NHASASYY Highway

HIGHWAY AND RAILROAD ENGINEERING
TRAFFIC
CHARACTERISTICS
GROUP 3
University of Nueva Caceres
REPORTERS
Jaden Cush E. Barcelon Nokki Aeroll D. Maguad Kimberly T. Asico Joen Mari B. Joven
(21-30772) (21-15694) (19-36875) (15-09458)
Dean Joshua T. Pili Mark Adrian C. Pesuelo Lance Jefferson P. Dy Ian Christopher M. Rait
(21-30426) (21-38883) (21-39573) (20-18365)
Jayson A. Barredo Alexis Angel Fernandez Aaron R. Señar

(21-67274) (20-21003) (21-31089)
TRAFFIC CHARACTERISTICS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
GENERAL COMPOSITION OF SPEED

CONSIDERATIONS TRAFFIC
TRAFFIC FLOW
VOLUME PROJECTION OF RELATIONSHIPS
FUTURE TRAFFIC
DIRECTIONAL
DEMANDS
DISTRIBUTION
Highway and Railroad Engineering page 03

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
General Considerations when designing highways:
• Traffic volumes
• Traffic characteristics
All information should be considered jointly:

• Financing
• Quality of foundations
• Availability of materials
• Cost of right-of-way
• Other factors all have an important bearing on the design
(Note that traffic volumes can indicate the need for

improvement and directly influence the selection of geometric
design features, such as the number of lanes, widths,
alignments, and grades.)

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Traffic data for a road or section of road are
commonly available or can be obtained
through field research.
Data collected by state or local agencies
include:
• Traffic volumes for days of the year and
time of the day
• Distribution of vehicles by type and
weight.
The data also include information on

trends from which the designer may
estimate the traffic to be expected in the
future.

VOLUME
AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC
The most basic measure of the traffic demand is the average daily traffic (ADT) volume.
Defined as the total volume during a given time period (in whole days), greater than one
day and less than one year, divided by the number of days in that time period.
ADT volume for a highway
If continuous traffic counts are available, it is easily identified.

If only periodic counts are taken, it can be estimated by adjusting the periodic counts
according to such factors as the season, month, or day of week.
One important purpose of ADT volume is determining annual highway usage as justification
for proposed expenditures or designing the cross-sectional elements of a highway.

VOLUME
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEAK HOUR T R AFFI C AND ADT

30 HV as a percentage of ADT, it generally varies only slightly from year to year even though
the ADT may change substantially. Increased ADT generally results in a slight decrease in the
percentage of ADT during the 30 HV.
Thus, the percentage of ADT used for determining the 30 HV from current traffic data for a
given facility can generally be used with confidence in computing the 30 HV from an ADT
volume determined for some future year.
This consistency between current and future may not apply where there is a radical change in
the use of the land area served by the highway.
In cases where the character and magnitude of future development can be foreseen, the
relationship of 30 HV to ADT may be based on experience with other highways serving areas
with similar land-use characteristics.

VOLUME
ON A TYPICAL RURAL ARTER I AL
30 HV is about 15% of ADT, and the maximum hourly volume is about 25% of ADT.
As indicated in the figure, the 30 HV at 70% of all locations, except those having unusually high
or low fluctuation in traffic flow, is in the range of 12% to 18% of the ADT.
Likewise, the range in maximum hourly volumes for the same groups of roads varies
approximately from 16% to 32% of the ADT. These criteria for design apply to most rural
highways.
There are highways, however, for which there are unusual or highly seasonal fluctuations in
traffic flow, such as resort roads on which weekend traffic during a few months of the year far
exceeds the traffic during the rest of the year.
Seasonal fluctuations result in high peak-hour volumes relative to ADT, high percentages for
high-volume hours, and low percentages for low-volume hours.

