TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING Planes, Trains, Automobiles and More Ardrey Kell High School February 23, 2012

Introductions  Tom Kelly  Graduate University of Dayton 2004 BSCE  Co-op while in school 1 semester with construction company 1 semester with structures group 2 semesters with traffic group  Senior Transportation Engineer – Traffic Ops  7+ years experience with consulting firm  Professional Engineer in NC, SC and VA

Civil Engineering  Civil Engineering  Structural  Environmental  Water Resources  Geotechnical  TRANSPORTATION Planning Public Involvement Design Operations Implementation / Construction

Transportation Project Involves  Planning  Identify Project  Establish guidelines  Public Involvement  Need input from community  Design  Develop alternatives  Evaluate impacts  Meet practice standards  Implementation / Construction

So what is Transportation Engineering?  Science of safe and efficient movement of people and goods  Various modes of transportation:  Automobile  Pedestrian  Bicycle  Rail  Aviation  Waterway

US Highway Fatality Rate Number of fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. Improved Safety Asphalt/Concrete Quality Clear Zone Lane Width Stopping Distance Signal Timing Intelligent Transportation Systems

Efficiency  90 largest US Cities  4.2 billion hrs of delay per year (2007)  41 hrs of delay per person per year (2007) Causes:  Capacity vs. Demand  Incidents/Crashes  Construction Zone  Old Traffic Signal Timing

Traffic Operations  Accommodate all user types on roads  Analyze the alternatives considered under design  Suggest changes/improvements  Traffic control, signal timing, restriping, widening  Simulate alternatives to understand subtle improvements

Operations  VISSIM simulation video

Intelligent Transportation Systems ITS is Technology to Improve Transportation  Traffic Management Centers  Ramp Meters  Fiber Optic Communications  Weigh Stations  CCTV Traffic Cameras  Dynamic Message Signs  Vehicle Detection

ITS Examples  CCTV Traffic Cameras  Monitor traffic conditions at Traffic Management Center  Quickly clear traffic incidents  Vehicle Detection  Measure speed and volume  Inform users about travel time  Dynamic Message Signs  Change message to alert drivers  Travel times, detours, accidents

Questions

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING Planes, Trains, Automobiles and More South Mecklenburg High School February 22, 2012

TASK  A new highway is being contemplated to ease congestion in your city. Your assignment is to create a team to decide the route of the highway and where the interchanges will be. Using a community in your neighborhood as a guide, what types of people and/or organizations would you select to be on your team and why? If a new highway could not be funded entirely or at all, what alternatives should the City consider and why?  WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT  BRAIN STORMING  ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT  EVALUATE TO ARRIVE AT BEST ALTERNATIVE  DESIGN CHOSEN ALTERNATIVE  BEGIN CONSTRUCTION  OPEN TO PUBLIC