TRANSPORTATION PLANNING (TPM 405) LECTURE NOTE

Meaning and Definition of TP

What is planning? Planning is futuristic looking beyond the presence. One of the requirements
for planning is strategic thinking. Transport is a spatial bridge between area of surplus and area
of deficit. Transport planning focuses on how to meet the transport need of the society at same
time eliminating or reducing to the barest minimum the negative externalities associated with the
use of transportation. Transport planning therefore refers to all those activities involved in the
analysis and evaluation of past, present and prospective problem associated with the demand for
the movement of people, goods and information at local, national or international levels. It also
deals with the identifications of solutions to meeting the demand for transportation in the context
of current and future economic, social, environmental and technological development and in the
light of the aspirations and concern of the society which it serves. (Transport planning of U.K).
It is also defined as a program of action to provide for present and future demand for the
movement of people and goods, such program associated with transport planning and necessarily
include consideration of the various modes of transport. Planning can be effective only if it
provides useful information to those taking decision. It must not only provide information that is
needed fully for short and long terms consequences or alternative choices. Transport planning
process outlines the strategic investments in facilities and services that are necessary to meet
future system deficiencies.
PURPOSE OF PLANNING
1. We plan because the world moves into the future. That is, the world is a dynamic one so, there
is need for specific decisions to be made. Planning is effective if it provides useful information to
those that make decisions especially in making preparation for the future demand for
transportation.
2. In planning all decisions must involve evaluation of alternative image of the future. Planning
provides opportunity to consider various options that may be available to achieve the specific
goals of transport.
3. Evaluation and decisions are influenced by the degrees of uncertainty associated with expected
consequences. There are degrees of uncertainty involved as far as future demand for transport
services.
NOTE: Planners are not magicians, they work on data and facts. They make provision for the
future on the basis of continuous data collection.
4. The product of planning should be designed in such a way that we cannot talk about the
present without the past and we cannot talk about the future without the present. In other words,
planning should explore a wide range of agenda. The result of planning must be effectively
communicated to the decision makers.
Transportation Planning Goals
There are numerous important goals in the transportation planning process. The key is to balance
them while designing a plan that meets the Transportation Planning Goals.
Transportation Planning Process
CONTRIBUTORS TO TRANSPORTATION PLANNING
The transportation planning processes includes many contributors. The thoughts and ideas from
all of the stakeholders are critical to ensure a successful outcome.

APPROACHES TO TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Five major conceptual models of decision making relevant to transport planning emerge from
past studies of decision-making process. These models can be classified as
The Rational Actor Approach: This approach is a model that traditionally assumes a rational
thinking that completely involved a set of decision makers whose decision process is based on
maximizing the attainment of its set of goals and objectives.
NOTE: The planner has complete knowledge of the environment. A rational thinker is someone
who uses or employs rationality in his decision. An example of a rational approach is the
environmental assessment process establish in the US.
Although, it is participatory in the process and subject to public scrutiny, the final decision of the
preferred choice rests with the governor of the state. The supporting documentation is interacted
to examine the environmental consequences of each alternative and to identify possible
mitigation strategies. The government (for the rational actor) then select the most preferred
alternative based on the information provided.
2. The Satisfying Approach: Critiques of the rational actor approach focus on its request for
comprehension knowledge and the selection of optimal alternative. From most observers of
decision makings, this requirement is scarcely met. In satisfying model of decision making, the
decision maker choose alternative that satisfies the minimum level of alternative or acceptability
that induce the least arm or disturbance while conveying some benefits. The search process in
this type of decision making is thus described as satisfying one.
3. The Incremental Approach: In the models, the decision makers’ argue that decisions are
made on the basis of marginal or incremental differences in their consequences. This approach is
different from limited strategic approach in both the total numbers of approaches considered and
the estimation of consequences. It is remedial in that it solves rather than proactive seeking to
attain goal, but rather assumes limited coordination and communication among key decision
makers. The characteristics of the model is that rather than attempting a comprehensive survey
and evaluation of all alternatives, decision makers focus on those policies that differ
incrementally on incremental policies. The main characteristics of this approach are;
a) Only a relatively few numbers of possible alternatives are considered.
b) For each policy alternative, only a restricted number of “Important” consequences are
evaluated.
c) The problem confronting the decision maker is continually redefined, so incrementation
allows for countless end to means and means to end adjustment that in effect makes the
problem more manageable (either adjusting the method, or adjusting the objective).
d) Thus, there is decision or right solution but a never-ending direct attacks.
e) As such incremental decision makers are described as concrete, social attached approach.
Organizational Process Approach. This approach recognizes the fact that most decisions
belong to organizations and the decision is therefore influenced by formal and informal studies
of the organization, channel of communication and standard operational procedures. The
importance of this context is found in three (3) areas:
1. Given that the governmental action is an output of an organization decision made, which
triggers organizational routine that brings about implementation.
2. These organization routines depend on range of effective choices open to the government
leaders. The alternative considered by decision maker often comes from organizers or
organization whose own perception of the scope and solutions are presented to decision
makers.
3. Finally, policies and programs can be successful only to the extent that organization
responsible for the implementation has the capacity of carrying out the responsibility.
The organization plan model is particularly well suited to transportation because
transportation programs and project implementations are guided by standard operating
procedures. Highway construction for example must usually meet designed standard in
line with the width, site distance and geometric. In fact, much of public opposition to
express way construction in the late 60’s can be related to high way standard that require
massive land acquisition.
4. Political Bargaining Approach: This type of approach to decision making recognizes
that a large number of actors involved on a decision making often have diverse goals,
values and interest which create conflicts and subsequently needs for bargaining. The
important different between this model and the rational actor approach is that the
outcome of the bargaining process might not be optimal in a technical sense and the
agreed-upon decision usually represent a compromise with more controversial aspect
usually ignored or left for future decision.

