Transportation Engineering

Transportation Engineering

• Definition: Application of technology and scientific principles to the planning, functional design, operation, and maintenance of safe and efficient transportation systems.
• Branch of civil engineering profession involved in planning, design, operation, and maintenance of transportation systems.

Modes of Transportation

• Roadways: Also known as highways, consisting of modern highways, city streets, feeder roads, and village roads.
• Railways: Used for long and short distances, effective for longer distances, and includes aspects like safe operation, control of rail traffic, and layout of rail tracks.
• Airways: One of the fastest systems, providing comfort and saving time, includes aspects like safe operation, control of air traffic, and planning and operation of airports.
• Waterways: Slowest among the four modes, possible between ports on sea routes or along rivers and canals, includes aspects like safe operation and control of ship traffic.

Transportation Planning

• Preparation of transportation systems like highways and traffic facilities to ensure safety and efficiency.
• Necessary for a civil engineering company to ensure hazards and conditions are fixed and made up to standard.
• 4 main stages of transportation planning:
  1. Transportation Survey, Data Collection, and Analysis: Gathering data, analyzing traffic flows, and understanding travel patterns.
  2. Transportation Model: Process of data analysis to predict future travel demands and network needs.
  3. Future Land Use and Travel Demand Forecasting: Forecasting land use, travel demands, and predicting volumes of traffic in every network.
  4. Policy and Evaluation: Evaluating alternative policies, considering economic impacts, and ensuring safety is an integral component.

Principles of Transportation Planning

• Identifying multiple options, problems, and solutions to a transportation system.
• Optimization of existing transportation systems and structural design.
• Guaranteeing safety and efficiency of the delivery of goods and services.
• Addressing current and future transportation demands, public safety, health, and social needs.
• Objectives of planning:
  • Traffic congestion reduction
  • Parking cost savings
  • Consumer savings and affordability
  • Improved mobility for non-drivers
  • Energy conservation
  • Air, noise, and water pollution reduction
  • Habitat protection
  • Support for local economic development
  • Improved public fitness and health

Transportation Safety

• The 4E’s of Safety:
  • Engineering
  • Enforcement
  • Emergency Medical Services
  • Education
• Ensuring safety is an integral component of all planning processes.

Modern Transportation Challenges

• Traffic Congestion: Alleviating congestion through smart transportation systems, real-time data analytics, and smart sensors.
• Environmental Impact: Reducing carbon footprint, promoting green mobility solutions, and integrating sustainable transportation practices.
• Infrastructure Development: Developing robust infrastructure to support rapidly urbanizing countries.

Road Transportation Network

• Describes a structure that permits vehicular movement or flow of commodities.
• Consists of a system of interconnected ways (paved) designed to carry traffic.
• Forms the most basic level of transport infrastructure in an urban area.
• Links with all other areas, both within and beyond boundaries.

National Highway Network

• Series of public roads that provide inter-city connection.
• Numbered N1 – N82.
• Classified into:
  • Primary (National Road)
  • Secondary (National Road)
  • Tertiary (National Road)

Evolution of Land Transportation

• From the Stone Age (walking) to the invention of wheels, chariots, motorcycles, automobiles, and public railways.
• Marking significant developments in land transportation over the centuries.### National Highway Network
• Total road length: 216,387 km (as of Oct 2019)
• Paved roads: 61,093 km (DPWH, 2017)
• Provincial roads: 31,620 km (DPWH, 2017)
• City and municipal roads: 1,950 km (DPWH, 2017)
• Barangay roads: 121,702 km (DPWH, 2017)
• National road length: 33,018.25 km (DPWH, as of Oct 2019)

National Road Condition

• Good: 44.33%
• Fair: 33.37%
• Poor: 10.17%
• Bad: 4.72%
• Unassessed: 7.41%

Road Classifications

• Arterial High Standard Highways (HSH-1):
  • Known as expressways
  • Limited access
  • With interchanges, including tolls for passage in open/closed system
  • Speed limit: max 100 kph for cars and jeeps, 80 kph for trucks and buses
• Regional High Standard Highways (HSH-2):
  • Multilane arterial roads
  • Partially controlled access
  • With bypass, grade separation, or frontage road
  • Design speed: 80-100 kph for interurban highways, 60 kph for intraurban highways

Expressways

• North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) – E1
  • Formerly known as North Diversion Road
  • 84 km long, links Metro Manila to Bulacan and Pampanga
• South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) – E2
  • Formerly known as South Super Highway
  • 51 km long, links Metro Manila to Laguna, Cavite, and Batangas
• Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX) – E2
  • Shortest tollway at 4 km
  • Links Bacoor and Muntinlupa
• Subic Freeport Expressway (SFEx) – E4
  • Links SCTEx to Olongapo and Subic Freeport Zone
  • 8.8 km long

Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX)

• Partially operational at Mamplasan to Santa Rosa only
• 44.63 km long, links Cavite and Laguna Provinces

Transportation Modes

• Land:
  • Jeepneys
  • Buses
  • Taxis
  • Motorized tricycles
  • Railways (PNR, MRT, LRT) – 79 km footprint (as of 2019)
• Water:
  • Double-outriggers (trimaran)
  • Bangka (sails)
  • Pump boats (motorized bangka)
  • Ferries
• Air:
  • Airplanes
    • Chartered
    • Commercial

Philippine Nautical Highway System (RoRo System)

• 919 km integrated set of nautical highway segments and ferry routes covering 17 cities (since 2003)
• Opened to the public as the Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) and serves as the backbone of vehicle transport

Airports

• International: 12
• Principal (Domestic): 32
• Community: 41
• Unclassified: 65

Traffic Management

• The organization, arrangement, guidance, and control of both stationary and moving traffic
• Traffic signs and markings:
  • Generally insufficient
  • For highly urbanized areas (HUA's): hardly visible and recognized due to giant billboards

Departments and Agencies

• Department of Transportation (DOTr)
  • Primarily responsible for policy making, planning, programming, coordinating, implementing, and administrative entity of the executive branch on the promotion, development, and regulation of a dependable and coordinated network of transportation systems
• Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
  • Responsible for the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructures, especially national highways, flood control, and water resources development system and other public works in accordance with national development objectives
• Land Transportation Office (LTO)
  • Issues and revokes driver's licenses and permits
  • Administers exams, registers motor vehicles nationwide, and issues vehicle license plates
  • Enforces traffic rules and regulations, authorized to confiscate license plates
• Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB)
  • Responsible for promulgating, administering, enforcing, and monitoring compliance of policies, laws, and regulations of public transportation services
• Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA)
  • Assists the 17 political units in crafting and implementing integrated development plans characterized by unity of purpose, innovation, adaptability, and creativity in meeting the challenges of transport decongestion, climate change, waste management, and disaster prevention to achieve decent quality of life in Metro Manila### Traffic Management Framework
• The primary agencies responsible for enforcement and apprehension of offenders are LTO, LTFRB, and MMDA under DOTr, and PNP-TMG under DILG.
• The PNP-RTMO's personnel are dispatched to strategic choke points and major thoroughfares to conduct traffic direction and control.

Legislative Framework

• Republic Act 4136 (1964) is the Land Transportation Code, which covers registration of motor vehicles, operation of motor vehicles, traffic rules, and penal and other provisions.
• Executive Order 125 (s. 1987) reorganized the Ministry of Transportation and Communications into a department, defining its powers and functions.
• RA 10054 (2009) is the Motorcycle Helmet Act, which requires motorbike drivers and riders to wear standard protective motorcycle helmets.
• RA 10586 (2013) is the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act, which prohibits motorists from driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other inebriating substances.
• RA 10916 (2016) is the Road Speed Limiter Act, which requires public utility vehicles to be equipped with a standard speed limiter.
• RA 11229 (2019) is the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act, which requires the use of child restraint systems in motor vehicles.

Traffic Regulations

• Traffic regulations must cover all aspects of the control of both vehicles and drivers.
• Regulations must be reasonable and effective, dependent on the laws of the states and local governments.
• Effective traffic regulation requires rational, progressive, and well-planned regulatory systems in conjunction with control devices.

Traffic Control Devices

• There are three distinct functional groups of traffic control devices:
  • Regulatory devices have the authority of law and impose precise requirements upon the actions of the road user.
  • Warning devices inform road users of potentially hazardous roadway conditions or unusual traffic movements.
  • Guiding devices employ simple signs and markings to inform the road user of route, destination, and other pertinent traffic information.

Traffic Signs and Markings

• Traffic signs come in various shapes and colors to convey different messages:
  • Triangle: warning
  • Circle: regulating
  • Rectangle: informative
  • Octagon: stop
  • Inverted Triangle: yield
• Colors used include:
  • Black on yellow background: danger/warning
  • Black on white background: prohibitory/restrictive
  • Blue background: mandatory
  • Red background: stop
• Signs must be of a minimum size depending on the intended application and roadway speed.

Pavement Markings

• Pavement markings are used to convey information to drivers:
  • Longitudinal lines: parallel to the direction of traffic
  • Transverse lines: perpendicular to the direction of traffic
  • Other lines: merging, turning, diverging, etc.
  • Object markings: object within or adjacent to the roadway
  • Reflector markings: retroreflector raised pavement markers, hazard markers, and delineators