Design

g Traffic Volumes
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 Design Traffic Volumes

• Need to figure out the appropriate hourly

traffic volume to get a particular LOS
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 Definitions

• Annual
A l average d
daily
il traffic
ffi (AADT)
– Annual traffic averaged on a daily basis
– Both directions
• Design hourly volume (DHV)
– Traffic volume used for design calculations
– Typically between the 10th and 50th highest volume hour
of the year (30th highest is most common)
• K-factor
– Ratio between DHV and AADT
DHV
K=
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AADT
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 Definitions

• Directional distribution factor (D)

– Factor reflecting the proportion of peak-hour traffic
t
traveling
li ini the
th peak k direction
di ti
– Often there is much more traffic in one direction than
the other
• Directional design-hour volume (DDHV)

DDHV = K × D × AADT
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 Typical Graph
Highest 100 Hourly Volumes Over a One-Year
0.15 P i d ffor a T
Period Typical
i lR Roadway
d
Hourly vvolume as a proportion of AADT

0.14

0.13 K30=0.12

0.12

0.11

0.10
0 20 40 60 80 100
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Number of hours (annually) with

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specified or greater volumes

 Is 2 lanes sufficient to ensure LOS C?

DDHV = K × D × AADT

V
vp =
PHF × N × f HV × f p
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CEE 320
 Is 2 lanes sufficient to ensure LOS C?

Use 30th highest annual hourly volume

•Use
•Freeway, 2 lanes each direction
• Passenger car only facility
• AADT = 35,000
, veh/day y
• FFS = 70 mph
• Commuters
• D = 65% (PH traffic in peak dir.)
• PHF=0.85

DDHV = K × D × AADT
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 Example
V
vp =
PHF × N × f HV × f p
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CEE 320
 Freeway LOS

Define Speed-Flow
Speed Flow Curve
Select a Speed-Flow
p curve based on FFS
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CEE 320

From Highway Capacity Manual, 2000

 Freeway LOS

Example
Determine the typical LOS for SR 520 eastbound near Microsoft
(MP 10.25 – shown in the picture below) at 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Geometry
• 11 ft. lane width
• Left lateral clearance = 5 ft.
• Right lateral clearance = 4 ft.

Other
• 7 am PHF = 0.95
• 10 pm PHF = 0.99
• 2% trucks from WSDOT’s SRWeb
http://srview.wsdot.wa.gov/
• 3% buses
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 Freeway LOS

Determine FFS
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 Freeway LOS

Determine FFS
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 Freeway LOS

Determine FFS
from Microsoft MapPoint

In a 6-mile stretch from

I-405 to Redmond there
are 5 interchanges
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CEE 320
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Intterchangess per mile

Determine FID

FID
Freeway LOS
 Freeway LOS

Determine Flow Rate (vp)

Recall there are 2 lanes

At 7am the ½ hour volume is about 4000 veh/hr

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At 10 pm the ½ hour volume is about 1700 veh/hr

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Graph from the Puget Sound Regional Council’s Puget Sound Trends, No. T6, July 1997
 Freeway LOS

Determine Flow Rate (vp)

1
f HV =
1 + PT (ET − 1) + PR (ER − 1)
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 V
vp =
PHF × N × f HV × f p
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 Freeway LOS

Determine LOS,
LOS speed
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 What is LOS at 10:00 pm?

V
vp =
PHF × N × f HV × f p
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