1T-Introduction to Transportation Planning

The Introduction to Transportation Planning course will discuss the basic principles of transportation planning. It will provide the definition and objectives of project design and corridor traffic forecasting. It will also examine how equivalent single axle loading (ESAL) forecasting plays into the planning process. Traffic data sources will be discussed such as permanent continuous counts, permanent continuous classification counts and portable seasonal classification counts. Definitions will be provided for traffic factors including seasonal factor (SF), axle correction factor, annual average daily traffic (AADT), K, directional distribution (D) and percent trucks (T). Equations will be provided to show how each of these factors relate to traffic forecasting. Level of service (LOS) as it relates to operational analysis will be covered. The level of service is correlated to the amount of control delay encountered by the user at the intersection. Mobility will also be discussed as to how quantity, quality, accessibility and utilization play a role in how road users move on the transportation system. This course in intended for planners and engineers who are interested in learning the basics about transportation planning.