CAPACITY ANALYSIS

“Capacity Analysis of signalised and

un-signalised intersections”
1. Connection with previous lectures (qcap)
2. What is highway CAPACITY?
3. What factors it depends on?
4. The Level of Service (LOS) concept
5. Application of HCM procedures

1
Connection with previous lectures

qcap

Review:
a) Capacity is qmax
A b) As qi=vi * ki so capacity is
related to speed, and density
 Highway capacity definition
HCM analyses are
and concept
usually for the peak
(worst) 15-min
The capacity of a facility is: period.
“the maximum hourly rate at which persons or vehicles can
be reasonably expected to traverse a point or uniform
segment of a lane or roadway during a given time period
under prevailing conditions.”

Sometimes
Some regularity using persons With different
❖ Traffic
expected (capacity is makes more prevailing
❖ Roadway not a fixed value) sense, like conditions, different
transit capacity results.
❖ Control

3
 Volume/Capacity Ratio (v/c)
• Proportion of the facility’s capacity
being utilized by current or projected
traffic.
v/c= rate of flow/capacity
• As The actual rate of flow can never
be greater than capacity
• Therefore v/c above 1.0 predicts that
the facility will fail.. queues and
extensive delays
Capacity vs Congestion
Capacity.. v/c=1
Congestion … v/c > 1

Chapter 12 5
 Capacity
• HCM “ the maximum hourly rate at which
persons or vehicles can be reasonably
expected to traverse a point or uniform
segment of a lane or roadway during a given
time period under prevailing roadway and
traffic conditions”
• Different for different facilities (freeway,
multilane, 2-lane rural, signals)
 FACTORS EFFECTING CAPACITY
• Roadway Conditions
1. Horizontal and vertical alignment
2. Lane width and lateral clearance

Prevailing Conditions
3. Grades
4. Surface conditions
• Traffic Conditions
1. Directional distribution
2. Heavy vehicles in the traffic stream
• Control Factors
1. Speed limits
2. Lane use controls
3. Traffic signals
 Capacity Analysis
• A set of analytic models that relate
flow levels, geometric characteristics,
and controls to measures of the
resulting operating capacity
• Standard reference for capacity
analysis procedures: Highway
Capacity Manual (HCM)
Chapter 12 9
 Level of Service (LOS)
• Concept – a qualitative measure describing
operational conditions within a traffic stream and
their perception by drivers and/or passengers
• Levels represent range of operating conditions
defined by measures of effectiveness (MOE)
• GRADING SYSTEM FOR HIGHWAY TRAFFIC
OPERATIONS
• SIX LEVELS: LOS A TO LOS F
• LOS A= BEST…. Free flow
• LOS F= WORST… Jam/ breakdown/ congestion
• LOS E= CAPACITY ???
10
 Level of service: Definition and Concepts

“Level of service (LOS) is a quality measure describing operational

conditions within a traffic stream, generally in terms of such service
measures as speed and travel time, freedom to maneuver, traffic
interruptions, and comfort and convenience.”

LOS A (best) LOS F (worst or system breakdown)

A Free flow
SFA
B Reasonably free flow
SFB
C Stable flow
SFC
D Approaching unstable flow
SFD
E Unstable flow
SFE
F Forced flow or breakdown flow

11
Table 2-4, p. 2-66
 LOS Visualization
A B C

D E F
Chapter 12 13
 A B C
D
E

F qcap

Important to note:
qi=vi * ki
A
LOS Explanation/quantification (1)
Every highway facility has a fixed capacity and
volume/capacity ratio decides LOS at a given time
 Service flow rates vs. service volumes
What is used for analysis is service flow rate. The actual
number of vehicles that can be served during one peak
hour is service volume. This reflects the peaking
characteristic of traffic flow.
Stable flow
SFE Unstable
flow
E F
Flow

SFA C SVi = SFi * PHF

Congested
B
A Peak _ hourly _ volume
PHF 
4  V15 _ peak
Uncongested Density 16
LOS Explanation/quantification (2)

Level of service Density range (pc/mi/ln)

A 0 - 10.0
B 10.1 - 16.0
C 16.1 – 24.0
D 24.1 – 32.0
E 32.1 – 45.0
F > 45.0
M.A Jinnah road traffic volume

Improved Capacity

Current Capacity

Chapter 12 18
 Example of LOS by Mode for Urban Roadways

Example from 2009 FDOT Quality/Level of Service Handbook

 Peak Hour Factor (PHF)
• Design Hourly Volume (DHV):

DHV = (Peak-Hour Volume / PHF)

Design Hour Volume is the one hour traffic

volume used as the basis of design (usually as
a prediction of a future condition)

20
 Peak Hour Factor
Peak Hour: use peak hour factor

PHF = peak-hour volume__

4(peak 15-min volume)

Compensates for peak arrival rates during the

peak hour

21
PHF-example… High fluctuation

Chapter 12 22
PHF-example… Low fluctuation

Chapter 12 23
 Highway Capacity VISUALIZATION
Maximum number of vehicles which CAN pass a given
highway section under prevailing conditions.
[1]
Higher
Min.
No. of
No. of
vehicles
vehicles

Capacity
Not
Highest
Max.
but
moving
 Test 1
• Wednesday
• 31st January 2018

• Traffic studies, ADT, AADT, Expansion factors

• Traffic flow characteristics
• Speed-flow-density models
• Capacity analysis concepts

Chapter 12 25
 References
• Mannering
• Garber and Hoel
• Pacqet and Wright
• Jason C U

Chapter 12 26