CIV 331 – Transportation
Issues and Challenges
Lecture Outline
ISSUE 1: Urban Congestion
 ISSUE 2: Technology
 ISSUE 3: Road Design and Traffic Safety
 ISSUE 4: Equality of Access
 ISSUE 5: Funding and Institutions
 ISSUE 6: Sustainability

ISSUE 1:
URBAN CONGESTION
Urban Congestion

Most often considered to be a problem on
 The
urban freeway system
 Intersections on arterial roadways

What are other situations where traffic
congestion might be a problem? (including
other modes of transportation)
Why?

Why does traffic congestion occur?
 Basic
relationship between the demand for
travel and the capacity of the facility

Capacity:
 the
maximum number of vehicles, passengers
or the like, per unit time which can be
accommodated under given conditions with a
reasonable expectation of occurrence
http://141.30.186.11/~treiber/MicroApplet/index.html
Fundamental Diagram
qmax = Capacity (maximum flow)
vf = free flow speed
kj = jam density
Solutions to congestion

Increase capacity by expanding facilities
 Road
building
 Transit infrastructure

Reduce or manage demand
 Land-use
planning
 Travel demand management

Increase capacity by using technology
 Intelligent
Transportation Systems
Historically

Especially in the
1950s, the usual
response to
congestion was to
increase capacity
by building roads
and mass transit
systems
Ontario 400 series Highway Construction
1200
1000
800
600
400
Freeway km
200
0
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000+
Decade
QEW
400,
401,
402
403,
405,
406
427,
404,
410
407,
416
Source www.thekingshighway.com
Opposition to Highway Building

E.g. Spadina Expressway, Scarborough Expressway






Social impacts
Environmental Impacts
High Costs
Since the 1960s there have been repeated calls to shift
urban passenger transportation away from private
automobiles.
To date, the political advocacy has had little impact on
the growth of highway traffic.
We can expect further increases in traffic and congestion
Reduce Auto Demand through
Transit Supportive Land Use Planning

Create Self-contained urban areas which are
linked together by a transit system
Source: Transit Supportive Land Use Planning Guidelines (MTO, MMO 1992)
Transit supportive Land Use
Planning (Cont’d)

Develop
ultimate and
interim
boundaries
for urban
areas
Transit supportive Land Use
Planning (Cont’d)

Encourage a better mix of uses in urban
areas; discourage large areas zoned for
single uses
Mixed use along a transit route encourages transit use
Large single use areas are not transit supportive
Transit
supportive
Land Use
Planning
(Cont’d)

Transitoriented
development
at the
neighbourhood
scale
Reduce demand through
Travel Demand Management (TDM)






Flexible work hours
Ridesharing / HOV lanes
Promotion of cycling, walking and transit
Road pricing
Economic incentives / tax incentives (e.g.
Metropass)
Parking provision and pricing
ISSUE 2:
TECHNOLOGY
Improving Facility Capacity using
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

Using sophisticated methods of traffic control is
another way to increase the capacity of a system
without expanding facilities







Travel and Transportation Management
Travel Demand Management
Public Transit Operations
Electronic Payment Services
Commercial Vehicle Operations
Emergency management
Advanced Vehicle Control and Safety Systems
Travel and
Transportation
Management

The Ontario
Ministry of
Transportation
COMPASS
freeway traffic
management
system
Travel Demand
Management

E.g. Ramp metering
Public Transit Operations
Example: Transit Signal Priority
Electronic Payment Services

Highway 407 is
the only fully
automated toll
highway in North
America
Commercial Vehicle Operations
Electronic seals
are used to
ensure
shipment
integrity and to
track containers
GPS Tracking
Identification of
shipments


Automated Vehicle
Identification
Roadside Detector
Automated Highway Systems
(Path Pilot project – UC Berkeley)



Eight vehicles of the PATH platoon traveled at a fixed separation distance of
6.5 meters (21 feet) at all speeds up to full highway speed.
At this spacing, eight-vehicle platoons separated by a safe interplatoon gap
of 60 m (about 200 feet) and traveling at 65 mph would represent a
“pipeline” capacity of about 5700 vehicles per hour.
Throughput under normal manual driving conditions at this speed would be
approximately 2000 vehicles per lane per hour.
http://www.path.berkeley.edu/
ISSUE 3:
ROAD DESIGN AND HIGHWAY
SAFETY
Road Design and Traffic Safety

In general there has been an improvement in
traffic safety over time
 Improved
highway design
 Improved road maintenance
 Improved vehicle design
 Driver education
 Law enforcement
Source: Transport Canada 2005
Highway Design and Safety
Source: Transport Canada 2005
Divided Highways

Highways where opposing
traffic lanes are separated by
grass or a raised median strip,
or a barrier.


