Addis Ababa University

Addis Ababa institute of technology

CENG 3301 Transport Engineering

CHAPTER 4
Highway Capacity
and
Level of Service Concepts
Instructor: Asres Simeneh
asres.simeneh@yahoo.com
1

Topics covered
1. Introduction
2. Factors affecting level of service
3. Determining the capacity and LOS of a highway
Analysis Methodologies for Basic Freeway
Sections and Multilane Highways
Analysis method of Two-Lane Rural Highways
Capacity

2
 Introduction
• 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 operating conditions.
• These important issues are addressed in highway capacity
and level-of-service analysis.
• The basis for all capacity and level-of-service analysis is a set
of analytic procedures that relate demand or existing flow
levels, geometric characteristics, and controls to measures of
the resulting quality of operations.

Highway Capacity
• Capacity refers the maximum hourly flow rate under the
prevailing roadway, traffic and control conditions with a
reasonable expectation of occurrence.
• Capacity is independent of the demand. It speaks about the
physical amount of vehicles and passengers that a road can
afford.
• Generally the highway capacity depends on certain conditions
such as the road way characteristics, traffic compositions,
control conditions and etc….

4
 Cont..
1. Road way characteristics
Type of facility ( Fun. Class)
Number of lanes
Lane width
Shoulder width
Horizontal and vertical alignments
Lateral clearance
Design speed
Availability of queuing space at intersections.

Cont..
2. Traffic conditions
 Composition of vehicles
 The directional distribution
 Lane distribution
 Peaking characteristics
 Proportions of turning movements at intersections.

6
 Cont..
3. Control conditions
 Types of traffic control devices in operation
 Signal phasing
 Allocation of green time
 Cycle length
 The relationship with adjacent control measures.

Level of Service
• It is a quality measure describing operational conditions
within a traffic stream in terms of such speed and travel time,
freedom to maneuver, traffic interruptions, and comfort and
convenience.
• A term level-of-service closely related to capacity and it
confused with service volume. When capacity gives a
quantitative measure of traffic, level of service or LOS tries
to give a qualitative measure.
• Service volume is the maximum number of vehicles,
passengers, or the like, which can be accommodated by a
given facility or system under given conditions at a given
level of service. 8
 Cont..
• Level of service (LOS) qualitatively measures both the
operating conditions within a traffic system and how these
conditions are perceived by drivers and passengers.
• It is related with the physical characteristics of the highway
and the different operating characteristics that can occur
when the highway carries different traffic volumes.
• Speed-flow-density relationships are the principal factor
affecting the level of service of a highway segment under
ideal conditions.

Cont..
• For a given road or facility, capacity could be constant. But
actual flow will be different for different days and different
times in a day itself.
• The intention of LOS is to relate the traffic service quality to
a given flow rate of traffic. Highway capacity manual (HCM)
divides the quality of traffic into six levels ranging from level
A to level F.
• Level A represents the best quality of traffic where the driver
has the freedom to drive with free flow speed and level F
represents the worst quality of traffic.
10
 Levels of Service
LOS A
• Free-flow operation
• High comfort and convenience
and vehicles have almost
complete freedom to maneuver
LOS B
• Reasonably free flow
• Ability to maneuver is only
slightly restricted
• Effects of minor incidents still
easily absorbed

Cont..
LOS C
• Speeds at or near FFS
• Freedom to maneuver is noticeably
restricted
• Queues may form behind any
significant blockage.
LOS D
• Speeds decline slightly with increasing
flows
• Density increases more quickly
• Freedom to maneuver is more
noticeably limited
• Minor incidents create queuing
 Cont..
LOS E
• Operation near or at capacity
• No usable gaps in the traffic
stream
• Operations extremely volatile
• Any disruption causes queuing
LOS F
• Breakdown in flow
• Queues form behind
breakdown points
• Demand > capacity

Factors affecting level of service

• Some of the factors affecting level of service (LOS) are:
 Speed and travel time
 Traffic interruptions/restrictions
 Freedom to travel with desired speed
 Driver comfort and convenience
 Operating cost
• In addition to these factors such as lane width, lateral
obstruction, traffic composition, space speed, grade and
driver population also affect the maximum flow on a given
highway segment.
14
 Cont..
• Because these factors affect traffic operations on the
highway, it is essential that they be considered in any LOS
analysis.
• HCM used travel speed and volume by capacity ratio (v/c
ratio) to distinguish between various levels of service. The
value of v/c ratio can vary between 0 and 1.
• Depending upon the travel speed and v/c ratio, HCM has
defined six levels of service.

