Mulungushi University

CIE 561: TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND

ENGINEERING

INTRODUCTION

Transport Engineering

Lecturer: Eng Frank Mwangilwa

Chapter 1: Introduction to
Transport Engineering

 Presentation Overview

 Introduction

 Major disciplines of transportation

 mode of transport

 Types of transportation systems

 Factors affecting transportation

Definition
Transportation is the movement of goods and people from
one place to another.

• It is also Safe, Efficient, Reliable, and Sustainable movement

movement of people and goods over time and space.

 Transportation engineering is a part of civil engineering

which focuses on the Infrastructure of Transportation and its
and its Elements, which support the movement of goods and
people.

• It is the application of scientific principles to the planning, design,

• Transportation system in a nation consists of an
 aggregation of vehicles,

 guide ways,

 terminals, and
 control systems that move freight and
passengers from one place to the other.

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Consider the businessman’s trip
depicted
 Componentstransportation System
 Physical Components

Physical components of transportation system includes

• infrastructure;
• vehicles;
• equipment; and
• control, communications, and location systems.
  Human resource,
• Human resources, essential to the operation of transportation
systems, include

 vehicle operators such as automobile, truck and bus

drivers, airline pilots
 railroad engineers,
maintenance and construction workers,
transportation managers, and
professionals who use knowledge and information to
advance the transportation enterprise.
  Operating rules
Operating rules include
• schedules - define the arrival and departure times of
transportation vehicles at the different transportation
terminals and stations
• crew assignment- involves assigning operators to the different
vehicles (e.g., assigning bus drivers to the different buses in a
transit agency’s fleet, assigning pilots and flight attendants to
flights, etc.).

• connection patterns- refer to how service is organized over the

transportation system or network
• Transportation engineering can be broadly classified into four
major parts:
1. Transportation Planning.
2. Geometric Design.
3. Pavement Design.
4. Traffic Engineering.

• Transportation planning essentially involves the development

of a transport model ,that will accurately represent both the
current as well as the future transportation system.
• Geometric design deals with physical proportioning of
transportation facilities.
• The topics include the cross-sectional features, horizontal
alignment, vertical alignment and intersections.

• Pavement design deals with the structural design of roads, both

(bituminous and concrete), commonly known as (flexible
pavements and rigid pavements) respectively.

• It deals with the design of paving materials, determination of the

layer thickness, and construction and maintenance procedures.

• Traffic engineering covers a broad range of engineering
applications with a focus on the safety of the public, the efficient
use of transportation resources, and the mobility of people and
goods.
• Traffic engineering involves a variety of engineering and
management skills, including design, operation, and system
optimization.

In short, the role of a traffic engineer is

• To protect the environment while providing mobility and assuring
economic activity
• To assure safety and security to people and vehicles, through both
acceptable practices and high-tech communications.
• The solution to transportation problems must be,
 Safe --- public safety
Rapid --- time value and customer service
Comfortable/convenient --- Level of service
Economical --- Social cost
Environmental --- Clean air and sustainability
Movement --- Mobility
• Transportation system is transportation
categorized into four major • Domestic
subsystems based on the
• International.
medium on which the flow
3. Water transportation
elements are supported.
• Inland (rivers, seas)
1. Land transportation
• Coastal
• Highway or road transport
• Ocean
system 4. Pipelines
• Railway transport system • Oil
• Gas
2. Air (flying) services • Other
• Road Transport:- An Identifiable Route/Path Which
Connects Two or More Places.
• Roads are Typically Smoothed, Paved or Otherwise
Prepared to Allow Easy Travel.
• It is Main Mode of Transport Out of all Modes
Advantages of roadways DISADVANTAGES OF ROADWAYS

 maximum flexibility  Goods Carrying

for travel Capacity Is Low
 it permits any mode  Speed Is Low Compare
of road vehicle To Air
 it provides door-to-  Less Comfort And
door service Safe
 it saves time for  Uneconomical For
short distance Long Distance
 construction and  Number Of Road
maintenance cost is Accident Is High
low
 Rail Transport 2. Main Line
• Train Runs Along A Two 3. Branch Line
Parallel Steel Rails, Known As
Types Of Railway
Railway Or Rail Road
1. Surface
• Principal Carrier Of Freight In
2. Underground
Land
3. Elevated
• Transports Heavy Goods For
 Types Of Locomotives
Long Distance (>300km)
1. Diesel
 Categories Of Railway
2. Electric
1. Truck Routes
 ADVANTAGES OF DISADVANTAGES OF
RAILWAYS RAILWAYS
 GOODS CARRYING  IT IS NOT FLEXIBLE.
CAPACITY IS HIGH

