MAROUN SEMAAN FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

CIVE 662 TRAFFIC ENGINEERING

Fall 2021-2022

Course Content and Objective (3 Credits):

A course outlining traffic engineering studies; traffic control of signalized and unsignalized intersections; signal
control hardware and maintenance; arterial performance and operations; and network optimization.
Course Information:
Instructor: Dr. Harith Abdulsattar, Bechtel 410, [email protected]
Teaching Assistant: TBA
Time: Tuesday and Thursday 02:00 PM-03:20 PM.
Prerequisites: CIVE-460
Location: Bechtel 202/ Online Delivery: https://aub.webex.com/meet/ha249
Office Hours:
Instructor:
Mondays and Wednesday 10:00-11:00 AM or by appointment via email
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, you will be able to:

1. Describe the character, elements, and impacts of human factors and vehicle characteristics on traffic
operations and safety;
2. Conduct and analyze the results of volume, speed, and delay studies to assess the performance of
transportation infrastructure;
3. Apply traffic signal warrants and engineering judgment to assess the need for signalization at
signalized intersections;
4. Conduct a full traffic impact study resulting in the assessment and design of on and off-site
mitigation; and
5. Communicate effectively the results of transportation engineering analysis in written and verbal
forms.
Textbook:
Lectures will be mostly based on the textbook: “Traffic Engineering” by Roger P. Roess, E. S. Prassas and,
William R. McShane, 4th Edition.
Other course materials (i.e. handouts, manuals, etc.) will be posted on Moodle as needed.
Moodle:
Course materials and slides, important announcements, and some relevant materials (including partial lecture
notes, homework assignments and lab activities) will be posted on Moodle. It is the student’s responsibility to
check the website periodically. Assignments, quizzes, lab submissions, and grades shall be
uploaded/posted on Moodle.

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Classroom Culture:
Students are expected to have good behavior in the classroom. Talking, sleeping, reading newspapers, browsing
the internet, messaging, browsing Facebook, tweeting, shopping, gaming, etc. are not appropriate.
Homework:

Homework is instrumental in helping you grasp fundamental concepts and in exposing you to techniques and
skills for applying these principles to real-life situations. You may discuss homework problems with your
classmates (NOT COPY THEIR SOLUTIONS), but please try all the homework on your own
initially. Additionally, solutions must be developed and submitted independently. For homework activities
that require the use of a computer software package, the student may be required to submit his or her input
files. It is not appropriate to copy a computer file prepared by someone else and administrative actions will
be taken in the event this occurs.

Use the following guidelines for homework preparation:

• Use clean, 8.5 x 11-inch paper. Engineering paper is preferred; neatness is important and appreciated.
• Write on only one side of the paper and start a new problem on a new sheet of paper unless otherwise
directed.
• Write your name and course number in the upper right corner of each page.
• Securely staple all pages.
• Show all of your work and state any assumptions clearly. Draw a block or a cloud around your final
answer(s).
• For graphical solutions, use graph paper or computer-generated plots. Label the axes of your graph and
include units.
• When drawing sketches, use a straight edge.

Late homework is not accepted unless specific arrangements are made with Dr. Abdulsattar before the
deadline.

Exams
There will be one Midterm exam during the quarter plus NO Final exam. The exams must be taken as
scheduled. If you MUST miss an exam for an emergency, please let Dr. Abdulsattar know as soon as possible
(before the exam). If you oversleep or skip an exam, you will not have an opportunity to make it up. If you have
a valid (according to Dr. Abdulsattar) time conflict and you let him know in advance, there is the possibility of
taking an exam at an alternate time.
End of Term Project:
There will be one project due near the end of the quarter that will recap the learning outcomes of the semester.
Specific instructions and details will be announced in advance. The project is worth 10 points.

Class Attendance:

You are expected to attend every class and participate in the discussion. If you are not able to make class, notify
the instructor before class. If you do miss class, it is your responsibility to find out what was covered and any
administrative information that was presented.

Guidelines on Academic Integrity:

Academic integrity and honesty are central components of a student’s education. Ethical conduct maintained
in an academic context will be taken eventually into a student’s professional career. Academic honesty is
essential to a community of scholars searching for and learning to seek the truth. Anything less than total
commitment to honesty undermines the efforts of the entire academic community. Both students and faculty
are responsible for ensuring the academic integrity of the University.