15

Linkage between level of service (LOS), speed and

flow/capacity. 16
 Determining capacity & LOS of a highway
In order to determine a road’s level of service, it is necessary to
understand the relationship between hourly volume, peak hour
factor and service flow.
• Hourly volume (V) : The highest hourly volume within a 24-
hour period
• Peak-hour factor (PHF) : The ratio of the hourly volume to the
peak 15 minute flow (V15) enlarged to an hourly value
PHF = V /(V15 × 4)
• Service flow (SF): The peak 15 minute flow (V15) enlarged to an
hourly value
SF = V15 × 4
17

Freeway Capacity
and
level of service
 Characteristics of freeways
• Full access control and two or more lanes in each
direction
• No interaction with adjacent facilities (streets, other
freeways) or Grade separated intersections
• To ensure the uninterrupted flow of vehicles direct
access to adjacent land use are not permitted.
• Opposing traffic is separated by a raised barrier, an at-
grade median, or a raised traffic island.

19

20
 Cont..
• A freeway is composed of three elements: basic
freeway sections, weaving areas, and ramp junctions.
• Basic freeway sections are segments of the freeway
that are outside of the influence area of ramps or
weaving areas.
• Merging or diverging occurs where on- or off-ramps
join the basic freeway section. Weaving occurs when
vehicles cross each other’s path while traveling on
freeway lanes.
21

Basic Freeway Segment

From Highway Capacity Manual, 2000

 Freeway Capacity
• The maximum sustained 15-min flow rate,
expressed in passenger cars per hour per
lane, that can be accommodated by a
uniform freeway segment under prevailing
traffic and roadway conditions in one
direction of flow.

Flow Characteristics
Under saturated
• Traffic flow that is unaffected by upstream or
downstream conditions.
Queue discharge
• Traffic flow that has just passed through a bottleneck and
is accelerating back to the FFS of the freeway.
Oversaturated
• Traffic flow that is influenced by the effects of a
downstream bottleneck.

From Highway Capacity Manual, 2000

 Speed vs. Flow

Sf
Free Flow Speed

Speed (mph) Uncongested Flow

Sm

Optimal flow,
Congested Flow Flow (veh/hr) capacity, vm

Cont..
• The exact point at which a basic freeway section
begins or ends that is, where the influence of weaving
areas and ramp junctions has dissipated depends on
local conditions, particularly the level of service
operating at the time.
• If traffic flow is light, the influence may be negligible,
whereas under congested conditions, queues may be
extensive.
• The speed-flow-density relationship existing on a basic
freeway section illustrated on the next Figure.
26
 Uncongested Flow

From Highway Capacity Manual, 2000

Free-Flow Speed
Free-Flow Speed (FFS)
• The mean speed of passenger cars that can be
accommodated under low to moderate flow rates on a
uniform freeway segment under prevailing roadway and
traffic conditions.
Factors affecting free-flow speed
• Lane width
• Lateral clearance
• Number of lanes
• Interchange density
• Geometric design
 Definitions
Passenger car equivalents
• Trucks and RVs behave differently
• Baseline is a freeway with all passenger cars
• Traffic is expressed in passenger cars per lane per hour
(pc/ln/hr or pcplph)
Driver population
• Non-commuters suck more at driving
• They may affect capacity
Capacity
• Corresponds to LOS E and v/c = 1.0

Freeway LOS

LOS Calculation
Does not consider
• Special lanes reserved for a particular type of vehicle
(truck, climbing, etc.)
• Extended bridge and tunnel segments
• Segments near a toll plaza
• Facilities with FFS < 55 mi/h or > 75 mi/h
• Demand conditions in excess of capacity
• Influence of downstream blockages or queuing
• Posted speed limit
• Extent of police enforcement
• Intelligent transportation system features
• Capacity-enhancing effects of ramp metering
 Freeway LOS
Input
Geometric Data
Measured FFS or BFFS
Volume
BFFS Input