CHARACTERISTICS OF URBAN TRAVEL

There are some specific characteristics of transportation systems that relate to their use,
for example, urban travel characteristics. These are important for understanding of the
underlying factors that influence the demand for trval.
In the planning process, understanding the travel behaviour of urban travellers is very
critical. What are these characteristics?
1. Trip Purpose
2. Temporal distribution of trip making
3. Spatial distribution of urban travel
4. Selection of the model use
5. Transportation safety and
6. The cost of trip making

Trip Purpose
Traditionally, transportation planners have modelled passenger trips by the purpose they
serve. The common trip purpose classification include:-
i. Work trip (trip made to a person’s place of employment e.g trader going to the market
ii. Shopping trips made to retail establishment regardless of the type or the size of the
purchase
ii. Social or recreational trips: This include culture trip to recreational or entertainment
facility. It also include church meeting, concert and sporting activities.
iii. Business trips is made in the course of performing a normal day’s work. The origin
of such trip is often the place of employment.
iv. Educational trip: Trip made by student to an institution of learning.
Trips are defined as a one way movement. The Unit of movement is a trip. Movement can be
measured in trip. Trip can also be classified as ‘Home based trips. There are 5 categories of this
namely;
1. Home-based work, Home-based shop, Home- School, Home-based social trips
and non-Home base
Temporal Distribution of trip making.
Given that transportation is the means by which people participate in urban activities that by
their very nature, they occur at different times of the day it is not surprising that the profile of
urban travel over the day shows temporal variation. The example of phenomenon is the peak
period or the rush hours of 6AM to 9AM and 4PM to 7PM which are often referred to as
morning and evening peak hours.
Peak period for truck tend not to correspond: with passenger traffic. In fact, daily urban good
providers tend to avoid congested locations and times. Thus in many cities trucking activities is
most intense right after impassible relative immobility of the morning passenger peak and just
before the evening rush hours. In other cases such as inter-modal terminals, peaking
characteristics reflects more the operation of the terminal and the need to transfer good to
waiting transportation service at the metropolitan level.
Majority of truck trips occur in mid day between 10AM to 3PM. The peaking of travel demand
in specific time period result in congested highway facility and transit services. Congestion is
simply a condition whereby any transport facility usage is so great that there are delays to the
users of the facility. Usually this happens when traffic handled by the transport facility exceeds
its designed or carrying capacity. US has the largest Road network in the world.