Divided highways are significantly safer
than undivided highways. The benefits of
divided highways are emphasized in rural
areas.
Collision rate reductions of up to 60
percent can be expected when converting
undivided roads into divided roads.
Intersection Channelization

Channelization is defined as
“...the separation or regulation
of conflicting traffic movements
into definite paths of travel by
traffic islands or pavement
marking to facilitate the safe
and orderly movements of both
vehicles and pedestrians”

Providing channelization for
left-turn and right-turn
movements can significantly
improve intersection safety at
both signalized and
unsignalized locations.

Collision rates may be reduced
by up to 75 percent with the
introduction of channelization
Protected Left Turn Phases

the left turn driver is directed to
turn left in a protected manner
through the display of a green
arrow, and then directed by the
display of a circular red to wait
until the next cycle and its
corresponding green arrow

Protected-only left-turn
phasing can reduce the
collision risk by at least 25
percent.
Rail Crossing Warning Devices

Warning devices include
flashing lights and gates

More recently in the
1990s, smart systems
that control signal timings
and queue lengths at rail
crossings have been
introduced
Breakaway Devices, Energy
absorbing barrier end treatments
Access Management

The need for access
management gained
prominence in the late
1970s, as increasing
suburbanization in North
America collided with the
commercialization of major
arterials used heavily by
commuters

Using 10 access points per
mile as the base, it was
found that each additional
access point per mile
increases the collision rate
by about 4 percent. (Gluck
and Levinson, 2000)
Keep it simple!
Rigid Barriers


All safety barriers must be
capable of redirecting and/or
containing an errant vehicle
without imposing excessive
deceleration forces on the
vehicle occupants
Rigid barriers tend to reduce
the frequency of high-severity
collisions, while possibly
increasing the frequency of
lower-severity crashes.
Limiting Intersection Angles
(70° or better)


Although data is limited,
intersections at angles closer
to 90 degrees are generally
significantly safer than acute
intersections.
The angle complicates the
vision triangle for the stopped
vehicle; increases the time to
cross the through road; and
results in a larger, more
potentially confusing
intersection
(a) Intersection skew at 90 degrees.
(b) Intersection skew at 75 degrees.
(c) Intersection skew at 60 degrees.
Horizontal Curve Flattening



Horizontal curves require
more driver attentiveness
than tangent road
sections.
Horizontal curves with
sharp (small) radii tend to
be associated with a
higher crash risk.
Safety can usually be
improved by flattening
curves to increase the
radius.
Clear Zone Widening


The clear zone is the total
unobstructed traversable
space within the recovery
area, available to the
errant vehicle
Collision reductions of up
to 44 percent can be
achieved with the
provision of wide clear
zones
The opposite approach:
Traffic Calming
Traffic Calming
Traffic Calming
In the Highway Design component
of this course





Geometric Cross section design
Geometric Vertical Alignment
Geometric Horizontal Alignment
Intersection and interchange layout
All of these elements of design have
critical safety impacts
Safety analysis will also be covered
ISSUE 4:
EQUALITY OF ACCESS
Equality of Access

Groups seen as underserved by the transport
system:
 Low income –
 less likely to own an automobile.
 When mass transit tries to compete for the market, they
tend to focus on choice riders (those that have autos) and
take captive riders for granted

elderly, handicapped –


Often unable to operate automobiles.
Often face accessibility barriers
Accessibility and Ontario Law

Many of the most vulnerable citizens of Ontario cannot
assume access to public transportation, even though the
Ontario Human Rights Code guarantees the right to
equal treatment in services, including public
transportation services, without discrimination because
of age, handicap, or family status.

The recent passage of the Ontarians with Disabilities Act
("ODA") has had a major impact on transit services,
given that it explicitly requires providers of public transit
to develop and make public plans for accessibility
Conventional Transit Systems
Ontario Human Rights Commission (2002)





(
About 15 percent of Ontario’s total bus fleet (about 700 buses) is
now either lift-equipped, or low-floor
The TTC indicated that by 2004, 30 of its 69 subway and RT
stations (including the new stations on the Sheppard line) would
be fully accessible
The TTC hoped to have elevators and other accessibility
features in all stations by 2012.
As well, the TTC planned to have 50 fully accessible bus routes
by 2004, and a 100% accessible fleet by 2010.
TTC has since been acquiring low-floor streetcars

TTC Accessible Transit Service Plan (2012)
(http://www.ttc.ca/TTC_Accessibility/Accessible_Transit_Services_Plan/Accessible_Service_Transit_Plan_2012.jsp)
Paratransit Systems





According to OCTA, there are 72 paratransit services
currently operating in Ontario.
The Canadian Urban Transit Association’s statistics indicate
that Canada’s urban paratransit systems provide rides to
almost 11 million riders per year. In Toronto alone, in 2008, it
provided almost approx 2 million rides out of 460 million total
TTC trips
Some paratransit services consist exclusively of specialized
vehicles offering pre-booked, door-to-door service
Others combine such services with contract taxi services
Some systems provide service on a “priority basis”,
prioritizing trips that are for work, education and medical
purposes
Costs of Accessibility

If a conventional system becomes more accessible,
there can be a movement by persons with disabilities
towards using the conventional service and being less
reliant on the paratransit service.

