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Overview

Course Prescription

Advanced topics in planning, modelling, design, and operational management of transport facilities including transport challenges, planning processes, four-step travel demand forecasting model, microscopic and macroscopic traffic flow models, shockwave theory, queuing theory, and traffic operations at intersections. Includes a major individual project on intersection modelling and analysis and an independent research project on selected topics in transport planning and traffic engineering.

Course Overview

This course is largely focused on planning, design and management of roads and streets and is therefore useful for those wishing to make a career in transportation engineering. The topics covered in this course includes but not limited to the following:


1. Introduction 

• Transportation planning process

• Land use and transport interaction

• Transport models and their classification

• Challenges and opportunities in the transport sector

• Transport demand and supply characteristics

• Global transport trends and prospective solutions

• Emerging technologies in transportation: electric vehicles, autonomous and connected vehicles, mobility-as-a-service

• Prospects for future: present and future transport needs


2. Travel demand forecasting methods 

• Traditional four-step demand forecasting model

• Trip generation models

• Trip distribution models

• Modal choice models

• Trip assignment models


3. Traffic flow models 

• Traffic flow measurements: at a point, over a short and long distance

• Modelling traffic flow variables: Binomial, Poisson, Exponential distributions

• Microscopic traffic flow models: Car-following models

• Macroscopic traffic flow models: LWR model, traffic stream models

• Shock wave theory

• Queuing theory


4. Traffic operations at intersections 

• Priority controlled intersections (stop/yield-controlled intersections, roundabouts, and pedestrian crossings): delay and absorption capacity

• Signalised intersections: delay, LOS, signal timing calculation methods


5. Intersection modelling and analysis project 

• Field data collection (in group) from a signalised intersection in Auckland

• Operational analysis of signalised intersections with public transport plan using AIMSUN

• Prepare an engineering report and comment on operational and safety performance of a selected signalised intersection


6. Literature review project 

• Select a topic of your research interest related to transportation planning, traffic engineering or transport modelling

• Undertake a literature review outlining research need/knowledge gaps, strengths/weaknesses of methods involved and applications

• Prepare a literature review paper (8 to 10 pages with about 4,500 words)


Most, if not all, of the topics will be covered, some in greater detail than others. Depending upon staff resources and available time, minor changes to these topics may be required.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

This course will run in a block mode that include two times 3 days of 6 hours lecturing per day. For this course, you can expect 24 hours of lectures, 10 hours of tutorials, 30 hours of working through practice problems, reading and thinking about the course content, 56 hours of work on the project, research and/or test preparation, and the rest for the final examination preparation.

Locations and Semesters Offered

LocationSemester
City

Teaching and Learning

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including lectures/computer labs/tutorials to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including seminars/tutorials/computer labs will not be available as recordings.
The course might include live online events including group discussions.
Attendance on campus is required for the test/exam/group seminar.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a block delivery.

Learning Resources

Taught courses use a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas to provide students with learning materials including reading lists and lecture recordings (where available). Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Additional Information on Learning Resources

There is no prescribed textbook for this course. Hard copies of all lecture notes will be distributed for free in the class. A pdf version of lecture notes will be available on CANVAS.

Copyright

The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.


You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third-party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.

Health and Safety

Instructions will be issued in the class for field data collection and computer labs. Students must ensure they are familiar with their Health and Safety responsibilities, as described in the university's Health and Safety policy.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Similarly, research students must meet the University’s expectations of good research practice. This requires:

  • Honesty - in all aspects of research work
  • Accountability - in the conduct of research
  • Professional courtesy and fairness – in working with others
  • Good stewardship – on behalf of others
  • Transparency – of research process and presentation of results
  • Clarity - communication to be understandable, explainable and accessible

For more information on the University’s expectations of academic integrity, please see the Academic Conduct section of the University policy hub.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about taught courses is made available to enrolled students in Canvas.

Students may be asked to submit assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.


Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Course Learning Outcomes

CLO #OutcomeProgramme Capability Link
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Assessments

Assessment TypeAssessment PercentageAssessment Classification

Additional Information on Assessment

There will be a ‘mark penalty’ if anyone submits projects LATE beyond the agreed deadline. 

A passing mark, comprising the sum of all assessment types, is 50% or higher, according to University policy. In addition, a minimum of 40% is required in the exam to pass the course.

Assessment to CLO Mapping

Assessment Type1234567

Student Feedback, Support and Charter

Student Feedback

Feedback on taught courses is gathered from students at the end of each semester through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions. Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students. In addition, class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Additional Information on Student Feedback

Based on feedback from students this year, we will make changes to the course in the coming year.

Class representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Tuākana

Tuākana is a multi-faceted programme for Māori and Pacific students providing topic specific tutorials, one-on-one sessions, test and exam preparation and more. Explore your options at Tuakana Learning Communities.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website.

Wellbeing

We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - please see the Support Services page for information on support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed work is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due. If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page. This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter.

Student Academic Complaints and Disputes

Students with concerns about teaching including how a course is delivered, the resources provided, or supervision arrangements, have the right to express their concerns and seek resolution. The university encourages informal resolution where possible, as this is quicker and less stressful. For information on the informal and formal complaints processes, please refer to the Student Academic Complaints Statute in the Student Policies and Guidelines section of the Policy Hub.