concerning one of the following: (a) air
transportation, (b) railroads, (c) water transportation, (d) highways, or (e) public
transportation?

NOTE: Submit your answers next meeting. Format: MS Word (.doc/.docx), A4 size, Font Arial, 12

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 Reflection

1. Read on the history of transportation modes in the Philippines.

2. What are the four principal modes for moving freight in the Philippines? Which of these
modes carries the largest share of ton-miles? Which carries the lowest?
3. What are the four principal modes for moving people in the Philippines? Which of these
modes accounts for the largest share of passenger-miles? Which mode accounts for the
lowest?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using intercity bus transportation?
5. (a) List four major factors that will determine the future of public transportation in the
Philippines.
(b) For each of the factors listed, indicate if the factor is positive, negative, or neutral.

Summary

Transportation is an essential element in the economic development of a society. Without good

transportation, a nation or region cannot achieve the maximum use of its natural resources or the
maximum productivity of its people. Progress in transportation is not without its costs, both in
human lives and environmental damage, and it is the responsibility of the transportation engineer
working with the public to develop high-quality transportation system consistent with available
funds and social policy and to minimize damage.
The history of transportation illustrates that the way people move is affected by technology, cost,
and demand. The transportation system in a developed nation consists of a network of modes that have
evolved over many years. The system consists of vehicles, guideways, terminal facilities, and
control systems; these operate according to established procedures and schedules in the air, on
land, and on water.
The nation’s transportation system can be considered to be in a state of equilibrium at any given
point in time as a result of market forces, government actions, and transportation technology. As
these change over time, the transportation system also will be modified.

The principal carriers of freight are rail, truck, pipeline, and water. Passenger transportation is by
auto, air, rail, and bus. Highway transportation is the dominant mode in passenger travel. Trucks
carry most freight in urban areas and are a principal mode in intercity travel.

References

1. Garber, Nicholas & Hoel, Lester. 2001. Traffic and Highway Engineering. Brookes/Cole
Publishing
2. Mannering Fred, Washburn Scott, Kilaresky Walter. 2204. Principles of Highway Engineering &
Traffic Analysis. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
3. Wright, Paul H. 2003. Highway Engineering. Wiley and Sons. 2011. Pearson Higher Education,
Inc.
4. Roess Roger P., Prassas Elena S., McShane, William R., Traffic Engineering.
5. Hwa, T. F. 2006. The Handbook of Highway Engineering. Taylor & Francis Group.
6. Pankti Jethi. 2015. https://www.slideshare.net/panktijethi/module-1highway-planning-and-scope-
of-highway-engineering

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