---
title: "Origin-destination study and its applications"
subject: "Transportation Engineering II"
chapter: 1
key: "semester_7/transportation_engineering_ii:origin-destination-study-applications"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/transportation_engineering_ii/origin-destination-study-applications
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Origin-destination study and its applications

Transportation Engineering II · Chapter 1: Traffic Engineering

- Asked in: 2070 Chaitra (old course), 8 marks
- Video: [Lec-15_Origin & Destination Survey (O&D Survey) | Urban Transportation Planning | Civil Engineering](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3NQez3rCt4) — Civil Engineering Department_LJIET
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/transportation_engineering_ii/origin-destination-study-applications
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/transportation_engineering_ii/chapter-1

## Question

What do you mean by Origin and Destination Study? Explain the various applications of Origin and Destination studies.

## Short answer

O-D study identifies trip origins, destinations, purpose, mode to produce O-D matrices and desire lines. Applications: planning highways, bypasses, terminals, traffic management, public transport, forecasting trip distribution, economic evaluation, and determining through-traffic diversion.

## Answer

#### Origin and destination (O-D) study
An origin and destination study determines, for a given area and period, where trips start (origin) and end (destination), together with the trip purpose, mode, vehicle type, time and route. The result is shown as an O-D matrix, a desire-line diagram or a zone map. It is the basic survey for transport planning, and is carried out by roadside interviews, licence plate records, home interviews, postcards, tag-on-car and similar methods (IRC:SP:19).

#### Applications
- Planning new highways, by-passes, bridges and flyovers, and deciding their location from desire lines.
- Finding the share of through traffic that can be diverted to a by-pass.
- Planning traffic management measures (one-way streets, junction improvements).
- Planning terminals, parking facilities and public transport routes and schedules.
- Forecasting trip generation and distribution for traffic and land-use planning.
- Giving the pattern of freight and passenger movement.
- Determining road priorities and staged construction.
- Evaluating the economic viability of improvements.
- In Nepal, DoR O-D surveys are used in feasibility studies of new strategic roads and in traffic demand forecasting for road projects.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. What does an O-D study determine?
   A. Only the speed of vehicles
   B. Where trips start and end, with purpose, mode, vehicle type, time and route
   C. Only parking demand
   D. Pavement thickness
   Answer: B. It records origins and destinations of trips and related characteristics for an area and period. (Key point: Definition)

2. How are O-D results usually presented?
   A. Speed-flow curve
   B. Mass diagram
   C. O-D matrix, desire-line diagram or zone map
   D. Collision diagram
   Answer: C. Results are shown as an O-D matrix, desire lines or zone map. (Key point: Presentation of results)

3. How does an O-D study help planning a by-pass?
   A. It gives the share of through traffic that can be diverted
   B. It gives the CBR of the soil
   C. It gives crash rates
   D. It gives pavement thickness
   Answer: A. The study separates through traffic from local traffic, showing how much a by-pass can divert. (Key point: Application: by-pass)

4. Which is a method of O-D survey?
   A. Marshall test
   B. Licence plate method
   C. Benkelman beam
   D. Proctor test
   Answer: B. Roadside interview, licence plate, home interview, postcard and tag-on-car methods are used. (Key point: Survey methods)

## Related in Transportation Engineering II

- [Origin-destination study uses and methods](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftransportation_engineering_ii%3Aorigin-destination-study-uses-methods) — Transportation Engineering II, chapter 1

## Related in other subjects

- [Load flow studies and applications](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fpower_system_analysis_ii%3Aload-flow-studies-applications) — Power System Analysis II, chapter 2