VOLUME
Because the percentage represented by the 30 HV for a road with large seasonal fluctuations
may not be much different from the percentage represented by the 30 HV on most rural roads,
the 30 HV criterion may not be appropriate for such roads.
A design that results in somewhat less satisfactory traffic operation during seasonal peaks than
on rural roads with normal traffic fluctuations will generally be accepted by the public.
On the other hand, design should not be so economical that severe congestion results during
peak hours. It may be desirable, therefore, to choose an hourly volume for a design that is about
50% of the volumes expected to occur during a few highest hours of the design year, whether or
not that volume is equal to 30 HV.
Some congestion would be experienced by traffic during peak hours but the capacity would not
be exceeded.
A check should be made to verify that the expected maximum hourly traffic does not exceed the
capacity.

VOLUME
The design hourly volume (DHV) for rural highways, therefore, should generally be the 30 HV of
the future year chosen for the design.
Exceptions may be made on roads with high seasonal traffic fluctuation, where a different hourly
volume may need to be used.
The 30-HV criterion also applies in general to urban areas; however, where the fluctuation in
traffic flow is markedly different from that on rural highways, other hours of the year should be
considered as the basis for design.

VOLUME
IN URBAN AREAS
Appropriate DHV may be determined from the study of traffic during the normal daily peak
periods.
Because of the recurring morning and afternoon peak traffic flow, there is usually little
difference between the 30th and the 200th highest hourly volume.
For typical urban conditions, the highest hourly volume is found during the afternoon work-to-
home travel peak.
One approach for determining a suitable DHV is to select the highest afternoon peak traffic
flow for each week and then average these values for the 52 weeks of the year.
If the morning peak-hour volumes for each week of the year are all less than the afternoon
peak volumes, the average of the 52 weekly afternoon peak-hour volumes would have about
the same value as the 26th highest hourly volume of the year.
If the morning peaks are equal to the afternoon peaks, the average of the afternoon peaks
would be about equal to the 50th highest hourly volume.

VOLUME
The volumes represented by the 26th and 50th highest hours of the year are not sufficiently
different from the 30 HV value to affect design.
Therefore, in urban design, the 30th highest hourly volume can be a reasonable representation of
daily peak hours during the year.
Exceptions in those areas or locations where recreational

or other travel is concentrated during particular seasons.
At such locations, a distribution of traffic volume where the
hourly volumes are much greater than the 30 HV may
result; the 30 HV in such cases may be inappropriate as
the DHV and a higher value should be considered in the
design. Specific measurements of traffic volumes should
be made and evaluated to determine the appropriate DHV.

VOLUME
n the usual case, future travel demand is determined by

the urban transportation planning process in terms of
total daily trips that are assigned to the transportation
system.
Consideration of the split between public and private
transportation is also incorporated into this process.
These assigned trips constitute the traffic volumes on
links of the future street and highway network.
In some instances, these volumes (ADT) are provided
directly to highway designers.

VOLUME
Two-way DHVs (i.e., the 30 HV, or its equivalent) may be determined by applying a representative
percentage (usually 8% to 12% in urban areas) to the ADT.
In many cases this percentage, based on data obtained in a traffic count program, is developed
and applied system-wide; in other cases, factors may be developed for different facility classes
or different areas of an urban region, or both.
At least one highway agency has developed regression equations representing the relationship
between peak flow and ADT; different equations are applied, depending on the number of lanes
and the range of the ADT volumes.

VOLUME
PEAK-HOUR TRAFFIC / RUSH HOUR
Traffic volumes for intervals shorter than a
day better reflect the operating conditions
that should be used in design.
A key design decision involves determining

The hourly traffic volume used in design should
which of these hourly traffic volumes be a value that will not be exceeded very often or
should be used as the basis for design. by very much. On the other hand, it should not be
a value so high that traffic would rarely be
While it would be wasteful to predicate the sufficient to make full use of the resulting facility.
design on the maximum peak-hour traffic One guide in determining the hourly traffic
that occurs during the year, the use of the volume that is best suited for use in design is a
average hourly traffic would result in an curve showing variation in hourly traffic volumes
inadequate design. during the year.

