DECCAN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND

TECHNOLOGY
Transportation Engineering {M.E}
Capacity Of Urban Arterials
Submitted
by
KARKALA SRIDHAR REDDY
160310741007
guided by Dr. MIR IQBAL FAHEEM





DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
{2010-2013}
Introduction
Importance of the study
Objectives of the study
Literature Review
Methodology
Data Collection & Analysis
Results & Discussion
Conclusions
Limitations of the study
Scope of the study



Urban roads in India are classified either on the basis of the number of
lanes provided with in an undivided or divided cross section or in
accordance with their functions in the total road network

An Arterial in India is a general term denoting urban street primarily
for through traffic, usually on continuous route

Urban Arterials connects major urban elements such as CBD, industrial
facilities, major residential areas and other key activity centers.

Urban area features are frequency of intersections, frequency of bus
stops, speed regulations, road side activities, on street parking etc

Passenger Car Unit
The number of passenger cars having the same impedance effect as a
vehicle of a given type under prevailing roadway, traffic and control
conditions.

Capacity
HCM defines capacity as the maximum hourly rate at which vehicles
can reasonably be expected to traverse a point or uniform section of a
lane or roadway during a given time period under prevailing roadway,
traffic, and control conditions.

Most of the urban arterials are now facing congestion during some part
of the day. Congestion will occur when link volume exceeds the
capacity value of the link

For evaluation of the existing road network in terms of the deficiencies
by comparing measured traffic volumes to the capacity of existing
facilities.

For evaluation of the effect of the proposed changes in the existing
road network on the traffic carrying capacity of roads.

For designing new facilities based upon the capacity analysis for the
existing as well as future projected traffic demand.

For comparison of the relative effectiveness of alternative modes of
transportation in serving a particular traffic demand, based on capacity
analysis.
5
PCU factor estimation for the selected urban arterials

Development of speed flow curves

Development of capacity values from speed flow equations.

Finding effect of lane width, effective shoulder width and road side
friction on capacity.

Comparing capacity values using PCU values suggested by IRC and
Dynamic PCU values


6
Satish Chandra. (2006)

He studied capacity of multilane divided urban roads under mixed traffic
conditions
Data was collected at 10 sections of multilane divided urban roads
He estimated that capacity of an urban road increases by approximately 9
percent for every 10 percent increase in proportion of two wheelers and
the capacity of a section with side friction is approximately 12 percent
lower as compared to a section with no side friction

8
Data collection
Collection of preliminary data
Selection of stretches
Fixing stretch length
Collection of vehicular
dimensions
Collection of field data
Volume study
Speed study
Time headway study
Pedestrian survey
Development of Dynamic PCU factors
Development of Speed-Flow curves
Determination of Capacity
Identification of parameters
Estimation of Prevailing Capacity
IDENTIFICATION OF PARAMETERS
carriageway width
shoulder width
road side friction
physical dimensions of the vehicles
classified traffic volume and speed of the vehicles.

DATA COLLECTION
Data collection will be planned in two stages.
Collection of preliminary data.
Collection of field data
9
Study Area

The study area selected for the present study is Hyderabad City.
Total Eight stretches were identified in study area.
Mehdipatnam to Gachibowli corridor is one of the major arterial in the
city identified for the study and six stretches are identified
The corridor is a six lane divided arterial.
Volume and speed was collected using video recording technique, by
making a trap of 60m( centrally located along the long base).

