Traffic Engineering Handbook (7th Edition)

Beyond the standard updates to reflect evolving changes in practice, this new edition of the Handbook also reflects the shifting philosophy of traffic engineering practice in which transportation professionals no longer serve as merely planners, designers, and operators of transportation systems. Rather, they are integral components of more comprehensive societal roles of community builders, influencers of social and economic change, and investors of public resources.

Just as transportation systems must be adapted to meet the changing expectations and needs of users and increasing costs and threats to the environment, the Traffic Engineering Handbook cannot be static. In this seventh edition, the handbook reflects an effort to reduce traditional modal stove-piping and promote a more inclusive approach to the planning, design, and operation of transportation systems. The goal of this shift is to serve the needs of all users and design context-sensitive transportation facilities, all with an eye toward developing more integrated, sustainable, and resilient transportation solutions to address modern problems and needs.

The expectation is for this edition to equip traffic engineers for the key roles that they will play in the evolution of communities into hubs of economic and social activity. The streets of the twenty-first century must meet the complex needs of society in a safe, efficient, and cost-effective manner. The organization of this Handbook is reflective of this complexity through a functionally driven multimodal approach to content categorization. In the development of this Handbook, the editors, along with ITE staff and teams of practicing professionals throughout North America, have worked to integrate the needs of all modes and all transportation system users through a holistic approach rather than just an afterthought. We hope that readers will also recognize, appreciate, and benefit from these changes.

Anurag Pande, Ph.D. and Brian Wolshon, Ph.D., P.E., PTOE
Editors