VOLUME
The relationship between the highest

hourly volumes and ADT on rural
arterials is depicted in Figure 2-28.
This figure was created by analyzing
traffic count data from a variety of
volumes and geographic locations.
The curves in the chart were created
by arranging all of the hourly
volumes for one year in descending
order of magnitude, expressed as a
percentage of ADT.

VOLUME
Based on a review of these curves, 30th highest hourly volume of the year (30 HV) should
generally be used in a design.
The reasonableness of 30 HV as a design control is indicated by the changes that result from
choosing a somewhat higher or lower volume.
The curve steepens quickly to the left of the point showing the 30th highest hour volume and
indicates only a few more hours with higher volumes.
The curve flattens to the right of the 30th highest hour and indicates many hours in which the
volume is not much less than the 30 HV
On rural roads with average fluctuation in traffic flow, the 30 HV is typically about 15 percent of the
ADT. Whether or not this hourly volume is too low to be appropriate for design can be judged by
the 29 hours during the year when it is exceeded

DIRECTIONAL DISTRIBUTION
The design of highways with more than

two lanes requires knowledge of hourly
traffic volume for each direction of travel.
The number of lanes needed for a highway
depends on the directional distribution of
traffic during peak hours.
During peak hours, 55-80% of traffic is
traveling in the peak direction, but this can
vary greatly between sites.
The peak-hour traffic distribution is
generally consistent, except for highways
serving recreational areas.

DIRECTIONAL DISTRIBUTION
The directional distribution of traffic should
be determined by making field
measurements or by using parallel
facilities.
The design of intersections and
interchanges requires knowledge of the
volumes of all movements during the
design hour, including the morning and
evening peak periods.
The direction of traffic during the morning
and evening peak periods may be different
and should be determined separately.
The information needed for design should
be obtained from actual counts or origin
and destination data.

COMPOSITION OF TRAFFIC
Vehicles of different sizes and weights have different operating characteristics
that should be considered in highway design.
Two general classes for traffic operation:
PASSENGER CARS TRUCKS
all buses, single-unit trucks, combination trucks,

and recreational vehicles - having
all passenger cars, including minivans, vans,
manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight (GVW)
pick-up trucks, and sport/utility vehicles.
ratings of 4,000 kg [9,000 lb] or more and having
dual tires on at least one rear axle.

NOTE THAT!
The effect on the traffic operation of

one truck is often equivalent to several
passenger cars. The number of
equivalent passenger cars equaling
the effect of one truck is dependent on
the roadway gradient and, for two-
lane highways, on the available
passing sight distance. The larger the
proportion of trucks in a traffic stream,
the greater the equivalent traffic
demand and the greater the highway
capacity needed.

ROAD GRADIENT ROAD GRADIENT SIGNAGE
DESIGN PURPOSES

TRAFFIC CLASSIFICATION PURPOSES DESIGN PURPOSES
PASSENGER CLASS: PASSENGER-CAR TRAFFIC

Most of the vehicles have similar The volume of traffic is generally
operating characteristics. increases at a greater rate than does the
volume of truck traffic
TRUCK CLASS:
Size and weight/ power ratio TRUCK TRAFFIC:
Trucks and buses are expected to use the At peak hours, the percentage of traffic is
highway. (GEOMETRIC DESIGN OF A generally less than the percentage for a
HIGHWAY) 24-hour period

TRUCK TRAFFIC
Operate steadily throughout the day, and much over-the-
road hauling is done at night and during early morning hours.
The scheduling of regular truck and bus runs may result in the
concentration of trucks during certain hours of the day.
DESIGN FOR PARTICULAR HIGHWAY

