CEE531

TRANSPORTATION
ENGINEERING
HIGHWAY CAPACITY & LEVEL OF
SERVICE
HIGHWAY CAPACITY AND LEVEL
OF SERVICE (LOS)

Highway capacity is a quantitative and a qualitative

measure which permits evaluation of both the adequacy
and the quality of vehicle service being provided
 HIGHWAY
CAPACITY

The capacity of a facility:

Is the maximum hourly rate at
which persons or vehicles
reasonably can be expected to
traverse a point or a uniform
section of a lane or roadway
during a given time period under
prevailing roadway, traffic, and
control conditions
 HIGHWAY
CAPACITY

- Prevailing roadway, traffic, and control conditions define

capacity; these conditions should be reasonably uniform
for any section of facility analyzed. Any change in the
prevailing conditions changes the capacity of the facility.
 FACTORS AFFECTING HWY
CAPACITY

- Roadway conditions: physical features of the roadway (lane

width, lateral clearance, shoulders, surface conditions,
alignment, grades, etc…)

- Traffic conditions: nature of traffic on the roadway (trucks,

buses, lane distribution, variation of traffic flow and traffic
interruptions

- Under ideal conditions hwy can accommodate maximum

traffic volume
 IDEAL CONDITIONS

- Ideal roadway conditions assume good weather,

good pavement conditions, users familiar, and:

a. Uninterrupted flow.
b. Passenger cars only in the traffic stream.
c. Traffic lane 12 ft (3.6 m) wide and with adequate
shoulders and no lateral obstructions within 6 ft
(1.8 m) of the edge of the pavement.
 IDEAL CONDITIONS,
CONT.

d. Free-flow speed of 100 km/h for multilane highways,

e. Level terrain,
f. No no-passing zones on two-lane highways, and
g. No obstructions to through traffic due to traffic control or
turning vehicles.
 CAPACITY OF UNINTERRUPTED FLOW UNDER IDEAL
CONDITIONS

In the HCM (2000):

- Freeway: 2,400 pcphpl

- Multilane highway, 2,200 pcphpl

- Two-lane, two-way, 2,800 vph total from both

directions
HWY USERS JUDGE THE QUALITY OF SERVICE
THROUGH THE FOLLOWING

a. Travel speed
b. Traffic interruptions
c. Freedom to maneuver and maintain
operating speed
d. Safety
e. Driving comfort
f. Vehicular operating cost over particular
section
 LEVEL OF SERVICE
(LOS)
- 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

- Six LOS are defined for each type of facility that

has analysis procedures available. Letters
designate each level, from A to F, with LOS A
representing the best operating conditions and
LOS F the worst
 PERFORMANCE MEASURES
OF LOS
- The service flow rates generally are based on
a 15-min period. Typically, the hourly service
flow rate is defined as four times the peak 15-
min volume

- Most design or planning efforts typically use

service flow rates at LOS C or D, to ensure an
acceptable operating service for facility users
 PERFORMANCE MEASURES
cont.
OF LOS,
- Travel speed and density on freeways, delay
at signalized intersections, and walking speed
for pedestrians are examples of performance
measures that characterize flow conditions on
a facility

- Each facility has five service flow rates, one

for each level of service (A through E). For
LOS F, it is difficult to predict flow due to stop-
and-start conditions
 SERVICE FLOW
RATE
- Is the maximum hourly rate at which persons
or vehicles can be expected to traverse a
point or uniform segment of a lane or roadway
during a given period under prevailing
roadway, traffic, and control conditions while
maintaining a designated level of service
 LOS A: DESCRIBES A CONDITION OF
FREE FLOW,WITH SPEEDS CONTROLLED
BY DRIVER DESIRERS, SPEED LIMIT,AND
PHYSICAL ROADWAY CONDITIONS
LOS B: SPEEDS BEGINS TO BE RESTRICTED
SOMEWHAT BY TRAFFIC
RESTRICTIONS, FLOW IS STABLE
LOS C: SPEEDS AND MANEUVERABILITY ARE MORE
CLOSELY CONTROLLED BY THE HIGHER VOLUME,
STILL IN STABLE FLOW ZONE
LOS D: APPROACHES UNSTABLE FLOW, SPEEDS ARE MORE
CONTROLLED BY OPERATING
CONDITIONS (COMPARED TO LOS C)
LEVEL OF SERVICE, LOS “D”
LOS E: SPEEDS LOWER THAN THOSE FOR LOS D AND
VOLUMES CLOSE TO CAPACITY OF THE HIGHWAY
LEVEL OF SERVICE, LOS “E”
LOS F: DESCRIBES FORCED FLOW OPERATION AT LOW SPEEDS,
WHERE VOLUMES ARE BELOW CAPACITY