CIVL 4660 - Traffic Engineering

Undergraduate course, RPI, Civil Engineering, 2017

This is an advanced course on fundamentals of urban traffic engineering, including data collection, analysis, design, traffic engineering studies, traffic control devices, capacity and level of service analysis of freeways and urban streets. Application of traffic operations computer simulation models to the design of isolated and coordinated traffic signal control systems will also be introduced and used in this course. The objective of this course is to introduce students to traffic engineering fundamentals for highways and freeways. Emphasis is on the safe and efficient operations of roadway intersections. State-of-the-art computer packages will be used to solve traffic engineering problems.

Basic Components and Theories of Traffic Systems

  • Components of Traffic Systems
  • Traffic Flow Characteristics
  • Traffic Flow Theory

Freeway and Intersection LOS Analysis

  • Basic Statistical Analysis Techniques
  • Freeway LOS Analysis
  • Arterial Intersection LOS Analysis

Basics of Traffic Control Devices

  • Channelization and Intersection Design
  • Intersection Control Devices
  • Introduction to Traffic Signals

Signal Timing Design

  • Basic Principles of Intersection Signalization
  • Timing Design of Fixed-Time Traffic Signals
  • Timing Design of Actuated Traffic Signals
  • Signal Coordination
  • Traffic Impact Study

This course has been offered in: Spring 2017; Spring 2018; Fall 2019; Fall 2020; Fall 2021; Fall 2022; Fall 2023; Spring 2025