BFFS Adjustment Volume Adjustment

Lane width PHF
Number of lanes Number of lanes
Interchange density Measured Driver population
Lateral clearance FFS Input Heavy vehicles

Compute FFS Compute flow rate

Define speed-flow curve

Compute density using flow rate and speed

Determine speed using speed-flow curve

Determine LOS

Freeway LOS
LOS Criteria for Basic Freeway Segments

From Highway Capacity Manual, 2000

 Freeway LOS

Determining FFS
Measure FFS in the field
• Low to moderate traffic conditions

Use a baseline and adjust it (BFFS)

FFS = free-flow speed (mph)
BFFS = base free-flow speed, 70 mph (urban), 75 mph (rural)
fLW = adjustment for lane width (mph)
fLC = adjustment for right-shoulder lateral clearance (mph)
fN = adjustment for number of lanes (mph)
fID = adjustment for interchange density (mph)

Freeway LOS

Lane Width Adjustment (fLW)

Base condition (fLW = 0)
• Average width of 12 ft. or wider across
all lanes

From Highway Capacity Manual, 2000

 Freeway LOS

Lateral Clearance Adjustment (fLC)

• Measured from the edge of the paved shoulder
to the nearest edge of the traveled lane
• No adjustments for left side
Base condition (fLC = 0)
• 6 ft. or greater on right side
• 2 ft. or greater on the median or left side

From Highway Capacity Manual, 2000

36
 Freeway LOS

Number of Lanes Adjustment (fN)

Base condition (fN = 0)

• 5 or more lanes in one direction
• fN = 0 for all rural freeway segments

From Highway Capacity Manual, 2000

Freeway LOS

Interchange Density Adjustment (fIC)

Base condition (fIC = 0)
• 0.5 interchanges per mile (2-mile spacing)
• Interchange defined as having at least one on-ramp
• Determined over 6-mile segment

From Highway Capacity Manual, 2000

 Freeway LOS

Determining Flow Rate

Adjust hourly volumes to get pc/ln/hr

vp = 15-minute passenger-car equivalent flow rate (pcphpl)

V = hourly volume (veh/hr) (You measure or are given V)
PHF = peak hour factor
N = number of lanes in one direction
fHV = heavy-vehicle adjustment factor
fP = driver population adjustment factor

Freeway LOS

Heavy Vehicle Adjustment (fHV)

Base condition (fHV = 1.0)
• No heavy vehicles
• Heavy vehicle = trucks, buses, RVs
Two-step process
• Determine passenger-car equivalents (ET)
• Determine fHV
 Freeway LOS

Passenger-Car Equivalents (ET)

Extended segments method
• Determine the type of terrain and select ET
• No one grade of 3% or more is longer than 0.25
miles or No one grade of less than 3% is longer than
0.5 miles

From Highway Capacity Manual, 2000

Passenger-Car Equivalents (ET)

• Level : any combo of alignments permitting heavy vehicles
to maintain approximately the same speed as passenger cars.
Generally includes short grades of no more than 2%
• Rolling : causes heavy vehicles to reduce speed
substantially below passenger cars but does not cause them
to operate at their limiting speed for the given terrain for any
significant length of time or at frequent intervals
• Mountainous: causes heavy vehicles to operate at their
limiting speed for significant distances or at frequent
intervals
42
 Freeway LOS

Passenger-Car Equivalents (ET)

Specific grades method
• Any grade of 3% or more that is longer than 0.25 miles
OR
• Any grade of less than 3% that is longer than 0.5 miles

From Highway Capacity Manual, 2000

Freeway LOS

From Highway Capacity Manual, 2000

 Freeway LOS

Passenger-Car Equivalents (ET)

Freeway LOS

Passenger-Car Equivalents (ET)

Composite grades method
• Determines the effect of a series of steep grades
in succession
• Method OK if…
• All subsection grades are less than 4%
OR
• Total length of composite grade is less than
4000 ft.
• Otherwise, use a detailed technique in the
Highway Capacity Manual (HCM)
 Freeway LOS

