HIGHWAY
CAPACITY
TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING CE381
(FALL SEMESTER, 2024)
DR. AHMED ALZAHRANI
Highway Capacity &
Level of Service
ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL NEEDS IN TRAFFIC ENGINEERING
IS A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MUCH TRAFFIC A
GIVEN FACILITY CAN ACCOMMODATE, AND UNDER WHAT
PREVAILING CONDITIONS.
THESE ARE THE ISSUES ADDRESSED IN HIGHWAY
CAPACITY ANALYSIS 1
IN THE UNITED STATES, THE STANDARD REFERENCE FOR CAPACITY
ANALYSIS PROCEDURES IS THE HIGHWAY CAPACITY MANUAL (HCM)
PUBLISHED BY THE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD (TRB).
THEY HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FROM A WIDE RANGE OF RESEARCH
STUDIES CONDUCTED DURING THE PAST 55 YEARS.
THEY REFLECT NORTH AMERICAN OPERATING
EXPERIENCE AND MAY NOT BE REPRESENTATIVE OF
TRAFFIC, TRANSIT,AND PEDESTRIAN OPERATIONS IN
OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD. 2
Produced by theTransportationResearc
Board (TRB).
Overseen by the Highway Capacity and Quality
of Service Committee (HCQSC) –A3A10.
Current edition is HCM 2000
3
Highway
Capacity & Level
of Service
Several major types of transportation facilities and road
user categories are described in the HCM:
Uniterrupted Interrupted Other Road
Flow facilities : Flow Facilities: User:
MANAGER
Freeways Transit
Signalized Intersections
Multilane Highways
Unsignalized Intersections Pedestrians
4
Two-lane Highways Urban Streets
Bicyclists
Highway Capacity &
Level of Service
The HCM defines the capacity of a
facility as "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, traffic, and
control conditions."
5
HIGHWAY CAPACITY &
LEVEL OF SERVICE
Roadway Conditions
Vertical curvature Street parking
Horizontal
(grades) allowed
curvature
Lane widths Queuing storage
Shoulder widths Design speed
and lateral
for turn lanes
6
clearances
HIGHWAY CAPACITY &
LEVEL OF SERVICE
Traffic Conditions
Vehicle Driver Number of
Directional Lane
type (i.e., familiarity pedestrian
distribution distribution
pc, truck, with route crossings
RV, bus) 7
Highway Capacity & Level of Service
Control Conditions
Signals Unsignalized
Cycle length
2-way vs. 4-way Lane use controls
stop Roundabout (e.g., right-turn Speed limit
Allocation of green
Roundabout only)
time
phasing
8
HighwayCapacity &Level
of Service
Level of Service is Factors affecting
a qualitative
LOS are:
measure
Speed and Travel
describing
Time.
operational
conditions within a Freedom to maneuver
traffic stream and Traffic interruptions
their perception by
motorists and Comfort and Convenience
9
passengers.
Highway Capacity &
Level of Service
Six levels of service are defined for each
type of facility for which analysis
procedures are available in the HCM.
They are given letter designations, from A
to F, with LOS A representing the best
operating conditions and LOS F the worst.
Each level of service represents a range of 10
operating conditions.
Highway Capacity & Level
of Service
For each type of facility, They are called measures of
levels of service are effectiveness (MOE) and
represent available measures
defined on the basis of
that best describe the quality
one or more operational of operation on the subject
parameters that best facility type.
describe the operating
For example, density for
quality for the facility
freeway segments and control
type. delay for intersections. 11
"A level of service is a letter
designation that describes a range of
operating conditions on a particular
Urban Arterials
type of facility."
Speed
/Travel Time
LOS F (worst
LOS A
(best) or system
LOS is defined
breakdown)
by a single
Intersections
measure of
Freeway and rural arterials effectiveness
(MOE).
Density Delay
12
The service flow rate for a designated
LOS is the maximum hourly rate at
which persons or vehicles can
reasonably be expected to traverse a
point or uniform section of a lane or
roadway during a given period
underprevailing roadway, traffic, and
control conditions.
The service flow rates are generally
based on a 15-min period. Typically, the
hourly flow rate is defined as four
times the peak 15-min volume
13
HighwayCapacity &Level
of Service
The maximum rate of flow that can be
accommodated by a facility at each
LOS (except LOS F) is described as the
service flow rate.
14
The capacity analysis procedures attempt to establish or
predict the maximum rate of flow that can be accommodated
by various facilities at each level of service, except LOS F, for
which flows are unstable. Thus each facility has five service
flow rates, one for each level of service (A through E).
The service flow rate for LOS E is the value that
corresponds to the capacity of the facility.
Note that service flow rates are discrete values, whereas
levels of service represent a range of conditions.
Because the service flow rates are defined as maximums
for each level of service, they effectively define flow 15
boundaries between the various levels of servic.