10
SURVEY LOCATION
COLLECTION OF VEHICULAR DIMENSIONS
Mode
Vehicles
Included
Length(m) Width(m)
Area
(m
2
)
Car Car, Jeep 4.6 1.7 7.82
Bus Bus, Truck 9.35 2.46 23
3w Auto rickshaw 2.75 1.4 3.85
2w Scooter, Motor bike 1.9 0.76 1.44
Cycle Pedal cycle 1.9 0.6 1.14
Tractor Tractor Trailer 6.8 1.85 12.58
A Consolidated Traffic Volume Survey Data
Time Period location 2-W 3-W 4-W LCV Truck Bus Cycle Total Vehicles
1
From Mehdipatnam
to
Tolichowki road
Morning
7:30-8:30 1163 471 260 9 15 220 28 2166
Evening
4:30-7:30 10063 1321 3585 599 10 548 26 16152
Total 11226 1792 3845 608 25 768 54 18318
2
From Tolichowki
to Mehdipatnam road
Morning
7:30-8:30 892 376 188 9 15 238 28 1746
Evening
4:30-7:30 7131 2280 2066 229 19 515 32 12272
Total 8023 2656 2254 238 34 753 60 14018
3
From Tolichowki
to
Shaikpet road
Morning
7:30-8:30 1241 553 678 81 11 103 7 2674
Evening
4:30-7:30 7956 1615 2748 390 46 528 37 13320
Total 9197 2168 3426 471 57 631 44 15994
4
From Shaikpet
to
Tolichowki road
Morning
7:30-8:30 1016 380 218 15 18 219 9 1875
Evening
4:30-7:30 8443 1486 3060 734 187 291 33 14234
Total 9459 1866 3278 749 205 510 42 16109


Time Period location 2-W 3-W 4-W LCV Truck Bus Cycle Total Vehicles
5
From Shaikpet
to
Khajaguda X
Road
Morning
7:30-8:30 1016 380 218 15 18 219 9 1875
Evening
4:30-7:30 8443 1486 3060 734 187 291 33 14234
Total 9459 1866 3278 749 205 510 42 16109
6
From
Khajaguda
X Road
to
Shaikpet
Morning
7:30-8:30 797 335 168 9 14 212 25 1560
Evening
4:30-7:30 6469 2072 1876 209 19 466 30 11141
Total 7266 2407 2044 218 33 678 55 12701
7
From
Khajaguda
X Road
to
Gachibowli
Morning
7:30-8:30 1054 444 217 9 15 199 25 1963
Evening
4:30-7:30 8800 1207 2836 526 10 482 24 13885
Total 9854 1651 3053 535 25 681 49 15848
8
From
Gachibowli to
Khajaguda
X Road
Morning
7:30-8:30 1065 476 573 69 10 88 6 2287
Evening
4:30-7:30 7055 1404 2404 340 42 463 35 11743
Total 8120 1880 2977 409 52 551 41 14030
A Consolidated Traffic Volume Survey Data
15
Section no. Location Direction.
Carriage way width
(m) in one
direction(m)
Effective
width of
earthen
shoulder (m)
Remarks.
I Mehdipatnam Mehdipatnam - Tolichowki

8.5

1.8 Full side friction
II Tolichowki Tolichowki-Mehdipatnam 8.5 1.8 Full side friction
III Tolichowki Tolichowki- Shaikpet 9.3 1.8 No side friction
IV Shaikpet Shaikpet- Tolichowki 9.5 0.5
Trucks parked on
the shoulder
V Shaikpet
Shaikpet- Khajaguda X
Road
10.2 1.5 No side friction
VI Khajaguda X Road
Khajaguda X Road-
Shaikpet
10.2 1.8 No side friction
VII Khajaguda X Road
Khajaguda X Road-
Gachibowli
9.5 1.8 No side friction
VIII Gachibowli
Gachibowli-Khajaguda X
Road
9.5 1.8 No side friction