Data on traffic composition should be determined by traffic
studies. Truck traffic should be expressed as a percentage of
total traffic during the design hour (in the case of a two-lane
highway, as a percentage of total two-way traffic, and in the
case of a multilane highway, as a percentage of total traffic in
the peak direction of travel).
page 17
URBAN INTERRUPTED FLOW CONDIT I ONS
The criteria for determining traffic composition differ from those
used elsewhere
The percentage of trucks during the morning and evening peak
hours should be determined separately
Variations in truck traffic between the various traffic movements
at intersections may be substantial and may influence the
appropriate geometric layout
It is advisable to count trucks for the several peak hours that are
considered representative of the 30th highest or design hour
Appropriate for design use, is the average of the percentages of
truck traffic for a number of weekly peak hours. For highway-
capacity analysis purposes, local city-transit buses should be
considered separately from other trucks and buses.
page 18
PROJECTION OF FUTURE TRAFFIC DEMANDS
Geometric design of new highways or improvements to existing highways should not usually be
based on current traffic volumes alone, but should consider future traffic volumes expected to use
the facility. A highway should be designed to accommodate the traffic volume that is likely to occur
within the design life of the facility.
Each segment is subject to variations in estimated life expectancy for reasons not readily subject to
analysis, such as obsolescence or unexpected radical changes in land use, with the resulting
changes in traffic volumes, patterns, and demands.
Physical life expectancy

Right-of-way and grading - 100 years
Minor drainage structures and base courses - 50 years
Bridges - 25 to 100 years
Resurfacing - 10 years
Pavement structure - 20 to 30 years
page 19
PROJECTION OF FUTURE TRAFFIC DEMANDS
It is a moot question whether the design capacity of a highway should be based on its life
expectancy. The decision is greatly influenced by economics.
In a practical sense, the design volume should be a value that can be estimated with reasonable
accuracy. Many highway engineers believe the maximum design period is in the range of 15 to 24
years. Therefore, a period of 20 years is widely used as a basis for design.
Estimating traffic volumes for a 20-year design

period may not be appropriate for many
rehabilitation projects. These projects may be
developed on the basis of a shorter design
period (5 to 10 years) because of the
uncertainties of predicting traffic and funding
constraints.
page 20
SPEED
Speed is one of the most

important factors considered
by travelers in selecting
alternative routes or
transportation modes.
The attractiveness of a public

transportation system or a new
highway is weighed by
travelers in terms of time,
convenience, and money
saved.
page 21
SPEED
The speed of vehicles on a road or highway

depends, in addition to the capabilities of the
drivers and their vehicles, upon five general
conditions:
the physical characteristics of the highway

the amount of roadside interference
the weather
the presence of other vehicles
the speed limitations (established either by
law or by traffic control devices).
page 22
SPEED
A POLICY ON GEOMETRIC DESI GN OF HI GHWAYS AND ST R EET S
Operating Speed - is the speed at which drivers are observed

operating their vehicles during free-flow conditions.
Running Speed - The speed at which an individual vehicle travels
over a highway section. The effect of traffic volume on average
running speed can be determined using the procedures of the
Highway Capacity Manual (HCM).
Design Speed - is a selected speed used to determine the various
geometric design features of the roadway.
page 23
TRAFFIC FLOW RELATIONSHIPS
TRAFFIC FLOW
Traffic flow conditions on roadways can be characterized by the volume
flow rate expressed in vehicles per hour, the average speed in kilometers
per hour, and the traffic density in vehicles per kilometer.
These three variables volume, speed, and density are interrelated and have
predictable relationships.
Traffic flow causes speeds to be reduced, vehicles to travel closer together,

and density to increase, this may be caused by weather conditions, cross
traffic, disabled vehicles, crashes, or other conditions.
page 24
As these conditions cause more

interference, the flow rates within
certain limits can be maintained but
with reduced speed, closer vehicle
spacing, and greater density and
when interference becomes so great
that the average speed drops below
that needed to maintain stable flow,
there is a rapid decrease in speed
and traffic flow, and severe,
congestion occurs.
page 25
SPEED, VOLUME, DENSITY REL AT I ONSHI P
When traffic on a highway encounters interference that limits or reduces the roadway capacity in a
single area, the result is a “bottleneck.” If the flow entering this bottleneck does not exceed its
capacity, flow remains stable and no significant congestion should occur.
However, when the upstream section carries more vehicles than the bottleneck can accommodate,
a breakdown in traffic flow results. Speeds are reduced to a crawl and vehicles begin to queue
upstream until incoming flow again falls below the outflow capacity.
page 26
An intersection is often an unavoidable bottleneck.

