Reconciliation of Principles for Acceptable Degrees of Congestion

The degree of congestion that should not be exceeded during the design year on a proposed highway
can be realistically assessed by:

• Determining the operating conditions that the majority of motorists will accept as satisfactory.
• Determining the most extensive highway improvement that the DPWH considers practical.
• Reconciling the demands of the motorist and the general public with the Finances available to
meet those demands.

This requires an early decision to be made as to the degree of congestion that should not be
exceeded during the design period.

Expressways

Expressway capacity needs are determined from directional design hourly volumes (DDHV) for
the appropriate design period. In large metropolitan areas, the selection of appropriate design
traffic volumes and design periods may be influenced by system planning.

Other Multilane Highways

For multilane highways other than expressways, capacity is affected by intersections, both un-
signalized and signalized; driveways and interference from traffic entering and leaving through-
traffic lanes; and sharp curves, steep grades and cross-sectional dimension limitations. All of
these conditions combine to cause congestion at lower traffic volumes than would otherwise be
the case for highways designed with ideal features and protected by full access control.