Topic outline

  • General

    Welcome to the Traffic Flow Theory course!

    The course belongs to the elective courses of the Master's Program in Spatial Planning and Transportation Engineering. 

    The course is intended for Master's and PhD students and it is offered in English.


    Learning outcomes

    After successful completion of the course, a student is able to:

    • Describe the main characteristics of traffic flow
    • Represent traffic phenomena using different methods and tools
    • Recognise how traffic congestion starts and propagates
    • Select and apply appropriate methods and techniques for analysing traffic-related problems
    • Interpret and elaborate different type of traffic data


    Course content

    The course contents include:

    1. Introduction to Traffic Flow Theory
    2. The time-space diagram
    3. Fundamental variables and cumulative plots
    4. Dynamic microscopic model
    5. Fundamental diagram
    6. Shockwave theory
    7. Dynamic macroscopic models
    8. Highway capacity
    9. Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram (or Network Fundamental Diagram)
    10. Pedestrian flow theory
    11. Future of traffic flow theory


    Practicalities

    News regarding the course will be posted here in myCourses, within the Announcements Forum. Please, make sure you receive notifications when new messages are posted.

    All the sessions of this course will take place online. Although this is not a requirement, you are more than welcome to share your video when talking and participating to activities and discussions. This will be surely appreciated by your colleagues as it helps improving human connections in these challenging times.


  • Schedule

    This is the schedule of the course.
    Date Time Topic Link
    Monday, March 1 14:00 - 16:00
    		Course Introduction - The time-space diagram https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5284233948
    Wednesday, March 3 14:00 - 16:00
    		Fundamental variables https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5284233948
    Thursday, March 4 12:00 - 14:00
    		Fundamental diagram https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5284233948
    Monday, March 8 14:00 - 16:00
    		Group work tasks - Dynamic microscopic models (Part 1) https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5284233948
    Wednesday, March 10 14:00 - 16:00
    		Dynamic microscopic models (Part 2) https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5284233948
    Thursday, March 11 12:00 - 14:00
    		Exercises / Feedback Assignment 1 https://aalto.zoom.us/j/68211513378
    Monday, March 15 14:00 - 16:00
    		Dynamic macroscopic models (Part 1) https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5284233948
    Wednesday, March 17 14:00 - 16:00
    		Group work support https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5284233948
    Thursday, March 18 12:00 - 14:00
    		Exercises / Feedback Assignment 2 https://aalto.zoom.us/j/68211513378
    Monday, March 22 14:00 - 16:00
    		Dynamic macroscopic models (Part 2) https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5284233948
    Wednesday, March 24 14:00 - 16:00
    		Network traffic - Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5284233948
    Thursday, March 25 12:00 - 14:00
    		Exercises / Feedback Assignment 3 https://aalto.zoom.us/j/68211513378
    Monday, March 29 14:00 - 16:00
    		Q&A additional topics + Group work support https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5284233948
    Wednesday, March 31 14:00 - 16:00
    		Q&A additional topics + Group work support https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5284233948
    Thursday, April 1 12:00 - 14:00
    		Exercises / Feedback Assignment 4 https://aalto.zoom.us/j/68211513378
    Wednesday, April 7 14:00 - 16:00
    		Group work support https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5284233948
    Thursday, April 8 12:00 - 14:00
    		Group work support https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5284233948
    Thursday, April 15 12:00 - 14:00
    		Group work presentation https://aalto.zoom.us/j/5284233948


    This are the deadlines for assignments and other activities.
    Date Time Deadline
    Wednesday, March 10 13:55 Assignment 1
    Wednesday, March 17 13:55 Assignment 2
    Monday, March 15 23:55 Intermediate feedback
    Wednesday, March 24 13:55 Assignment 3
    Wednesday, March 31 13:55 Assignment 4
    Tuesday, April 13 11:55 Project report
    Monday, April 18 11:55 Assignment revisions (all)

  • Materials

  • Assignments

  • Group work

  • Intermediate feedback

    I would really appreciate your support in improving the quality of this course.

    I will appreciate constructive feedback.

    Grade 5 (weighted as a +5% in the final) is given if you just submit ALL your feedbacks.

    To anonymise the feedback, your submissions will be at first only associated with nicknames. 

    You will share the feedback nicknames at the end of the course.

    Deadline for the intermediate feedback is 15.3.2021 at 23:55.