This reduction in capacity becomes acute when the
intersection is controlled by stop signs or traffic
signals. At a traffic signal, vehicles that arrive during
the red phase encounter a zero-capacity bottleneck.
Arrivals at the intersection are generally predictable

in urban areas where the approaching vehicles are
platooned by upstream signals. In suburban or rural
locations, vehicle arrivals are often random. This
random arrival pattern should be recognized in the
design of appropriate cycle times, turn-lane storage
lengths, and approach capacity.
page 27
At bottlenecks where traffic slows down or stops, each vehicle and its occupants incur delay. Delays
increase fuel consumption and air pollution, which create undesirable economic and environmental
effects.
Examples:
Density: Very Low Density: Low

Speed: High Speed: High
page 28
Density: High Density: Very High

Speed: Medium Speed: Low
page 29
HIGHWAY AND RAILROAD ENGINEERING
HIGHWAY
CAPACITY
GROUP 3
University of Nueva Caceres
HIGHWAY CAPACITY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
GENERAL FACTORS OTHER LEVELS OF SERVICE

CONSIDERATIONS THAN TRAFFIC
DESIGN SERVICE
VOLUME THAT
APPLICATION FLOW RATES
AFFECT OPERATING
CAPACITY AS A CONDITIONS
DESIGN CONTROL

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
The term “capacity” is used to express the maximum hourly rate at which persons or vehicles can
reasonably be expected to traverse a point during a given time period under prevailing roadway
and traffic conditions. The range of traffic flow on a highway can vary from very light volumes to
volumes that equal the capacity of the facility as defined above. In the generic sense, the term
also encompasses broader relations between highway characteristics and conditions, traffic
composition and flow patterns, and the relative degree of congestion at various traffic volumes.

APPLICATION
Highway capacity analysis serves three general purposes, including:
Transportation Planning Studies - Highway

capacity analysis is used in these studies to
assess the sufficiency of existing highway
networks to service current traffic. In addition,
it is used to estimate the time in the future
when traffic growth may exceed the capacity
of a highway.

APPLICATION
Highway Design - A knowledge of highway

capacity is essential to properly fit a planned
highway to traffic demands. Highway
capacity analysis is used both to select the
highway type and to determine dimensions
such as the number of lanes and the
minimum lengths for weaving sections.

APPLICATION
Traffic operational analyses - It is used in

these analyses for many purposes, but
especially for identifying bottleneck locations
(either existing or potential). It is also used to
estimate operational improvements that may
result from prospective traffic control
measures or from spot alterations in the
highway geometry.

CAPACITY AS A DESIGN CONTROL
DESIGN SERVICE FLOW RATE VERSUS DESIGN VOLUME
Design volumes - are estimated in the planning

process and are often expressed as the expected
traffic volume during a specified design hour.
Design service flow rate - the maximum hourly

flow rate of traffic that a highway with particular
design features would be able to serve without
the degree of congestion falling below a pre-
selected level.

MEASURES OF CONGESTION
Three key considerations in geometric design are the (1) the roadway design, (2) the traffic using
the roadway, and (3) the degree of congestion on the roadway.
A scale of values for expressing the degree of

congestion is, however, a much more elusive
measure. Numerous measures of the overall
service provided by a roadway section have been
suggested, including crash frequency and
severity, freedom to maneuver, the ratio of traffic
volume to capacity, operating speed, average
running speed, and others.