 SPEED IS HIGH COMPARE  IT DEPENDENT ON

TO ROADWAYS ROADWAY

 CHEAPER THEN  TRAIN RUNS AS PER

AIRWAYS SCHEDULES

 COMFORTABLE FOR  MAINTAINANCE COST IS

LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL HIGH

 IT INCRESES TRADE,  IT PERMITS DEFINITE

COMMERS AND BUSINESS MODE OF TRANSPORT
 It is relatively economical mode of transport for bulk and heavy
goods.

 It is safe mode of transport with respect to occurrence of accidents.

 The cost of maintaining and construction routes is very low most of
them are naturally made.

 It promotes international trade.

Disadvantage.

 The depth and navigability of rivers and canals vary and thus affect
operation of different transport vessels.
 It is slow moving mode of transport and therefore not suitable for
transport of perishable goods.
Advantages,
 It is the fastest mode of transport.
 It is very useful in transporting goods and passengers to areas
which are not accessible by any other means.
 It provides vital support to the national security and defense.
 It is the most convenient mode of transport during natural
disaster.
Disadvantages ;
 It is relatively more expensive mode of transport.
 It is not suitable by adverse weather condition.
 It is not suitable for short distance travel.
 In case of accidents, it results in heavy losses of goods,
property and life.
• Only for freight transportation,
•Include supporting facilities (pumping and exchange
stations).
• Sends goods (commonly liquid and gaseous)through a pipe
• Common goods transported by pipe are: petroleum,
natural gas, water, ...
• Require high intial capital investiment but low operation
cost due to computerized system

.
• Transportation develops because of several and frequently
overlapping factors.

• The chief pre-occupation of the first human was the procurement

of food, shelter and sometimes clothing.

• As they become more highly developed their needs increased,

often beyond what their local economy could supply.
• Means of transporting goods from distant places had to be devised,
adding to the costs of the goods there by secured.

• The need for transporting individuals over wider areas also arose.
• The geographical location of natural resources determines
the transport routes that gives access to those resources and
create economic utility,

• That is, time and place utility, by taking them from a location
where they have little values to processing and consuming
areas where their values is vastly increased.

• Political polices frequently play a deciding role in transport

development.
• The military of a nation is primarily intended to support its
political polices and to provide for national defense.

• Consequently, often it has direct influence on transport

development.

• Progress in direct and supporting technologies has played an

obvious role in transportation,

• For instance introduction of new economical transportation

mode than the existing system calls for the development of
transportation.
• The competitive advise have given a powerful impetus to
transport development.

• Railroads compete with trucks, barges, pipelines and airlines.

• Airlines have counted heavily on speed but have also been
forced to greater safety and dependability to meet ground
transport competition.

• Bituminous material competes with concrete as the road

surface.

• Diesel won steam but may face competition with electricity.

• The rapid growth of urban areas by an even more rapidly
expanding population is a phenomenon that cannot be
overlooked among transport development factors.

• Accessibility to land and the intensity of land use are closely

related to transport availability.
 Economic and environmental impacts of transport
• Economic impact:
 Key component of growth and globalization

 Infrastructure building and operation of transport consumes

huge amount of capital
 Traffic safety
• Environmental impact:
 infrastructure building consumes huge amount of land
 Transport is largest drainer of energy

 Air pollution

 Traffic noise
Ethiopian Transport System
 Group Work and Class Presentation ( Due 11.10.2023)

Make five groups & Follow all the basic elements of transport
planning and prepare a report on the following titles

1. The effect of land use on transport planning

2. Reducing urban traffic congestion

3. Improving the transportation movement in urban area

4. Introducing new transport mode where the mode does not exist

5. Reduction of traffic accidents in an urban area

THE END

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