Chapter objectives:

-       understanding the methodology of traffic surveys evaluation,

-       understanding the terms: annual mean of daily intensities and daily traffic intensity,

-       knowledge of the digital maps management,

-       understanding the meaning of terms: geographic information systems and spatial planning.

 

Time required to study the chapter: 6 hours

Interpretation:

 

Methods of determining traffic intensity

Traffic intensity on a road is measured (detected) by following ways:

1.    Using the results of previous transport surveys.

2.    Performing and evaluating a traffic survey.

 

In conditions of the Czech Republic, these sources of information regarding traffic intensity are available in particular:

o     long-term traffic counting (census);

o     national traffic counting (census) – it is the basic information on road transport traffic intensities. It takes place over a five-year cycle on a selected roadway network covering all motorways, roads of first class and second class, selected roads of third class and selected local roadways. The national census is ordered by the Road and Motorway Directorate of the Czech Republic.

o     using results of other traffic surveys - surveys of road, cycling and pedestrian traffic are regularly performed in some municipalities.

 

Methods of performing traffic intensity surveys

o      manual

o      survey using technical equipment - detectors built or fixed to the road – hoses, induction loops; radar and infrared detectors - located close to the roadway (some types allow to record even intensity of cycling and pedestrian traffic); videodetection – video-outcome recording and analysis of the system for automatic video-outcomes evaluation, combined (for example, video recording with subsequent manual evaluation).

 

Traffic intensity is usually monitored and measured separately by individual directions and time - at least by hours.

 

Vehicle types

To monitor traffic intensity, it is advisable to divide vehicles into these types:

o    O - Passenger cars – Without trailer and with trailers, vans,

o    M - Motorcycles – Two-wheeled motor vehicles without trailer and with trailers,

o    N - Trucks – Light, medium and heavy trucks, tractors, special trucks,

o    A - Busses – Vehicles intended for the passengers and their luggage carriage providing more than 9 seats (including articulated buses and buses with trailers),

o    K – trailers and articulated vehicles (truck+semi-trailer).

 

EVALUATION OF TRAFFIC INTENSITY SURVEY

Methodology for determining the estimation of annual mean of daily traffic intensity on the basis of a short-term survey is based on the conversion of the traffic intensity measured during the short-term traffic survey using coefficients characterizing the daily, weekly and yearly variations of traffic intensities.

 

Geographic Information Systems

A geographic information system or geographical information system (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of spatial or geographical data. The acronym GIS is sometimes used for geographic information science (GIScience) to refer to the academic discipline that studies geographic information systems and is a large domain within the broader academic discipline of geoinformatics. What goes beyond a GIS is a spatial data infrastructure, a concept that has no such restrictive boundaries. In a general sense, the term describes any information system that integrates, stores, edits, analyzes, shares, and displays geographic information. GIS applications are tools that allow users to create interactive queries (user-created searches), analyze spatial information, edit data in maps, and present the results of all these operations. Geographic information science is the science underlying geographic concepts, applications, and systems. GIS is a broad term that can refer to a number of different technologies, processes, and methods. It is attached to many operations and has many applications related to engineering, planning, management, transport/logistics, insurance, telecommunications, and business. For that reason, GIS and location intelligence applications can be the foundation for many location-enabled services that rely on analysis and visualization. GIS can relate unrelated information by using location as the key index variable. Locations or extents in the Earth space–time may be recorded as dates/times of occurrence, and x, y, and z coordinates representing, longitude, latitude, and elevation, respectively. All Earth-based spatial–temporal location and extent references should, ideally, be relatable to one another and ultimately to a "real" physical location or extent. This key characteristic of GIS has begun to open new avenues of scientific inquiry.

 

The creation of digital maps

Creating digital maps is organizationally demanding and time-consuming process. First of all, Aerial pictures of the given area must be taken. Pictures can only be taken in very clear weather by special cameras that capture images either digitally or on a large-format film. Images must always keep information about their location, exact coordinates, altitude and rotation. Subsequently, images are processed by computer, for example, they are color-aligned. It is necessary to have a digital terrain model, or accurate altitude information at all points of the entire area with certain spacing according to the terrain, resulting scale and required accuracy. Then, it is necessary to mark the boundaries of individual images on the basis of which the resulting pictures will be composed. The matched neighboring pictures are further linked into a single large mosaic which is then "staggered" into individual map sheets.

 

Spatial planning

Spatial planning is a specific type of planning, sometimes referred to as environmental changes management. It focuses primarily on changes in the material components of this territory. It systematically and comprehensively solves its functional utilization, establishes the principles of its organization and coordinates materially and timely the construction and other activities influencing its development.

Three categories of spatial planning tools can be defined:

o   Spatial Planning Background Materials: These are mainly spatial and technical data, i.e. datasets characterizing the territory conditions which are usually processed in digital form for individual cities.

o   Spatial Planning Documentation: It results in various regulations and restrictions (for example, for what purpose the territory can be used). This usually includes the territorial plan of a large territorial unit, or municipality and the regulatory plan.

o   Spatial Decisions: On the basis of these, it is possible to locate a construction on a certain territory, change its utilization and protect important interests in it.

 

Study materials:

Basic literature:

Voženílek, V., Strakoš, V. City Logistics: Dopravní problémy města a logistika. Olomouc: Publisher – Palacky University, 2009, pp. 118-127. ISBN 978-80-244-2317-3

Recommended study literature:

Suzuki, Hiroaki, Cervero, Robert, and Iuchi, Kanako. Transforming Cities with Transit: Transit and Land-Use Integration for Sustainable Urban Development. Herndon, VA, USA: World Bank Publications, 2013. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 13 May 2015.

1.      In conditions of the Czech Republic, these sources of information regarding traffic intensity are available in particular:

a)      long-term traffic counting, short-term traffic counting, using results from the standard TP 180.

b)      long-term traffic counting, national traffic counting, using results of other traffic surveys

c)      national traffic counting, using results of other traffic surveys, operational traffic counting

2.      Methods of performing traffic intensity surveys:

a)      manual and survey using technical equipment,

b)      manual a written,

c)      polling and public

3.      To monitor traffic intensity, it is advisable to divide vehicles into these types:

a)      A, B, C, D, E

b)      A1, M2, N1, N2, O

c)      O, M, N, A, K

4.      Describe the evaluation of traffic intensities survey.

5.      Geographic Information Systems are:

a)     tools for influencing the traffic flow in terms of routing its direction by the node or territory in order to optimize the transport routes capacity utilization.

b)      it is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of spatial or geographical data

c)      equipment for a complex solution of supplying the selected area.

6.      In relation to the concept of geographic information systems, also following term is known:

a)      digital maps,

b)      manual maps,

c)      public maps.

7.      Three categories of spatial planning tools do not include:

a)      Spatial Planning Documentation

b)      Spatial Decisions

c)      Spatial Surveys

8.      Define the term “spatial planning”.

 

Key to solve the questions:

 

1)     b.

 2)      c.

 3)      c.

 4)      Methodology for determining the estimation of annual mean of daily traffic intensity on the basis of a short-term survey is based on the conversion of the traffic intensity measured   during the short-term traffic survey using coefficients characterizing the daily, weekly and yearly variations of traffic intensities.

5)     b.

6)     a.

7)     c.

        8)   Spatial planning is a specific type of planning, sometimes referred to as environmental changes management. It focuses primarily on changes in the material components of this territory. It systematically and comprehensively solves its functional utilization, establishes the principles of its organization and coordinates materially and timely the construction and other activities influencing its development.