For uninterrupted traffic flow traffic operational conditions are defined by using three primary
measures: (1) speed, (2) volume (or rate of flow), and (3) density.
Density describes the proximity of vehicles to one another and reflects the freedom to maneuver
within the traffic stream. As density increases from zero, the rate of flow also increases because
more vehicles are on the roadway
A characteristic of intersection operations that is closely related to motorist perceptions of quality

of traffic flow.
Average stopped-time delay is the principal measure of effectiveness used in evaluating
signalized intersections.
Stopped-time delay, which is used because it is reasonably easy to measure and is
conceptually simple.

RELATION BETWEEN CONGESTI ON AND T R AFFI C FLOW R AT E
Congestion does not necessarily involve a complete stoppage of

traffic flow. Rather it can be thought of as a restriction or
interference to normal free flow.
As the traffic flow rate approaches a facility’s capacity, any minor
disruption in the free flow of traffic may cause traffic on a roadway
to operate on a stop-and-go basis, with a resulting decrease in
traffic flow rate that can be served.
Greater degrees of congestion occur, and these result in reduced
overall travel speeds, higher average travel times, and traffic spill-
backs into upstream intersections.

ACCEPTABLE DEGREES OF CONGEST I ON

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 governmental jurisdiction
considers practical, and
Reconciling the demands of the motorist and the
general public with the finances available to meet
those demands.

FACTORS OTHER THAN TRAFFIC VOLUME THAT AFFECT
OPERATING CONDITIONS
HIGHWAY
FACTORS
Free highways have ideal designs. Although most modern freeways have adequate cross-sectional
dimensions, many are not ideal with respect to:
a. Design Speed b. Weaving section design c. Ramp terminal design

Conditions that cause congestion:
Multilane highways, intersections, even though

unsignalized, often interfere with the free-flow operation of
traffic.
Development adjacent to the highway with attendant
driveways and interference from traffic entering and
leaving the through-traffic lanes cause an increase in
congestion and may increase crash frequency even at
relatively low volumes.
Sharp curves and steep grades cannot always be
avoided, and it is sometimes appropriate to compromise
on cross-sectional dimensions.


For urban streets with signalized intersections at relatively close intervals, the traffic columns that
could be served are reduced because a portion of each signal cycle is assigned exclusively to the
crossing highway.
For a highway that is deficient in some of its characteristics, compensatory adjustment factors
need to be applied to the traffic flow rates used as design values for ideal highway conditions.
Features of a less ideal highway:

Narrow lanes and shoulders
Steep grades
Low speed design
Presence of intersection, terminals and weaving sections


FEATURES AND THEIR EFFECT S ON OPERAT I NG CONDI T I ONS

Alignment - The highway should be subdivided into sections of consistent geometric design
characteristics for analysis. A single limiting curve or steep grade in an otherwise gentle
alignment will thus be identified as a critical feature limiting roadway capacity. The ideal
highway alignment consists of flat horizontal curves, noncritical grade, and long vertical curves.



Weaving sections - Weaving sections with crossing distance that are relatively short in relation
to volume weaving traffic causes operations within highway sections to be congested.



Ramp terminals - Ramps and ramp terminals are features that can adversely influence
operating conditions on freeways if the demand of their use is excessive or if their design is
deficient.


TRAFFIC FACTORS
Traffic streams are usually composed of: Furthermore, traffic does not flow at a uniform
Passenger cars rate through the hour, day, season, or year.
Trucks
Buses Variables to be considered upon volumes of
Recreational vehicles and bicycles traffic:
Composition of traffic - The percentage of

heavy vehicles with respect to the total
number of vehicles.
Fluctuations in flow - Day-to-day variability
in demand leads to some days with higher
traffic volumes than others.


PEAK HOUR FACTOR

It is customary to design highways with a sufficient number of
lanes and with other features that will enable the highway to
accommodate the forecasted DHV for the design year.
There are certain periods within an hour during which

congestion is worse than at other times.
Peak hour factor is the ratio of the total hourly volume to the
number of vehicles during the highest 15-minute period
multiplied by 4. The PHF is never greater than 1.00 and is
normally within the range of 0.75 to 0.95.

