49102 Traffic and Transportation
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): 120 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Honours Embedded Degree owned by FEIT OR 120 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Combined Honours Degree owned by FEIT OR 120 credit points of completed study in Bachelor's Combined Honours Degree co-owned by FEIT
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.
Description
The objective of this subject is to provide students with the knowledge to implement traffic engineering principles in practice. Students are introduced to the basic principles of transport planning and comprehensive traffic engineering, which includes the technical components as well as the influence of environmental social and political factors.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Explain and analyse traffic and transportation terminology, traffic engineering principles, statistics, data collection approaches, evaluation methodologies. (D.1) |
|---|---|
| 2. | Examine and apply industry standards and guidelines to develop sustainable traffic management plans for local and regional communities. (C.1) |
| 3. | Apply design principles in the planning and engineering of critical transport infrastructure. (C.1) |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):
- Design Oriented: FEIT graduates apply problem solving, design thinking and decision-making methodologies in new contexts or to novel problems, to explore, test, analyse and synthesise complex ideas, theories or concepts. (C.1)
- Technically Proficient: FEIT graduates apply theoretical, conceptual, software and physical tools and advanced discipline knowledge to research, evaluate and predict future performance of systems characterised by complexity. (D.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies
This subject contributes to the development of the following Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies:
- 1.3. In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline.
- 2.1. Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving.
- 2.2. Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources.
- 2.4. Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects.
Teaching and learning strategies
The subject will be delivered using a combination of face-to-face learning activities in a Block mode format (3 Blocks of learning) and an online platform for continuous peer-to-peer interaction. Face-to-face learning will take place as a workshop and computer lab for each Block and the subject will also use Microsoft Teams as an online platform for discussion and presentation of material. The Microsoft Teams platform will be used as the main source of communication to clarify key concepts and learning material. By supplementing the in-class interactions, the MS Teams platform has the capacity to host group discussions surrounding assessment tasks and material in the subject.
Students will be provided pre-recorded subject material and practice exercises, available on Canvas, 2 to 3 weeks prior to the face-to-face sessions. This content will be supported by interactive live on-campus discussion sessions to clarify understanding. The integration of learning activities will provide students the opportunity to engage in 'real-world' traffic engineering applications and projects. Students are encouraged to read, analyse and reflect on the subject material, before the interactive discussion sessions to identify challenges and gaps in understanding of the content. Applications of the subject material will primarily focus on problem solving using real world examples that a Traffic Engineer would face in practice valuable for the completion of the assessment tasks.
Content (topics)
The subject provides an introduction to the basic principles of traffic engineering and transport planning. The subject covers 3 core areas:
- Traffic Flow Theory and Applications
- Traffic Flow Theory
- Traffic Studies
- Traffic Management Applications
- Transport Infrastructure Design and Modelling
- Transport Modelling
- Signalised Intersection Analysis and Design
-Travel data Collection and Analysis
- Data collection methods
- Survey Design and data analysis
Technical aspects are considered in light of social, environmental and political constraints. Emphasis is directed towards the application of traffic engineering in public sector projects. This is a primary issue considering the public investment in transport infrastructure in recent times, thus highlighting the value in developing expertise in this technical area.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Traffic Engineering Fundamentals Technical Report
| Intent: | This assessment task is designed to assess a student’s ability to apply traffic flow theory to solve practical and numerical problems, and assess transport management strategies that are faced by professional practitioners in the field. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1 and 3 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): C.1 and D.1 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 35% |
| Length: | The report should be no more than 20 pages in length |
Assessment task 2: Signalised Intersection Modelling and Design Report
| Intent: | This assessment task is designed to evaluate a student’s ability to develop solutions to real-world operational problems within a road network through the application of models or traffic engineering theory. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 2 and 3 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): C.1 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 35% |
| Length: | The report should be no more than 20 pages in length |
Assessment task 3: Data Collection, Analysis and Performance Measurement Report
| Intent: | This assessment task is designed to evaluate a student’s ability to complete a report that focuses on data collection and analysis procedures normally undertaken by practicing traffic engineers and transport planners. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1 and 3 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): C.1 and D.1 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | The report should be no more than 18 pages in length |
Minimum requirements
In order to pass the subject, a student must achieve an overall mark of 50% or more.
Required texts
Papacostas, C.S. and Prevedouros, P.D. (2005), Transportation Engineering and Planning, (SI Edition), Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs. N.J. ISBN 0-13-197309-6
References
AGTM 2009 Guide to Traffic Management, Austroads.
Other resources
All students must access the Canvas site regularly for information on the following matters:
- Specific instructions relating to attendance at and/or requirements for lectures;
- Changes to the subject program, namely lectures and/or lecturer;
- Supplementary lecture material;
- Selected PowerPoint presentations; and
- Assessments set by the lecturer.