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Cheating
Students who use non-permissible written, verbal, or oral assistance, including that obtained from another
student during examinations, in course assignments, or on projects, are guilty of cheating. The unauthorized
possession or use of examination or course-related material may also constitute cheating. Cheating is
essentially a fraud. It deceives others and causes them to make an assessment based on a misrepresentation of
a student’s actual ability or performance. Cheating is a violation of the University’s academic regulations and is
subject to disciplinary action.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism exists when students claim as their own the work of others. Students who fail to credit properly
ideas or materials taken from another, commit plagiarism. Putting your name on a piece of work any part of
which is not yours constitutes plagiarism unless that piece is clearly marked and the work from which you have
borrowed is fully identified. Plagiarism is a violation of the University’s academic regulations and is subject to
disciplinary action.

Non-Discrimination and Anti-Discriminatory Harassment, including Sexual Harassment at AUB

In line with its commitment to the principle of equal opportunity in education and employment, AUB policies
protect you from discrimination based on protected characteristics, including discriminatory harassment and
sexual harassment. Protected characteristics include race, color, religion, age, national or ethnic identity, sex,
gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, disability, genetic predisposition or
carrier status, alienage or citizenship status, and political affiliation.

The policies apply to all the AUB Community including officers, faculty, staff, academic appointees, students
(including medical interns and residents), visiting students, alumni, trainees, visitors, contractors,
subcontractors, suppliers, located on campus and at AUB Medical Center, Advancing Research Enabling
Communities Center (AREC), or any other facility or program affiliated with the University. The “AUB
community” also includes the dependents and domestic employees of faculty and staff dwelling on campus and
at AREC.

If you think you have experienced discrimination, discriminatory harassment, or sexual harassment, we
encourage you to inform the Equity/Title IX Coordinator, Mitra Tauk at 01-350000 ext.
2514, [email protected], report to a Title IX deputy at your faculty or at any other faculty
(www.aub.edu.lb/titleix), or report online (www.aub.ethicspoint.com). Reports may be submitted
anonymously or not. Please know that the University will maintain the confidentiality of the complaint and
privacy of the persons involved to the greatest extent possible, consistent with its goal of conducting a thorough
and complete investigation and to the extent permitted by law.

You need to also know that the University has designated academic and administrative department/unit heads,
managerial level staff, academic advisors, protection officers, and residence hall staff/monitors, as responsible
employees or “mandatory reporters”, and may designate others at its discretion. These individuals are
obligated to report actual or suspected discrimination or discriminatory harassing conduct to the Equity/Title
IX Coordinator unless they are a “confidential” resource. The following have been designated as confidential
resources: on-campus counselors in the Counseling Center of the Office of Student Affairs and AUB Medical
Center counselors, and healthcare providers at the University Health Services (UHS) and at the AUB Medical
Center. Confidential resources are not required to report actual or suspected discrimination or harassment to
appropriate university officials, except in cases of suspected abuse of a minor, in the event of an external
investigation or prosecution, or in the event of imminent danger to the reporting party or others.

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Accommodation:
Accommodations are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and the Accessible Education Office. If you
anticipate or experience academic barriers due to a disability (including mental health, chronic or temporary
medical conditions), please inform me immediately so that we can privately discuss options. Students who feel
in need to facilitate a smooth accommodation process are encouraged to contact the Accessible Education
Office: [email protected]; +961-1-350000x3246; West Hall, 314.
Course Evaluation

Midterm Exam 15%

Average of Labs Exercises & Homework 40%

2Project/ Oral Presentation 40%

Active Class Participation 5%

Total 100%

2Project Report 25% + 10% for the slides + 5% for the oral presentation

Tentative Course Topics3:

1) Introduction to Traffic Systems

2) Traffic Data Collection and Reduction Methodologies
3) Statistical Applications in Traffic Engineering
4) Highway Traffic Safety
5) Parking Studies
6) Design and Analysis of Signalized Intersections
7) Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

3Lecture and Project materials might be modified according to the course needs