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Advanced Traffic and Transit Operations

Unit code: ENN579
Credit points: 12
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This unit provides you with vital advanced traffic and transit operations knowledge. It emphases your capability to relate technical, cognitive and communication skills learned in undergraduate studies and/or workplace to real traffic and transit operation problems, analyse and interpret the merits and limitations of possible solutions with regard to technical and social considerations. This unit will assist your professional engineering career when dealing with new problems with mastery of engineering knowledge, creativity, initiative, accountability and planning. On completion of this unit you will be able to apply advanced traffic analysis methodologies to critically analyse complex traffic systems; apply advanced transit analysis methodologies to critically analyse complex transit systems; use analysis outcomes to generate economically, socially and environmentally responsible solutions responsive to client’s, agency’s and/or community’s needs.

Availability
Semester Available
2013 Semester 2 Yes

Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2012

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

This unit provides you with an advanced body of knowledge in professional transport engineering practices of advanced traffic and transit operations, and their recent developments. It is included as part of the Transport specialisation of your course as it covers two crucial foci which transport engineers commonly confront in professional practice. The emphasis is on your capability to relate the technical, cognitive and communication skills learned in your undergraduate studies and/or work experience to real-life traffic and transit operations problems, and analyse and interpret the merits and limitations of the possible solutions with regard to technical and social considerations. Within the context of the course, this unit will assist in preparing you for your professional engineering career, when you will need to deal with new problems with mastery of engineering knowledge, creativity, initiative, accountability and planning.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to provide you with a professional education in the transport engineering practices of advanced traffic and transit operations.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you will demonstrate:
1. The mastery of advanced analysis methods to analyse complex traffic engineering systems and transit systems and to interpret and reflect critically on analysis results.
2. The cognitive, technical and creative skills to identify and assess the implications of traffic and transit technology solutions for community and environmental benefit.
3. The ability to interpret and transmit findings, conclusions and professional decisions to specialist and non-specialist audiences through field-specific analytical documentation.
4. The application of professional skills to collaborate constructively with classmates in analysis and design tasks.

Content

The major topics to be covered in this unit and their consequent skills acquired include:

  • Road intersection traffic analysis and design techniques for signalised intersections, unsignalised intersections, roundabouts, interchange intersections. (learning outcomes 1, 2)
  • Road corridor traffic analysis and design techniques for coordinated signalised intersection corridors and interchanges. (learning outcome 1, 2)
  • Transit line/corridor performance analysis and design techniques for various modes including bus, bus rapid transit, suburban rail, light rail, and ferry. (learning outcomes 1, 2)
  • Presentation and interpretation of findings and conclusions related to analysis of traffic and transit problems. (learning outcomes 3, 4)
  • Presentation and portrayal of professional decisions related to design of traffic and transit solutions. (learning outcomes 3, 4)

    Approaches to Teaching and Learning

    Approaches to teaching and learning in this unit include:

  • A problem based learning theme whereby a semester analysis/design project will be undertaken around a real world advanced traffic and transit problem which requires study and development and testing of solution proposals.
  • Team based tasking in undertaking the semester project to foster shared learning experiences and to enable you to benefit from fellow students' experiences and ideas.
  • Peer review of another class team's semester project to foster shared learning experiences and to enable you to benefit from fellow students' experiences and ideas.
  • Weekly lectures to explain conceptual foundations behind the advanced traffic and transit analysis theories and to present application of theories using realistic exemplars.
  • Computer lab sessions where appropriate, where you will learn how to critically analyse traffic and transit systems using available robust analysis tools, develop and test solutions to problems.
  • Use of the Blackboard online environment to augment contact content and link to applicable, useful sources of information and search tools.
  • Ongoing support of the teaching team throughout the semester by way of contact sessions, virtual access via the Blackboard learning environment and electronic mail.