In finding solution to congestion problem in the 1960; the solution to congestion often involve
the expansion of the capacity of the highway to accommodate increased demand during peak
hours. But due to the variety of factors relating to environmental concern, community
preservation and inadequate funding, other strategies have now become part of the possible
solutions to the congestion problem. Another approach for dealing with peaking phenomenon is
to increase the person-carrying capacity of facility and services ( public transport in the use of
high capacity vehicles) For example, a big bus or high capacity buses will normally occupy 3
times of space a car will occupy but will carry 20 times of passengers that a car will carry.
Attraction of public transport
- Cost will be cheaper
- Longer journey time may cancel the cost reduction.
BRT (BUS Rapid Transit) A-system that uses exclusive bus lane.
High level of flexibility
BRT lane would be given priority. It serves as an incentive to attract people to public transport.
In Nigeria, Service lane is used for the BRT system. Other countries use faster lane.
(c) Spatial Distribution of Trip
Each trip begins at an origin and ends at the destination located at a specific geographic point in
urban area. Thus, the spatial distribution of travel in urban area is directly related to the pattern
of land use, and the network configuration of transportation system. The flow of traffic is related
to land use activity and the configuration of the road network to the land use. It is the land use
that determines the flow of traffic to an environment.
The measure of the activities in the residential is based on the population, population densities,
commercial activities, etc. The transport network capacity that should link the residential to the
industrial should be high because of higher volume of traffic. Access road and the artery road
should be linked to residential and industrial area respectively. Mostly, traffic flows from the
periphery of the city to the city centre.
(d) Modal Distribution of Trip.
The modes of transportation are basic components of transportation system. The proportion of
trip made in an urban area by different travel mode e.g transit; auto, bicycle, walking varies very
significantly from cities to cities and from country to country. However, in the US and Canada,
privately owned vehicle is dominant transit mode.
Several factors influence an individual choice of travel mode. One of the most important factors
is the difference in trip time between modes for particular trip. For example, in those cases where
automobile is available and actual or perceived transit trip time is longer than that of public
transit that would probably result in the trip being made by car.
Other important factors include mode availability such as auto ownership or accessibility to the
transit, differences in actual cost, perceived cost, comfort or convenience such as availability of
parking close to the destination. Modal distribution can also be related to factors such as
occupation, income, age and other social economic characteristics.
(e) Transportation Safety
The primary goal of an urban traveller is to arrive at the destination safety over the Past 3
decades transport fatality rates of travel is measured in relationship to system usage. Safe arrival
is one of the main goal of transportation planning if there is no safe arrival; there is no
transportation. It should be safe for the users and the operators. Safety is key, the declining rate,
in fatality is a good measure, however, fatality is measure by just the number of persons involved
but we relate it to the level of usage. That is the number of travel related to number that died. No
of vehicle that travel per 100,000km is related to the number of accident that happened.
All things being equal these is fatality rate to measure per 10,500,000 vehicle miles or kms for
different modes Note, that there are different magnitude of this rates associated with
characteristics of those modes. For example, occupants of passenger car has much higher fatality
rates than occupants of large trucks. Motorcyclist have fatality rates in an order of magnitude
greater than the other modes.
(6) Travel Cost
Cost are incurred whenever a trip is made. The cost of travel is often defined and perceived
differently by users, stakeholders and system providers. For example if asked, most travellers
will identified cost as just the out-of-pocket cost associated with traveling, fuel cost, parking cost,
fees, toll or fare, some might even consider the associated cost of vehicle purchase maintenance
and insurance even concession fees.
Data Management and Use in Transportation Planning
Transportation Planning have long placed great emphasis on the importance of quality data for
understanding the economic and society context of the transportation for monitoring the
performance system and condition of the system. Data have also proved necessarily for the more
technical assessment, for calibration and applying travel forecasting model for evaluating the
effectiveness and the impact of proposed changes.
Types of Data for Transportation Planning
Transportation Planning requires different types of Data. These data can be categorized in the
following.
1. Traffic data or flow data: This include vehicular flow data, vehicular volume, vehicular
composition/and characteristics. Freight data, such as, volume of freight., frieght types, origin of
freight and destination of freight e,t,c
2. Social Economic Characteristics of Trip Makers. These include Age Income, occupational
types, family size, educational qualification, car ownership, sex structure.
3. Data on Travel behavior: These include types of trips made, trip purpose, frequency of trip,
modes of trips, cost of trips, trip characteristics and problem associated with trips; such as
accident delay and traffic congestion.
4. Transport Inventory Data: These include transport network e.g road network,, length of road
and capacity, road condition, terminal capacity such as bus stops, bus stations terminal facilities.
5. Land use Data: These include, spatial location and distribution of land use, land use density,
land use type and land use plan data.
6. Economic Development Data: These include National GDP, per capital income, population
and population growth, Economic growth, Industrial growth and regional economic development
data.
Levels of Transportation Planning
TP is carried out of 3 different levels.
1. National level: This is a type of planning focuses on the major transport routes or corridors
This type of planning is normally executed at national level by the Federal Planning authority.
TP at the National level is usually covered a wide geographical area and focus on major transport
links or network that impact on national Economy and Social development e.g Integrated
transportation Plan for Nigeria.
2. Regional level: The Regional Transport Planning covers a specific region or a part of a nation .
