What does transportation engineering mean?

Transportation Engineering or Transport Engineering is the application of innovation and research-based fundamentals to the planning, management, and operations of facilities for any means of transportation for the provision of safety, efficiency, convenience, security, that is economically and environmentally suitable for the motion of people and goods transportation to various places.

The planning prospects of transportation engineering correlate to elements of urban planning and future hi-tech predictions that involve an urban transportation planning model, trip generation and distribution, transport choice, and so on. The main center of attraction of transportation engineering is the passenger trips since they seldom are in demand for any transportation system. Although facility planning and designing are the essence of the transportation engineering field, Operations planning, analysis of policy and finance, logistics, and so on are equally significant for typically those working in Urban and Highway Transportation.

The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) comprises the various protocols, geometric design considerations, and so on. Transportation Engineering usually consists of designing, planning, and operations management for transportation facilities that encourage railroad, air, pipeline, highway, and space transportation. The graphical aspects of Transportation engineering contain the evaluation of lanes and capacity of the particular facility. Operations and management involve Intelligent Transportation System, Traffic Engineering, and Behavioral aspects of transportation engineering are a new development concerned with the user interface of signs and signals. 

Highway engineering

Specialization of the engineers in highway engineering:

• Examine the locations of high traffic and bombardments for safety and security.
• Utilize engineering fundamentals to improve the transportation system.
• Use the three design controls that include the drivers, the vehicles, and the roadways.

Railroad engineering

Railway engineers handle the graphics, development, and operation of railroads and mass transit systems that require a fixed demarcation like light rail or monorail. Railroad engineers may also move into the specific junction of train dispatching which prioritizes train movement control.

Railway engineers also work to construct a cleaner and safer network of transportation by redeeming and regenerating the rail system to meet future demands. In the USA, railway engineers work along with the elected officials in Washington, D.C. on rail transportation matters to make sure that the rail system meets the country's transportation requirements.

Traffic engineering

Traffic engineering is a vivid multimodal field in Civil Engineering that utilizes techniques to obtain the safety and efficiency of people and goods traveling on roadways. Traffic engineering deals with the working and performance of the transportation system, apart from the infrastructures. Traffic engineering is closely related to other disciplines such as transport engineering, pavement engineering, bicycle transportation engineering, highway engineering, transportation planning, urban planning, and behavioral engineering.

Specific traffic engineering projects contain the design of the traffic control devices that are inclusive of traffic signals, pavement marks, locations, and so on. However, traffic engineers also take into consideration traffic safety by keeping a check on the respective accident-prone junctions, crossings, and landmarks. Traffic systems are made to improve road quality which is an important part of the transportation infrastructure.

Highway safety

Highway safety engineering is a field of traffic engineering that handles minimizing the frequency and extremity of crashes with the use of physics and vehicle dynamics. This is done by analyzing whether any proposed plan will solve the difficulty or not and how to perform the required improvements.

Intelligent Transportation System (ITS)

Intelligent Transport System (ITS) is a hi-tech application that targets to give techno-savvy services concerned with other transportation means and traffic management practices. ITS can improve the efficiency and safety of transport variety of situations such as road transport, traffic management, mobility, and so on. Sensing in telecommunications can have the provision of safety benefits and thus achieve better road standards and obtain a boost in road safety.

Transportation planning

Transportation planning is the process of defining future aims, policies, geographic information systems, special planning, and so on to prepare for future demands to accommodate people and goods to their destinations. Transportation planning in the United States is similar to that occurring in the United Kingdom, away from one goal of moving vehicular traffic and towards the idea that takes into account the communities and lands through which streets, roads, and highways pass.

ITE (Institute of Transportation Engineers)

The mission of ITE is to give the global community of transportation professionals knowledge, skills, and connections to provide the requirements of their communities and help shape the future of the profession and transportation in the societal sector. The initiatives of the ITE mainly are connected and automated vehicles, smart communities, vision zero, MaaS/MOD, and Transportation and health.

Context and Applications

• Bachelors in Technology (Civil Engineering)
• Masters in Technology (Transportation Engineering)
• Masters in Science (Transportation Systems)
• Masters in Science (Spatial Planning)

Practice Problems

1. What is the full form of NCEES?

1. National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
2. National Council of Externals for Engineering and Society
3. National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Students
4. National Currency of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying

Correct option- a

Explanation: The full form of NCEES is National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying.

2. Which of the following statement is correct?

1. Planning but no management in the transportation sector
2. Utilization of engineering fundamentals to improve the transportation system as a highway engineer
3. Ignorance of safety and risk or disaster management
4. None of these

Correct option- b

Explanation: The correct statement is the utilization of engineering fundamentals to improve the transportation system as a highway engineer.

3. The types of transportation include-

1. Traffic engineering
2. Railroad engineering
3. Highway engineering and safety
4. All of these

Correct option- d

Explanation: The types of transportation include traffic engineering, railroad engineering, highway engineering, and safety.

4. Which type of engineering deals with the working and performance of the transportation system?

1. Intelligent Transport System
2. Transportation Planning
3. Traffic Engineering
4. Highway Safety

Correct option- c

Explanation: Traffic Engineering is a type of engineering that deals with the working and performance of the transportation system.

5. GIS and special planning are a part of?

1. ITS
2. Transportation planning
3. Both a and b
4. None of these

Correct option- c

Explanation: GIS and special planning are a part of ITS and Transportation Planning.

Related Concepts

• New projects in the transportation industry
• On-the-job development by ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers)
• ITE (Institute of Transportation Engineers)