MOVING OBSERVER METHOD

SURVEY NO: 06 DATE: 19/11/2016

LOCATION: Between Head Post Office and G.H TIME: 4.30pm-6.30pm

AIM:

To find out the speed and volume of the traffic.

EQUPIMENTS REQUIRED:

Car, Stopwatches, Datasheets and Pads.

THEORY:

In this method, the speed and flow can be obtained by traveling in a car against and with the
flow, and noting down the journey time, the number of vehicles met with from the opposite
direction and number of vehicles overtaking the test vehicle.

PROCEDURE:

The method is suited to study the speeds along different roads in an area since conditions may
vary from sections to sections on the route; the route is divided into convenience sections.

In the test vehicle, one observer Counts opposing traffic, using hand tallies. Another observer
carries a recoding paper in which a journey log prepared in advance, records the total hand
tallies and times at predetermined points en-route, together with the times of stopping and
starting at intersections. A third observer records the number of overtaking and overtaken
vehicles.

ANALYSIS:

Analysis and results are shown in the following pages.

CALCULATIONS:

Flow (q) can be calculated using the equation

q=

Where,

= Average number of vehicles during trips in opposite direction.

= Average number of vehicles overtaking minus overtaken.

tw = Average journey time during trips with the stream.(minutes)

ta = Average journey time during trips against to the stream (minutes) and average journey
time using the equation
2
t = tw-

Sample Calculation:-

For section AB

y = 5-3 = 2

x= 117

tw= 72 sec

ta=176 sec

Flow in section AB, q =

= 0.48 Veh/sec

= 1727 veh/hr.

Running time for section, AB, t = tw-

= 72 (2*3600/1727)

= 67 sec

Running speed on section AB , R = (

)

=26 KMPH
Section

Length in

metres

Head Post office - American Hospital (AB)

500

American Hospital (B)

Intersection

American Hospital MGR

900
Ayyapan Temple (C)

Intersection

Ayyapan Temple Puttur (CD)

800

3
Section
Time
Vehicles
Vehicles in the same
Flow in
Running
Running

taken to
met with
direction
sections
time7
Speed

traverse
in

(veh/
(seconds)
(K.P.H)

Vehicles
Vehicles

(seconds)
opposing
overtaking
overtaken
hour)

direction
AB
67
56
8
1
1738
53

B
26

BC
120
44
3
2
1517
117
C
33

CD
100
68
1
0
1120
97

DC
80
55
5
2
1420
72
C
15

CB
115
98
2
2
674
115

B
37
BA
192
118
9
0
904
156

Journey time when travelling from A to D = 53+26+117+33+97 = 326 seconds

Journey Speed in direction AD = (500+900+800)/326 = 6.74 m/sec =25 K.P.H.
Journey time when travelling from D to A = 72+15+115+37+156 = 395 seconds

Journey Speed in direction DA = (500+900+800)/395= 5.56m/sec= 20 K.P.H

INFERENCE:

It enables data on speed and flow to be collected at the same time. This is particularly advantageous
when analyzing the relations between the two.

It gives mean values of flow and speed over a section rather than at a point. Thus, it gives directly the
space-mean speed whereas spot speed studies gives the time mean speed.

It gives additional information on stops at intersections, delays and parked vehicles.

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