A region can be described as a geographical location with a common boundary and having
similar social and economic characteristics e.g. a state transport master plan.
3. Local level: TP can also be carried out at a local community level e.g a municipal area or a
city or an urban centre in order to solve specific transportation problem or development of a
future transportation plan e.g A city transportation master plan.
Data Collection Procedure in TP
Metropolitan areas earmarked for transport planning is normally divided into analysis units often
called Traffic analysis zones which form the basis for the analysis of travel movement within,
into and out of the region. If you want to carry out traffic zoning in the city, first divide it into
traffic zone. What is the Basis?
1. Criteria for Zoning: Homogeneous social economic characteristics of the people such as high
income or low income should be grouped or classified together into a zone, type of housing or
building Homogeneity of the people base on social economic characteristic can be the basis for
zoning.
2. Recognizing of physical, political, traditional or administrative bound e.g political ward used
by Census Agency or Electoral body. Each ward has a number of polling units. Existing
boundary can be used to demarcate the zonal boundary for the srvey.
3. Major traffic corridor as a basis for division of the zone. Any area that fall under one artery or
the other can be used.
4. Land use characteristics: Land use map of the city that shows dominant landuse characteristics
such as, industrial, residential, commercial and institutional can be used. In between those land
use, there should be a traffic corridor that separates the residential from Commercial Centres.
Sampling Method for Data collection in Transport Planning.
Collecting and processing data can be very difficult and costly because one basic unit of data
collection for transportation planning is usually an individual household or a single people trip, it
is too costly to develop a data base consisting of data collected from every household or trip
movement. In a metropolitan area, various methods of data collection have been developed to
make reliable inference about the characteristics of the population in a carefully selected sample
of household. The critical issues in this approach is how to select a sample that is representative
of the characteristics of entire population.
Major types of sampling procedure commonly used are (i) Sample random sampling (ii)
Sequential sampling (iii) Stratified random sampling and duster sampling
a. Sample Random Sampling
Is a sampling procedure that selects units out of a population such that each population unit has
an equal chance of being drawn i.e of being selected. The unit in the population are signed
numbers from 1 to n and a set of numbers are drawn from a random number table or from a
Computer Programs especially designed produce such numbers.
In practice, the selected number from the population becomes the sample size. Transport
Planners don’t include biases in their Survey to get a maximum result, the sample are picking on
the principle of randomness to give the performance of the whole. It is the best sampling method
so far. The specific Unit in the population that correspond to the random number becomes the
randomly drawn sample.
Sequential/Systematic Sampling
Is a sampling procedure that draw a some from every element in the population this procedure is
based on the assumption that the target population has been listed in random order. It tries to pick
sample from nth element of population, Illustratively: a road traveller data collector may decide
to pick one out of every 4 population. Pick 4, 8,12,16, 20, 24, 28. This type sampling is suitable
for survey of road traffic travellers where their population can not be predetermined. Or what
can decide that that every 10 vehicle that passes on the traffic corridor is stopped for
questionnaire administration since is practically impossible to stop every vehicle that passes.
Stratified random sample. This is a procedure that divides the population of n unit into sub-
population of n1 n2, n3, n4 unit according to differences in some defining characteristics such as
house hold income, age structure. Random Samples are then taken within each n group For
example a household and travel behaviour survey in Poland Oregano use 10 strata
A residential household survey conducted in 4 counties on Park and Ride users, five subgroups.
Were used. In the largest and most urban counties this five subgroups of residents were identified
namely; (1) Urban, good pedestrian environmental land use mix, transit availability (ii) Urban,
bad pedestrian environment and transit availability (iii) Urban, good pedestrian environment and
transit availability (iv) Light rail corridor (v) Other residents of county
Cluster Sampling
This involve grouping sampling units usually on spatial or geographical unit e.g (group
household on the basis of neighbourhood blocks). Clusters are then selected on randomly for the
sample. Although cluster sampling is cheaper to be undertaken than other procedure, the
statistical analysis associated with such sampling tends to be more difficult. Cluster uses the
principle of zoning (High density, medium density, low density residential area) The sampling
method assumes that people living together in a unit has these characteristics.
Steps in Survey Planning and Execution
1.Establish a clear statement of the survey objective. What is the objective, are we interested in
knowing the origin and destination of traveller in Minna. Is the travel behaviour that we are
interested in? This will determine the instrument used and the type of sampling procedure to be
adopted.
2. Define the population to be sampled and the target groups to be focused on who are your
target population. Is it household, individuals, institution, student or civil servant?.
3. Identify the specific data for the purpose of the survey.
4. Specify the degree of precision require for the survey result i.e (how much error can be
tolerated in the result)
5. Determine the method to be used in determining survey result e.g questionnaire.
6. Unbundle the population into sampling unit and list the unit from which the sample will be
drawn.
7. Select the sampling procedure and the sample size
8. Pre-test the survey and field methods to ensure the procedure are workable and the survey is
understandable. We need to ascertain, validate the instrument are workable .i.e The pilot survey
(the intention is to see whether instrument are good enough to capture the work on ground. Pre-
test and mock survey prevent surveyors from making a costly mistake.
9. Establish a good supervisory structure for managing the survey.
10. Determine the procedure for analysis and summarizing the data. Mock analysis.
11. Store the data analysed and result for future reference in the data base.