Determine fHV

fHV = Heavy vehicle adjustment factor

ET, ER = Passenger-car equivalents for
trucks/buses and RVs
PT, PR = Proportion of trucks/buses and RVs in
traffic stream

Freeway LOS

Driver Population Adjustment (fP)

Base condition (fP = 1.0)
• Most drivers are Commuter or familiar with the route
• For new drivers typical values between 0.85 and 1.00
Two-step process
• Determine passenger-car equivalents (ET)
• Determine fHV
 Freeway LOS

Define Speed-Flow Curve

Select a Speed-Flow curve based on FFS
• Interpolation is OK
• 75 mph is dashed because is was extrapolated from the 70
mph curve

Freeway LOS

Determine Average PC Speed (S)

Use vp and FFS curve to find average passenger car speed (S)

From Highway Capacity Manual, 2000

 Freeway LOS

Determine Average PC Speed (S)

For 70 < FFS ≤ 75 mph AND (3400 – 30FFS) < vp ≤ 2400

For 55 < FFS ≤ 70 mph AND (3400 – 30FFS) < vp ≤ (1700 +

10FFS)

For 55 < FFS ≤ 75 mph AND vp < (3400 – 30FFS)

Freeway LOS

Determine Density
Calculate density using:

D =density (pc/mi/ln)
vp =flow rate (pc/hr/ln)
S =average passenger-car speed (mph)
 Freeway LOS

Determine
LOS

LOS Criteria for Basic Freeway Segments

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
3% buses http://srview.wsdot.wa.gov/
 Freeway LOS

Determine FFS

Freeway LOS

Determine FFS
 Freeway LOS
Determine FFS
from Microsoft MapPoint

In a 6-mile stretch
from I-405 to
Redmond there are 5
interchanges

Freeway LOS

Determine FFS
 Freeway LOS

Determine Flow Rate (vp)

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

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

Freeway LOS

Determine Flow Rate (vp)

 Determine LOS

LOS Criteria for Basic Freeway Segments

Freeway LOS

From Highway Capacity Manual, 2000

Freeway LOS
 Multilane Highway LOS

63

Multilane
Multilane surface facilities should be classified and analyzed as:
 Urban streets (arterials) if signal spacing is less than one
mile.
 Uninterrupted flow if the signal spacing is more than two
miles.
 Where signal spacing is between one and two miles, There are,
no specific criteria to guide traffic engineers in making this
determination, which could easily vary over time.
 Cont..
Surface multilane facilities generally consist of four or six-lane
alignments. Based on median treatment provided:
 Undivided (i.e., having no median but with a double-solid-
yellow marking separating the two directions of flow)
 Divided, with a physical median separating the two
directions of flow.
 In suburban areas, a third median treatment is also used:
the two-way left-tum lane. This treatment requires an
alignment with an odd number of lanes-most commonly
five or seven. The center lane is used as a continuous left-
turn lane for both directions of flow.

Divided multi lane highway

TWLTLs

Undivided multi lane highway 66

 Multilane Highway Characteristics
Speed-Flow Characteristics
• Analysis procedures for multilane highways are based on
calibrated speed-flow curves for sections with various free-flow
speeds operating under base conditions.
• Base conditions for freeways and multilane highways include:
No heavy vehicles in the traffic stream
A driver population dominated by regular or familiar
users of the facility

Cont..
• The fig show the standard curves calibrated for use in the capacity
analysis of multilane highways. These exhibits also show the density
lines that define levels of service for uninterrupted flow facilities.

