Traffic engineering
Traffic engineering plans, designs, and operates roads and transport systems to manage traffic flow, capacity, and safety.
Traffic flow theory: The mathematical study of how vehicles move and interact on transport networks. Its models explain how traffic engineering estimates capacity, queues, and changing flow.
Road safety: The prevention of crashes and reduction of injury risk on roads. Safety analysis guides design choices, speed management, and operational changes.
Traffic volume: The number of vehicles passing a point or segment during a specified period. Volume counts reveal demand patterns that designs and operations must accommodate.
Transportation engineering: The engineering of transport infrastructure, vehicles, and systems for moving people and goods. Traffic engineering is a focused part of this broader discipline.
Traffic signal: A device that assigns right of way to conflicting traffic movements through timed indications. Signal timing allocates intersection capacity and controls conflicting movements.
Highway capacity: The maximum sustainable traffic flow a roadway or its component can carry under specified conditions. Capacity estimates inform lane design and reveal when demand exceeds supply.
Speed-flow-density relationship: The relationships among vehicle speed, traffic flow rate, and vehicle density on a road. These linked quantities underpin estimates of congestion and operating conditions.
Urban planning: The planning and design of land use, public space, and urban development. It shapes where trips begin and end, while traffic engineering manages their movement.
Traffic calming: Street-design measures that reduce vehicle speeds and discourage through traffic. It changes driver behavior through physical design rather than signal control.
Transportation planning: The process of shaping transport networks and services to meet present and future travel needs. Traffic engineering supplies detailed design and operations within broader network plans.