    Assessment

    This unit incorporates three items of assessment:


    1. An analysis and design project of a proposed advanced traffic/transit system to solve an existing problem, based on analysis criteria and solution generation discourse that will be imparted in class. This item is to be completed in teams of 3, with assignment of responsibilities stated.
    2. A peer review of another of the class's team's analysis and design project. This item is to be completed in teams of 3, with assignment of responsibilities stated. The item carries a 10 point weight to the individual and 10 point weight to the team.
    3. A final examination to be sat individually during the QUT examination period following the semester teaching period. The examination will examine your learning particularly in relation to applying advanced traffic analysis methodologies to critically analyse complex traffic engineering systems. It will also examine your learning of the system for generating economically, socially and environmentally responsible solutions to traffic/transit engineering problems that are responsive to a client's, agency's and/or community's needs. The item carries a 40 point weight to the individual.
    Assessment items 1 and 2 will be assessed using Criterion Referenced Assessment as per QUT policy. The criteria for each item will specifically match tasks required of the assignment brief/s to unit learning outcome/s and contain the weighting of each criterion as it contributes to the weight of the overall submission. The CRA proforma will contain verbal descriptors relating to the attainment of a grade on the 7 scale for each criterion. Assignments will also be marked up selectively with brief written comments as appropriate to provide targeted feedback on particular errors, omissions, high quality elements and the like.
    Assessment item 3 being a formal examination is purely summative in nature. It will be assessed using Criterion Referenced Assessment, with a proforma published to you prior to the examination. Each question will be assigned CRA criterion/criteria, which will be graded on the 7 scale. Weighting of each question towards the total examination weight will be identified on the examination paper.

    Assessment name: Analytical Design
    Description: Proposed advanced traffic/transit system to solve an existing problem.
    Develop and analyse a representation of a physical system.
    Due date: Part A - Week 5, Part B - Week 10.
    Individual (20% weight), plus team of three (20% weight).
    Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4
    Weight: 40%
    Internal or external: Internal
    Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
    Due date: Weeks 5 & 10

    Assessment name: Peer Review
    Description: Peer Review of another Class Team's Traffic/Transit analysis/design.
    Peer review another team's development and analysis of a physical system.
    Individual (10% weight), plus team of three (10% weight).
    Relates to objectives: 2, 3, 4
    Weight: 20%
    Internal or external: Internal
    Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
    Due date: Week 13

    Assessment name: Examination (written)
    Description: Formal examination.
    Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3
    Weight: 40%
    Internal or external: Internal
    Group or individual: Individual
    Due date: Examination Period

    Academic Honesty

    QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

    A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

    Resource materials

    Any materials or resources that students may need to purchase or pay for (note that there are strict regulatory requirements relating to charging students for resource materials - see Guidelines for Costs to Students for more information). Resource materials might include

  • For the coverage of advanced traffic engineering, the recommended text is The Highway Capacity Manual (TRB 2010)..
  • The US Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual (TRB 2003) will be used as the text for the transit component of this unit. Access to this publication is presently available freely online.
  • QUT subscribes to particular advanced traffic engineering software, which can be accessed through computer laboratories. Laboratory bookings may be made as part of the unit semester timetable to provide you with dedicated access during instruction.
  • No personal equipment is required in order to complete this unit aside from normal stationery requirements, calculator and the like.
  • Any case studies selected will be close to QUT Gardens Point Campus, and accessible via public transport. You would be responsible for any visit of a site in your own time, in a non-QUT controlled environment.

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    Risk assessment statement

  • There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks in association with attending any classes.
  • Attending your own organised site visit/s. In these circumstances, you must act as a responsible member of the community, and not cause any hindrance or danger to any worker, fellow student, or member of the public.
  • You shall not enter any construction site, private property or other controlled site for the purposes of this unit.
  • You shall abide by all operator and government conditions and guidelines when accessing transport infrastructure.
  • You shall not communicate about your study to any member of the community or official unless you are questioned by an authorised person, in which case you shall advise them that you are undertaking a fictitious project solely for university assessment purposes.

    Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

    Last modified: 30-Apr-2012