This increases efficiencies: for example, the average
public subsidy per passenger trip for Wheel-Trans in
1999 was $25.98, as opposed to $.35 on the
conventional system
ISSUE 5:
FUNDING AND INSTITUTIONS
Funding

Stable, adequate funding of urban transportation capital
and operating needs is essential to a sustainable
system.

Lack of such support from upper-level governments in
Ontario & Canada has been a major problem, until
recent years with the MoveOntario2020 Plan.

Major investment in infrastructure has been expected
with Transit City plan

But recently many delays, politics, and changes in
direction have prevented serious action
Why has funding become more
difficult?




Costs of transportation systems have tended to
increase faster than revenues
Transportation agencies have faced increased
litigation costs as a result of changes in Tort law
Facilities have aged, resulting in increasing
maintenance costs
Scope of transport provision has increased to
include greater environmental mitigation,
accessibility
Funding from Fuel Tax
In the United States, fuel tax revenues are
dedicated to the funding of transportation
infrastructure (cover the bulk of the costs)
 In Canada, fuel tax revenues go to the
general funds of the Canada and
Provincial governments

Funding from Road Tolls




Highway 407 is one of very few toll freeways in
Canada (also parts of Trans Canada Hwy in the
Maritimes, Coquihalla Hwy in BC)
Traditionally in North America toll roads were
owned by public agencies
Highway 407 and other recent toll highways are
increasingly operated as privately owned
businesses
Highway 407 is an example of a public private
partnership
Public Private Partnerships (P3)



P3s involve the private sector in delivery of government services
and programs
Delivery of services and programs through public-private
partnerships (P3s) allows the government to focus its resources on
service management, setting standards for quality assurance,
monitoring and auditing.
P3s can:

Allow infrastructure to be delivered sooner, because more financing
options.
 Allow for innovative solutions that improve service delivery, reduce
operating costs and risk exposure for the province.
 Reduce the fiscal burden on taxpayers.
 Use the creative energy and expertise of the private sector and
competitive marketplace.
ISSUE 6:
SUSTAINABILITY
Environmental Impacts

Site specific impacts (due to specific facilities)








Noise
Encroachment on natural habitats
Displacement of residents and businesses
Stormwater management
Hazardous wastes and contamination
Construction impacts
Visual Impacts
System wide impacts (due to the transport system as a whole)



Air quality
Greenhouse gases / global warming
Energy Consumption
 Land use
Sustainability


Of particular issue is the rapid growth of sprawling, lowdensity suburbs where commuters rely largely on
automobile use.
The most likely prognosis for the future under a
‘business as usual’ scenario is increasingly dysfunctional
cities, involving:



ever-increasing congestion,
loss of quality of life, and,
decreasing economic productivity and competitiveness
(Source Kennedy et al, 2000)
Many potential solutions
Leadership in sustainability
How will we move from current
unsustainable trends in urban form and
transportation towards a more sustainable
future?
 Especially given

 The
very many interest groups involved
 Complexity of urban systems
 Fragmented decision-making
References




MTO, MMA (1992) Transit-supportive land use planning guidelines. (in particular,
pages 37 – 69)
Transport Canada (2005). 2004 Canadian Motor Vehicle Traffic Collision Statistics
Hamilton Associates (2003). Road Safety Benchmarks over time. Prepared for
Transport Canada. (http://www.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/tp/tp14328/menu.htm)
Kennedy, C., Miller E., Shalaby, A., MacLean, H., and Coleman J. (2005) The Four
Pillars of Sustainable Urban Transportation. Transport Reviews, Vol. 25, No. 4,
393–414, July 2005

Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 32, Royal Assent
December 14, 2001, ss. 1, 2, 3, subsections 8(1), (2), (5), (6), ss. 19, 20,
27, 33, 34 and Schedule proclaimed in force February 7, 2002.

Ontario Human Rights Commission (2002) Human Rights and Public Transit Services
in Ontario, March 27, 2002. http://www.ohrc.on.ca/english/consultations/transitconsultation-report.shtml