16
Time Period 2-W 3-W 4-W Bus
Time mean
speed
(kmph)
Space mean
speed
(kmph)
7:30-7:45 45.00 39.22 47.50 38.43 42.54 41.95
7:45-8:00 43.04 38.02 45.06 36.73 40.71 39.76
8:00-8:15 41.50 36.14 42.62 36.00 39.06 37.88
8:15-8:30 38.64 34.02 41.62 34.45 37.18 36.16
4:30-4:45 39.01 34.46 38.99 33.82 36.81 35.86
4:45-5:00 33.64 30.83 34.31 30.78 32.38 31.08
5:00-5:15 32.40 29.21 34.57 31.72 31.97 30.52
5:15-5:30 31.18 28.77 29.90 28.24 29.52 28.24
5:30-5:45 28.15 26.35 28.22 27.36 27.52 26.21
5:45-6:00 25.50 22.78 25.01 24.19 24.37 23.10
6:00-6:15 23.95 24.12 24.95 23.04 24.01 22.78
6:15-6:30 25.03 21.06 24.74 22.61 23.36 22.08
6:30-6:45 28.20 23.86 25.52 23.58 25.29 24.47
6:45-7:00 25.78 23.76 22.98 23.17 23.92 23.21
7:00-7:15 23.96 21.37 22.16 22.01 22.37 20.93
7:15-7:30 23.42 20.43 22.83 21.11 21.95 21.32
Location Time Period
Pedestrian Volume
(ped/hr)
Average Volume
(ped/hr)
Mehdipatnam to
Tolichowki
4:30-5:30 708
867 5:30-6:30 755
6:30-7:30 1138
Khajaguda X road to
Gachibowli
4:30-5:30 521
700 5:30-6:30 636
6:30-7:30
942
Following are the detail study and analysis presented after collecting data
from the field
PCU factor determination
Determination of capacity from speed-flow curves
PCU factors for the selected stretches estimated by using following
modified equation from justo method for Pcu estimation.

PCU
i
=


=

where

is space ratio of ith vehicle to the car

is speed ratio of car to the ith vehicle

is longitudinal gap ratio of ith vehicle to the car


18



Following are the new Pcu factors generated by the modified equation of Pcu
estimation method

PCU factors for Mehdipatnam to Tolichowki road.
19
Mode
Area of
vehicle(m
2
)
average
speed(kmph)
Average
Gap(sec)
Area
ratio
(
A
i
A
c
)
(1)
speed
ratio
(
U
c
U
i
)
(2)
gap
ratio(
G
i
Gc
)
(3)
PCU
(1)*(2)*(3)
Cars 7.82 32.5 1.57 1 1 1 1
Bus 23 28.2 2.51 2.94 0.87 1.60 4.09
Auto 3.85 27.6 2.00 0.49 0.85 1.28 0.53
2W 1.44 31.4 1.28 0.18 0.96 0.82 0.15
PCU factors for all locations are summarized below
Mode
Location
Shaikpet to
Khajaguda x road
Tolichowki to
Shaikpet
Khajaguda X road
to Gachibowli
Mehdipatnam to
Tolichowki road
Car 1 1 1 1
Bus 4.81 3.97 3.96 4.09
Auto 0.6 0.48 0.49 0.53
2W 0.17 0.14 0.14 0.15
y = 8.396x2+432.7x+247.2
R2 = 0.931
Where,
y is flow in PCUs/hr
x is mean speed in kmph
The capacity value for Moosapet to ASR Nagar road is 5822 PCUs/hr
capacity =

Old Capacity for Mehdipatnam to Tolichowki road
21
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
0 20 40 60
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
y = 4.308x
2
+227.7x+113
R
2
= 0.926
The capacity value for Moosapet to ASR Nagar is 3122 DPCUs/hr