CAPACITY
Capacity defined as:
Level of Service
Defined level of operational
quality •
"The maximum hourly rate a qualitative measure
at which persons or describing traffic operational
vehicles can be reasonably conditions and their
expected to traverse a perception by drivers
point or uniform segment
of a lane or roadway during
a given time period under
prevailing traffic, roadway,
and control conditions."
16
LOS A
free flow, select speed,
excellent comfort / convenience
LOS B
stable flow, slight decline
in freedom and comfort
17
LOS C
stable flow, speed selection
controlled by others, general /
average comfort.
LOS D
high density, stable flow,
restricted maneuverability,
poor comfort level
18
LOS E
"Capacity", low-uniform speeds,
difficult to maneuver, extremely
poor comfort
LOS F
"Forced flow", breakdown flow,
queues form, stop and gotraffic
waves, extremely unstable.
19
Level of ServiceConsiderations
Type of Area and Appropriate Level of Service
Highway
Rural Rural Rural Urban and
Type
Rolling Suburban
Level Mountainous
Freeway B B B C
Arterial B B C C
Collector C C D D
Local D D D D
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BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES
Definitions
A freeway is a divided highway facility having two or more
lanes in each direction for the exclusive use of traffic with full
control of access and egress.
Freeway is the only facility that provides
completely uninterrupted flow
Composed of three subcomponents:
Basic freeway segment
Turnover areas 21
Ramp intersections
BASIC Highway Capacity
Studies: Definition
22
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY
STUDIES Definitions
23
BASIC FREEWAY
CAPACITY STUDIES
Definitions
Freeway capacity is the maximum (15
minutes) rate of flow, expressed in vehicles
per hour, at which traffic can pass a point or
uniform segment of freeway under existing
roadway and traffic conditions.
24
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES Freeway
Flow Characteristics
Traffic flow within a basic freeway segment can be generally
described in three flow types:
Undersaturated flow- low to moderate flows, not
affected by upstream and downstream conditions.
Queue discharge flow- represents traffic flow after
passage through a bottleneck.
Oversaturated flow- represents traffic flow that is 25
influenced by the effects of a downstream bottleneck.
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES
Freeway Flow Characteristics
A set of base (ideal) conditions for basic freeway
segments are:
12-ft minimum lane widths
• 6-ft minimum right shoulder lateral clearance2-ft minimum
median lateral clearance
• All passenger cars in the traffic stream
• 10 or more lanes
• Interchanges spacing of 2 miles or greater
• Level terrain, with grades no greater than 2%
• Driver population composed primarily of regular users 26
of the facility
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES
Free-Flow Speed
It can be measured as
the mean speed of
passenger cars during
Free-flow speed is the low to moderate flows
(up to 1300 pc/h/In)
average speed of
vehicles on a facility
when drivers tend to
drive at their desired
speeds.
27
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES
Free-Flow Speed
28
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY (Cont.)
Free-Flow Speed
29
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES Level of
Service (LOS)
Speed is not a better measure of effectiveness
since it remains nearly constant over a wide
range of flow.
Density increases throughout the range of flows up
to capacity and provides a better measure of
effectiveness.
30
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY
STUDIES: Level of Service (LOS)
31
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY
STUDIES: Level of Service (LOS)
33
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES
Use of Highway Capacity Manual
The determination of level of service (LOS) for a basic freeway
section generally involves the determination of three
components:
• Flow rate
• Free-flow speed, and
• Level of service
• Once the flow-rate and free-flow speed are
determined, then the LOS can be obtained using
Table 7-1 or Figure 7-3. 34
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES USE
OF HIGHWAY CAPACITY MANUAL
The flow-rate can be calculated using the following
equation:
Where,
Vp = 15-min passenger-car flow rate
(pc/h/In)
V = hourly volume (veh/h)
PHF = peak-hour factor
N = number of lane (in one direction)
fHV = heavy-vehicle adjustment factor,
and 35
fo = driver population factor
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES Use of
Highway Capacity Manual
The heavy-vehicle adjustment factor can be
calculated using the following equation:
Where,
PT, PR = proportion of bus/truck, and
proportion of RVs, respectively in the traffic
stream
ET, ER =passenger car equivalent for truck/bus, 36
and RVs, respectively
BASIC FREEWAY
CAPACITY
STUDIES Use of
Highway
Capacity Manual
Extended Freeway Segments" mean that no one grade of 3% or
greater is longer than 0.25 mile or no one grade of less than 3%
is longer than 0.50 mile.
If these conditions do not exist then the following tables (7-3,
7-4, and 7-5) should be used for passenger car equivalents. The
37
analysis of "Specific Grades" is beyond the scope of this course,
anyway.
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES
Use of Highway Capacity Manual
38
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY
STUDIES Use of Highway
Capacity Manual
■ Now, if we like to use Table 7-1 or Figure 7-3,
we must know the free-flow speed of the
facility we are going to analyze.