LEVELS OF SERVICE
The levels of service (LOS) in highway and street design

refers to a benchmark used to assess the quality of
traffic flow on a given road network. It assesses criteria
such as traffic speed, congestion, travel time, and
safety, and rates the level of service as a letter grade
ranging from A to F. An "A" level of service denotes ideal
circumstances, with little delay and great speed,
whereas an "F" level of service denotes extreme
congestion and protracted travel times. The LOS
concept is frequently applied in transportation
planning and engineering to determine the effects of
suggested modifications to a road network and to
direct investment and upgrade decision-making.

LEVELS OF SERVICE
In general, the levels of service (LOS) in highway and street design are defined as follows:
A: Free-flow conditions with minimal delay,

highest speeds, and highest vehicle-throughput
capacity.
B: Slight delay and reduced speeds, but still
relatively uncongested.
C: Moderate delay, speeds below free flow, and
moderate congestion.
D: High delay, reduced speeds, and significant
congestion.
E: Very high delay, slow speeds, and severe
congestion.
F: Failure conditions, with extremely high delay,
gridlock, and a complete breakdown of traffic
flow.
These definitions are used to assess the quality of traffic flow on a particular road network, and to guide decision-
making in terms of investments and improvements in transportation infrastructure.

LEVELS OF SERVICE
VCR - VOLUME TO CAPACITY R AT I O ( I N ACCOR DANCE WI T H T HE DPWH)

LOS CHARACTERISTICS VCR
A Condition of free-flow with high speeds and low traffic volume. 0.00-0.19
Drivers can choose desired speeds without delays.
In the zone of stable flow.

B Drivers have reasonable freedom to select their speed. 0.20-0.44
In the zone of stable flow.

C Drivers are restricted in selecting their speed. 0.45-0.69
Approaches unstable flow with nearly all drivers restricted.

D Service volume corresponds to tolerable capacity. 0.70-0.84
E Traffic volumes near or at capacity. 0.85-1.00

Flow is unstable with momentary stoppages.
F Forced or congested flow at low speeds. >1.00

Long queues and delays.

LEVELS OF SERVICE
BHCC TABLE (BASIC HOURLY CAPACI T Y I N PASSENGER CAR UNI T S) :

CARRIAGEWAY WIDTH RURAL URBAN
Single Less than 4 meters 600 600
4 to 5 meters 1200 1200
5.1 to 6 meters 1900 1600
6.1 to 6.7 meters 2000 1700
6.8 to 7.3 meters 2400 1800
2 x 6.7 or 2 x 7.3 meters 7200 6700
The capacity is normally expressed in passenger car units per hour (pcu/hr) and would depend on
the so-called passenger car equivalent factors (PCEF) of the different vehicle classes.

LEVELS OF SERVICE

LEVELS OF SERVICE
PCEF TABLE
Vehicle Type
PCEF
No. Description
1 Motor - Tricycle 2.5
2 Passenger Car 1.0
3-5 Passenger and good utility and Small Bus 1.5
6 Large Bus 2.0
7 Rigid Truck, 2 axles 2.0
8 Rigid Truck, 3+ axles 2.5
9 Truck Semi-Trailer, 3 and 4 axles 2.5
10 Truck Semi-Trailer, 5+ axles 2.5
11 Truck Trailers, 4 axles 2.5
12 Truck Trailers, 5+ axles 2.5

LEVELS OF SERVICE
GUIDELINES FOR SELECTION OF DESIGN LEVELS OF SERVI CE:
Appropriate Level of Service for Specified

Combinations of Area and Terrain Type
Functional

Class
Rural Level Rural Rolling Rural Mountainous Urban and Suburban
Freeway B B C C or D
Arterial B B C C or D
Collector C C D D
Local D D D D

DESIGN SERVICE FLOW RATES
SERVICE FLOW RATES

"Service flow rates" refers to the traffic flow rates that
can be served at each level of service. This implies that MASKI TRES
operating conditions will drop below the level of service LANG PO
for which the facility was designed. MA' AM
It is preferable that all road elements are built in
accordance with the degree of service that has been
chosen. It is possible to avoid flow interruptions caused
by bottlenecks mainly due to the consistency of the
design service flow rate, which results in nearly
constant freedom of traffic movement and operating
speed.