TYPES OF DATA INSTRUMENT

The most common instrument is Questionnaire. Questionnaire is commonly used to collect information
on travel behavior and socio-economic characteristics of transport users. There are different types of
questionnaires. Those include:
(a) Structured questionnaire
(b) Unstructured questionnaire
(c) Mail questionnaire
(d) Travel diaries
(e) Face-to-face home interview
(f) Structure Questionnaire

Land use and transport system

In transport analysis the system is composed of 3 main component
 Land use
 Transport Infrastructure
 Traffic
A system is a body that is made at of different components that are interrelated and any problem that
occurs in any of the components impacts on the overall system.
(i) Land-use: Can be defined as the legal use to which a parcel of land is assigned for. e.g residential,
industrial commercial etc.
(ii)Transport Infrastructure/Supply: These are physical channels or links that connect different nodes and
land uses together. These include rail lines, footpaths, roads, bridges, pedestrian bridges, inland water
ways sea ports, airports jettties bus stations, rail stations etc.
Traffic: This is a joint consequence of land use and transport supply interactions e.g pedestrian traffic and
vehicular traffic. Traffic is the life wire of national and local economies.
A residential area that is highly populated will generate more traffic through the transport infrastructure
that links them together than a-low populated residential area all things being equal a Residential land-use
interested information

