Transport Engineering

Transport Engineering applies science and technology to the movement of people and goods. It involves research, policy development, design, implementation and management of the different modes of travel and interfaces between these modes and other types of land use.

Transport engineering is a branch of civil engineering and it involves urban planning and technical forecasting of passenger travel. Engineers elaborate an urban transportation planning model, require estimates of trip generation, trip distribution, mode choice and route assignment. Engineers are involved in design for sizing of transportation facilities which are to be built, determine the material and thickness used for pavement, or design the geometry of the roadways.

Traffic engineering is about the operations and management involved in traffic, ensuring the vehicles move smoothly on the roads. Newer technologies involve intelligent transportation systems such as variable message signs, advanced traffic control systems, for example ramp meters and integration of vehicle infrastructure.

Most of the work of a transportation engineer is to analyze the impact of transport issues on the people living, working or traveling through a certain area. An engineer can simulate transport problems using computer software and work towards finding a solution to these problems. A transportation engineer also analyzes and interprets data gathered from specialized studies. Forecasting the impact of new structures is another task. Designing road safety improvements and writing reports for funding for the planning authorities are tasks that a transportation engineer will handle during different stages of various transportation projects.

As a traffic engineer, you have to balance the social, economic and environmental factors impacting the community. There is an increase in the demand for transportation engineers due to urbanization. Urbanization means expansion of cities, so transportation engineers have to design plans for new routes that will allow smooth transportation and avoid jamming.

The Association of Consulting Engineers Australia has launched a report on planning for a new infrastructure in Sydney, an infrastructure that is necessary to fulfill the needs of a larger population in the area. Sydney’s transport infrastructure has to be developed so as to service the commuters and freight in the Newcastle/Sydney/Wollongoing conurbation. The present infrastructure has not kept pace with the population growth and the needs of the industry and the community. Transport engineering can be part of the Sydney Towards Tomorrow project. This project complements other government plans to develop the area.

Another example of a project where transportation engineers are extremely useful is the Peninsula Link. Peninsula Link is 759 million dollar project that involves constructing 27 kilometers of motorway between EastLink toll road in eastern Melbourne and Mornington Peninsula Freeway at Mount Martha. This project will reduce travel times by 40 minutes compared to the present route. It is the first public private partnership in Australia which is toll-free. It is estimated to end in 2013 and will create more than 4000 direct jobs. Peninsula Link includes 11 local road connections, more than 35 bridges and 22 km of cycling and walking paths.

Another example of a project where transport engineers are used is when a development is occurring and the local council requests a transport engineering report to assess the effects of the development on the transport infrastructure.

These are just some examples of projects where transportation engineering is put to use.