Where,
y is flow in DPCUs/hr
x is mean speed in kmph
capacity =
New Capacity for Mehdipatnam to Tolichowki road
22
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
0 20 40 60
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
y = 10.5x
2
+44.4x+264.5
R
2
= 0.853
The capacity value is 4903
PCUs/hr.
y = 4.272x
2
+197.7x+118.4
R
2
= 0.808
The capacity value is 2406 DPCUs/hr.
23
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
0 50
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
0 50 100
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
y = 9.05x
2
+424.9x+70.06
R
2
= 0.886
The capacity value is 2630 PCUs/hr
The capacity value is 5221 PCUs/hr
y = 4.611x
2
+215.3x+116.6
R
2
= 0.924
24
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
0 20 40 60
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
0 20 40 60
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
y = 8.748x
2
+414.8x+141.2
R
2
= 0.921
The capacity value is 5058 PCUs/hr
y = 4.265x
2
+203.9x+90.29
R
2
= 0.88
The capacity value is 2527 DPCUs/hr
25
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
0 20 40 60
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
0 20 40 60
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
y = 8.278x
2
+403.3x+160.7
R
2
= 0.895
The capacity value is 5072 PCUs/hr
The capacity value is 2602 DPCUs/hr
y = 4.074x
2
+202.3x+89.79
R
2
= 0.879
26
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
0 50
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
0 50
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
y = 6.7752x2 + 350.42x + 280.04
R
2
= 0.832
The capacity value is 4811 PCUs/hr
The capacity value is 2410 DPCUs/hr
y = 4.074x2+202.3x+89.79
R
2
= 0.879
27
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
0 50
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
0 50
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
y = 8.38x2 + 399.67x + 101.62
R
2
= 0.891
The capacity value is 4867 PCUs/hr The capacity value is 2672 DPCUs/hr
y = 4.2199x2 + 210.49x + 46.155
R
2
= 0.889
28
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
0 50
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
0 50
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
y = 7.5091x2 + 360.14x + 160
R
2
= 0.871
The capacity value is 4478 PCUs/hr
The capacity value is 2522 DPCUs/hr
y = 4.1042x2 + 198.72x + 94.447
R
2
= 0.856
29
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
0 50
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
0 50
F
l
o
w

(
p
c
u
/
h
r
)

speed(kmph)
S.No Location
Capacity
(PCUs/hr)
Capacity
(DPCUs/hr)
1 Mehdipatnam to Tolichowki 5822 3122
3 Tolichowki To Mehdipatnam 4903 2406
2 Tolichowki to Shaikpet 5221 2630
4 Shaikpet to Tolichowki 5058 2527
5 Shaikpet to Khajaguda X Road 5072 2601
6 Khajaguda X Road to Shaikpet 4811 2410
7 Khajaguda X Road to Gachibowli 4867 2672
8 Gachibowli to Khajaguda X road 4478 2522
Where,
y = Capacity in PCUs/hr
x = Lane width in m
y = 378.52x + 1670.9
R = 0.9688
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
0 5 10 15
C
a
p
a
c
i
t
y

P
C
U
s
/
h

Lane Width in m
y = 378.5x + 1670.
R2 = 0.9688
Sl no Lane Width in m Capacity in PCUs/h Correction factor
1 8.5 4887 1.131
2 8.0 4698 1.087
3 7.5 4508 1.043
4 7.0 4320 1
5 6.5 4130 0.956
33
y =0.909x+4894
R
2
= 0.949
Where,
y = Capacity in PCUs/hr
x = Pedestrian volume in (ped/hr)
y = 0.9099x + 4894.8
R = 0.949
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
0 500 1000 1500 2000
C
a
p
a
c
i
t
y

P
C
U
s
/
h

No . of Pedestrians/h
S.No
Pedestrian volume
(ped/hr)
Correction factor(f
rf
)
1 0 1
2 100 0.981
3 200 0.962
4 500 0.907
5 1100 0.795
35
PCU values obtained in this study for 2-wheeler is around 0.15, auto
rickshaw is around 0.5, and Bus is around 4.5.

As carriageway width is increasing, PCU values are increasing for all
modes.

The capacity of a section with side friction is approximately 12 percent
lower as compared to a section with no side friction.

The capacity of a section is decreased as lane width decreases. For 1m
reduction in lane width the capacity is reduced by 15 percent.

Capacities using PCU values suggested by IRC were almost exceeded
50% than capacities estimated by using dynamic PCU values obtained
in this study.

36
Data is collected only for 4 Hrs, from which continuous behavior of the
traffic cannot be evaluated

PCU factors vary with traffic characteristics, roadway conditions, control
conditions and environmental conditions. The effects of curvature, gradient,
etc were not taken into consideration.

37
In this study only lane width and road side friction are considered to find its
influence on capacity. So, this study can be extended by considering other
influencing parameters like parking, pedestrians, bus stops etc., to find their
influence on capacity.

In this dissertation data was collected manually but it is advisable to capture
the traffic flow using a video camera and the arrival vehicles of the
successive vehicles using appropriate capturing technique

38