Traffic count and traffic survey

Transport Planning at all levels require understanding of the actual condition this involve the
determination of vehicle or pedestrian numbers vehicle types vehicle speed, vehicle weight as
well as more substantial information. Each as trip length, trip purpose and trip frequency.
The first group of data dealing with characteristic of vehicle or people movement is obtained by
undertaking traffic count. Vehicular count occurrs in a metropolitan area include the following:
(a) continuous count involve central data processing location
Vehicle count is undertaken for 365 days a year at most always with Permanent Counting
equipment often link electronically to a central data processing location. The data from the count
are used to establish travel trend and growth rate for similarly classification road.
ASSIGNMENT
Identify different types of vehicular traffic Count Equipment (discuss their main features,
Discuss advantages and disadvantages).
(b) Control or seasonal counts: This involves traffic counts taking place from 2-12 times a year
from short period of 1 to 14 days, primarily used to factor traffic count of short duration to an
estimate of average annual daily traffic . IShort period or seasonal.
(c) Coverage Count: Short duration count (usually 6-8 hrs) that provides traffic characteristics at
specific location. It uses both automatic and manual.
(d) Cordon Count:- and traffic entry and exit of the zone. Count undertaken to obtain estimate of
the total no of movement occurring within the study area define by a cordon boundary and the
number of movement entering. For highways automatic traffic recorders can be used to
determine the total number of vehicles crossing the cordon lines.
(e) Screen line Counts: Imaginary lines or boundary located in transportation network to evaluate
completeness and accuracy of estimated trips within a study area by company trips volume that
are predicted to cross the boundary with those that actually do. Because the validity of a screen
line analysis depend on identifying as many of the movement that cross the screen line as
possible the screen itself should be chosen very carefully. Often barrier to traffic flows (e.g
rivers or rail road tract are usually used)
Good success is not an accident is a product of dilligence, selection of cordon line has to be
carefully selected and making those movements easier to count: For example an area with a river
crossing, the river can be used as a boundary is an easy way to capture the traffic.
(d) Vehicle classification Count: Identification of different type of vehicles found in the traffic
streams at specific locations. This is important data not only for planning but also for road design.
Different classes of road has standard, it helps the road engineer to know the materials to use.
Such as determining pavement thickness. Different vehicle classes have been established for this
purpose including motorcycles, passenger cars, or txis; four tyre vehicles and various combine
floors of axle/tyre, trailer unit for tuck. Recent research has shown the potential of using video
imagery to recognize such classification rather than the traditional approach of using induction
loops in the pavement.
The use of video imagery or induction loop automatic or manual traffic count.
1. It helps to get each class of which to aid design of road.
2. It helps planners to know the volume of traffic flow in order to prepare for facilities like
packing lots for each class. we measure number of axles or manual observations.
(g) Truck Weight Data
Determination of vehicle weight most often collected weigh-in-motion stations located on high
volume, Inter-urban road in Nigeria we call weigh-in-motion station or Weigh Bridge.
Benefit: Over based vehicles area being prohibited from plying some class of road. Pressures
exerted by each truck might be so much that it causes high rate of road deterioration. A road
deterioration rate is caused not only by the number and types of vehicle using it but also to the
weight of the vehicle using it.
Deterioration: is the rate of damage caused on road.
Knowing the frequency of use for each weight class of any vehicle on a region road network is
thus important information.
Classes of Roads in Nigeria
Trunk A road owned by fed govt road that link major cities together Trunk B owned by the state
govt. It links local govts together Trunk C rural road that provide access to Agricural centres like
farms. For heavy duty vehicle has a high degree of design capacity traffic education is very poor
in Nigeria.
1. Automatic Traffic Equipment
Passive and active infrared sensor detecting the present, speed and types of vehicles by
measuring. Infrared energy radiating from the detection area.
Typically, the devices are mounted overhead on a bridge. The major limitation is the
performance during passive magnetic i.e Magnetic Sensors that count vehicle number, speed and
types under or out of the bend. In operating conditions the sensors have difficulties
differentiating between closely spaced vehicles. The sensor uses speed radar
2. Microwave -D
This is mounted overhead, the devices record moving vehicles and speed. With the exception of
radar devices they have difficulties in detecting closely spaced vehicles and do not detect
stationary vehicles but are not affected by weather.
3. Ultrasonic and Passive acoustic
The devices that uses sound waves to detected vehicles those using ultra sound are placed
overhead to record vehicle presence but can be affected by temperature and turbulence. The
acoustic devices are placed alongside the road and can detected number and vehicle types.
4. Video image detection: Use of overhead video camera to record vehicle numbers, types and
speed. Various software is available to analyses the video images, poor weather can also limit the
accuracy of the result.