■ The free-flow speed of a basic freeway
section depends on the followings:
Lane width
• Lateral clearance (i.e., shoulder width)
Number of lanes, and 39
Interchange density
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES
Use of Highway Capacity Manual
The free-flow speed can be determined using
the following equation:
40
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES
Use of Highway Capacity Manual
41
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES Use
of Highway Capacity Manual
Procedures for the application of the Highway Capacity Manual
to freeway problems fall under three categories:
Operational Design Planning
42
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES
Use of Highway Capacity Manual
Operational analysis involves
determination of LOS, speed and
density of the traffic stream for known
or projected geometric and traffic
conditions. This analysis is useful in
evaluating impacts of alternative
designs 43
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES USE
OF HIGHWAY CAPACITY MANUAL
Planning applications
are same as operation
and design, but uses
Design involves predicted values of
traffic and geometric
determination of
conditions for a new
number of lanes
facility.
required to
accommodate a certain
amount of traffic
volume at a particular
LOS.
44
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES
Use of Highway Capacity Manual
For planning applications, a forecast of AADT in the anticipated
design year is needed.
The AADT can be converted to directional hourly volume using
the relationship:
45
Example 1
At a rural segment of a
freeway, free-flow speed is
observed as 66 mph through
field measurement.
Determine the level of
service of this section when
the flow rate is 2350 pc/h/In.
47
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES Use of
Highway Capacity Manual
Draw a free-flow speed curve for
66 mph on Figure 7-3.
Then use the given flow-rate of
2350 pc/h/In to find the LOS.
From the Figure, LOS = E
You can also use Table 7-1 to
solve this problem.
48
Example 2
Given:
4-lane urban freeway Interchange density 1.5/mile Directional
peak flow 1950 veh/hr 5% trucks; PHF= 0.90; 11-ft lanes
Obstructions 4 ft from right edge; rolling terrain
Determine (a) LOS, and (b) how much additional traffic could be
accommodated before reaching capacity.
47
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES
Use of Highway Capacity Manual
Calculate service flow rate
50
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES
Use of Highway Capacity Manual
Find the free-flow speed:
51
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES
Use of Highway Capacity Manual
For v = 1165 pc/h/In and FFS = 57.4 mph (from
Figure 7-3), LOS = C.
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You can also use Table 7-1.
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY
STUDIESUse of Highway
Capacity Manual
b) Additional traffic to reach capacity:
Capacity corresponds to LOS E
Maximum service flow rate at LOS E = 2270 pc/h/ln
(from Fig. 7-3 or Table 7-1)
Therefore, additional traffic
= 2270 – 1165
= 1105 pc/h/ln
(Remember this value is the peak 15-minute flow 53
rate.)
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES USE
OF HIGHWAY CAPACITY MANUAL
Convert the peak rate of
flow to hourly volume
Therefore, additional
traffic volume of 1850
veh/hr can be
accommodated before
reaching capacit 54
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES USE
OF HIGHWAY CAPACITY MANUAL
EXAMPLE 3
Given:
Level terrain- extended freeway segment
Urban area with 1.5 interchanges/mile
DDHV = 4050 veh/hr
10% trucks, no buses, no RVs
PHF = 0.95
Full shoulder and 12-ft lanes expected to be
provided
Determine: Number of lanes required to 55
operate at LOS C.
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES
Use of Highway Capacity Manual
Assume commuter traffic (fp = 1) and calculate service flow
rate, vpfor N = 2(4-lane freeway), 3 (6-lane freeway), 4 (8-
lane freeway) :
For N =2 :
56
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES USE
OF HIGHWAY CAPACITY MANUAL
Using the following
formula
it can be shown that,
FFS
Similarly, for = 60.5 mph for N=2
N=3, vp = 1493 pc/h/ln = 62.0 mph for N=3
N=4, vp = 1120 pc/h/ln = 63.5 mph for N=
57
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES Use of
Highway Capacity Manual
Using Figure 7-3 or Table 7-1,
determine LOS for each condition.
As you can see,
LOS=E for N=2
LOS=C for N=3
LOS=B for N=4
Therefore, provide a 6-lane freeway
(3 lanes in each direction )
58
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES USE
OF HIGHWAY CAPACITY MANUAL
EXAMPLE 4
Given:
Radial freeway being planned in urban area
Freeway access expected to be provided at 1-
mile spacing
Expected AADT = 70,000 veh/hr
15% trucks
PHF = 0.90, K = 0.09, D = 0.55
Rolling terrain
Determine: Number of lanes required to 59
operate at LOS C.
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIES Use of
Highway Capacity Manual
Solution
Now, like Example 3, calculate service flow rate, vp
and FFS for N=2, 3, and 4.
Then use Figure 7-3 or Table 7-1 to find the LOS for each “N”.
Choose the “N” which corresponds to LOS C
60
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIESUse of
Highway Capacity Manual
61
BASIC FREEWAY CAPACITY STUDIESUse of
Highway Capacity Manual
62