Types of design service flow rates that are commonly used to determine the capacity of
a roadway:
Design Hourly Volume: The DHV is the maximum number of vehicles that are
expected to pass under normal conditions.
Peak Hour Volume: The PHV is the highest hourly traffic volume.
Average Daily Traffic: The ADT is the total volume of traffic that passes on a roadway
over a 24-hour period.
Annual Average Daily Traffic: The AADT is the average of the ADT for a full year.
Design Day Volume: The DDV is the estimated volume of traffic that is expected to
use a roadway on a particular day.

ROAD SYSTEMS
Weaving Sections
A weaving section is a segment of a roadway where merging and diverging traffic flows
overlap and intermingle, often resulting in congestion, delays, and safety concerns

Weaving sections can also be considered as simple or multiple:
Simple Weaving Section:
A simple weaving section typically refers to a weaving area that has a relatively low traffic
volume and a minimal number of lanes. These sections involve two ramps merging or
diverging from each other allowing vehicles to weave in and out of traffic.

Multiple Weaving Sections:
Two or more overlapping weaving sections make up a multiple-weaving section. Another

way to define a multiple weave is as the section of a one-way street with two successive
entries immediately followed by one or more exits, or with one entrance closely followed by
two or more exits.

Multilane Highways without Access Control:
A type of road that has multiple lanes for traffic

in each direction, but does not have any
physical barriers or limited access points to
control who can enter or exit the freeway.
Arterial Streets and Urban Highways:

These two are types of roads commonly found
in urban areas that are designed to facilitate
vehicular traffic. However, due to the quality of
service offered by such facilities, they tend to
decline in an unpredictable manner with the
passage of time.

Intersections:
An intersection is a location where two or more
roads, highways, or other transportation paths
meet or cross. Intersections are crucial
components of transportation networks, and
they are designed to facilitate the movement of
vehicles, pedestrians, and other modes of
transportation.
Pedestrians and Bicycles:

Pedestrians and Bicycles are important
components of transportation networks, and
their safety and mobility are taken into
consideration when designing and managing
transportation systems.

THANK
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HIGHWAY AND RAILROAD ENGINEERING

Jayson A. Barredo Alexis Angel Fernandez Aaron R. Señar

GENERAL COMPOSITION OF SPEED

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All information should be considered jointly:

(Note that traffic volumes can indicate the need for

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The data also include information on

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ADT volume for a highway

If continuous traffic counts are available, it is easily identified.

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Exceptions in those areas or locations where recreational

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n the usual case, future travel demand is determined by

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A key design decision involves determining

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The relationship between the highest

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The design of highways with more than

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PASSENGER CARS TRUCKS

all buses, single-unit trucks, combination trucks,

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The effect on the traffic operation of

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PASSENGER CLASS: PASSENGER-CAR TRAFFIC

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DESIGN FOR PARTICULAR HIGHWAY

Physical life expectancy

Estimating traffic volumes for a 20-year design

Speed is one of the most

The attractiveness of a public

The speed of vehicles on a road or highway

the physical characteristics of the highway

A POLICY ON GEOMETRIC DESI GN OF HI GHWAYS AND ST R EET S

Operating Speed - is the speed at which drivers are observed

Traffic flow causes speeds to be reduced, vehicles to travel closer together,

As these conditions cause more

An intersection is often an unavoidable bottleneck.

Arrivals at the intersection are generally predictable

Density: Very Low Density: Low

Density: High Density: Very High

GENERAL FACTORS OTHER LEVELS OF SERVICE

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Highway capacity analysis serves three general purposes, including:

Transportation Planning Studies - Highway

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Highway Design - A knowledge of highway

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Traffic operational analyses - It is used in