Syllabus academic year 2008/2009
(Created 2008-07-17.)
PRECONDITIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF DIFFERENT MODES OF TRANSPORTATIONVTT141

Higher education credits: 7,5. Grading scale: TH. Level: A (Second level). Language of instruction: The course might be given in English. VTT141 overlap following cours/es: VTT140, VTVF01, VTT140 och VTVF01. Optional for: V4tp. Course coordinator: Åse Svensson, ase.svensson@tft.lth.se, Trafikteknik. Recommended prerequisits: VTT 131Forces Behind Traffic Generation. The course might be cancelled if the numer of applicants is less than 10. Assessment: A passing grade requires satisfactory written accounts of literature studies and exercises. Grading is based on the group’s detail design exercise, but can be adjusted a step upwards or downwards depending on the individual level of the acceability exercise. Further information: The teaching is based on problem based learning (PBL). If less than ten students, the course might be cancelled. Home page: http://www.tft.lth.se.

Aim
The course is aimed at giving the student an insight into the different traffic groups, and how the traffic network and traffic infrastructure are designed to best meet the groups’ characteristics.

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

have knowledge of the traffic groups’ prerequisites, needs and wishes

· have knowledge of the types and principles of the design of traffic installations

· have knowledge of methods for investigating the level of acceability

· understand the level of acceability and routing models

· understand how traffic design affects the various traffic modes’ prerequisites and competitive situation

Skills and abilities
For a passing grade the student must

· design, implement and analyse certain types of traffic investigations

· analyse the connection between design, traffic flow and level of service; apply this to a traffic infrastructure in a real environment and calculate and synthesise the expected effects of changes in this environment

· analyse the traffic network with regard to the local and overall effects

· synthesise the obtained knowledge of traffic installations and networks, implement it in an own traffic investigation and present the results both written and orally with appropriate illustrations

· have the ability to apply a scientific approach to a given problem, formulate hypothesis and argue and communicate in a group.

Contents
The course is divided into four main themes. Theoretical knowledge is obtained from the literature and alternated with practice in real traffic environments:

Traffic infrastructure – Study and analysis of different types of traffic infrastructure.

Level of accessability – Collection and processing of field measurements of level of accessability. Analysis of this in relation to the results of the level of accessability model. Predict the effects when conditions in the traffic infrastructure change.

Traffic network – Analyse the main arteries for car traffic, public transport, cycle traffic and pedestrians. Use this to identify conflict spots

Detail design – Suggest changes, based on the analysis of the traffic environment and behaviour at a chosen spot, to the detail design and predict the effects on local and overall levels.

Teaching/learning is conducted individually and in groups. Lectures are alternated with literature studies and exercises.

Literature
O’Flaherty C A (1997) ‘Transport Planning and Traffic Engineering’. London.UK.
The Institution of Highways and Transportation (1997) ‘Transportation in the urban environment’. London.UK.
TRB (1992) ’Traffic Flow Theory’ www.tfhrc.gov/its/tft/tft.htm
Vägverket, Lugna gatan
Vägverket, TRAST ’Trafik för en attraktiv stad’ www10.vv.se/vag_traf/vgu-trast/trast/index.htm
Vägverket, VGU ’Vägars och gators utformning’ www.vv.se/vgu