Speed-Flow Curves
for Multilane
Highway Sections
Table 1: Service Flow Rates and Capacity
 Analysis Methodologies for
Multilane Highways
• In most cases, base conditions of multi lane do not exist, and a
methodology is required to address the impact of prevailing
conditions on these characteristics and criteria.
Lane widths
Lateral clearances
Type of median
Access points
Presence of heavy vehicles in the traffic stream
Driver populations dominated by occasional or unfamiliar
users of a facility

Determining the Free-Flow Speed

• The free-flow speed for a multilane highway may be
estimated as:
FFS = BFFS-fLW-fLC-fM-fA
Where:
FFS = free-flow speed of the multilane highway, mi/h;
BFFS =base free-flow speed;
fLW = adjustment for lane width, mi/h;
fLC = adjustment for lateral clearance, mi/h;
fM = adjustment for type of median, mi/h;
fA = adjustment for access points, mi/h
 Cont..
• A base free-flow speed (BFFS) of 60 mi/h may be used for
rural and suburban multilane highways, if no field data is
available.
• It may also be estimated using the posted speed limit. The
base free-flow speed is approximately 7 mi/h higher than the
posted speed limit, for speed limits of 40 and 45 mi/h. and
for speed limits of 50 and 55 mi/h, the base free-flow speed
is approximately 5 mi/h higher than the limit.

Lane Width Adjustment

Table 2:
Adjustment to Free-Flow
Speed for Lane Width on
a Multilane Highway

Lateral Clearance Adjustment

• This adjustment is based on the total lateral clearance, which is
the sum of the lateral clearances on the right side of the
roadway and on the left (median) side of the roadway.
• For an undivided multilane highway, there is no left- or
median-side lateral clearance. So that assume the left or
median lateral clearance on an undivided highway is to be 6 ft.
 Cont..
• For multilane highways with two-way left-turn lanes, the left or
median lateral clearance is also taken as 6 ft.
Table 3: Adjustment to Free-Flow Speed for Total Lateral Clearance on a
Multilane Highway

Median-Type Adjustment

• The median treatment of a

surface multilane highway
can have a significant impact
on operations
Access-Point Density Adjustment
• It is the average number of un-signalized driveways or roadways
per mile that provide access to the multilane highway on the
right side of the roadway.
 Example
Given:
• 4 lane suburban multilane
• Posted speed limit =50mi/hr
• 11 ft lane
• Right obstruction 4 ft
• 30 access point/mi
• FFS = ?
77

Types of Analysis

• There are three types of analysis that can be conducted for

multilane highways:
1. Operational analysis
2. Service flow rate and service volume analysis
3. Design analysis
 Operational Analysis
• In this form of analysis, all traffic, roadway, and control
conditions are defined for an existing or projected highway
section, and the expected level of service and operating
parameters are determined.
• The basic approach is to convert the existing or forecast demand
volumes to an equivalent flow rate under ideal conditions

Where:
VP = demand flow rate under equivalent ideal conditions, pc/h/ln
PHF = peak-hour factor
N = number of lanes (in one direction) on the facility
fHv = adjustment factor for presence of heavy vehicles
fP = adjustment factor for presence of occasional or non-familiar users of a facility

Heavy-Vehicle Factor
Table 4:
Passenger-Car
Equivalents for
Trucks and Buses
on Upgrades
 Table 5: Passenger-Car Equivalents for RV s on
Upgrades

Table 6: Passenger-Car Equivalents for Trucks and Buses on

Downgrades
 Cont..
• By using the appropriate free-flow speed, the curves may be
entered on the x-axis with the demand flow rate, vP to
determine the level of service and the expected average speed.
Example
• Regular users
Given:
• Grade = 3% & 1 mi length
• Four lane multi lane highway
• PHF = 0.88
• Full median
• FFS = 55mi/hr
• PHV = 2600veh/h (heavy direction)
• LOS = ?
• 12% trucks and 2% RVs

84
 Service Flow Rate and Service Volume
Analysis
The service flow rate for a given level of service is computed as:

Where:
SFi = Service flow rate for level of service "i," veh/h
MSFi = Maximum service flow rate for level of service "i," pc/h/ln
• The maximum service flow rates for each level of service, MSFi,
are taken from Table above. The tables are entered with the
appropriate free-flow speed. Interpolation may be used to find
intermediate values.

Cont..
• Service flow rates are stated in terms of peak flows within the
peak hour, usually for a 15-minute analysis period. It is often
convenient to convert service flow rates to service volumes
over the full peak hour. This is done using the peak-hour
factor:

Where:
Svi = service volume over a full peak hour for level of service "i"
SFi, PHF as previously defined
 Example
A six-lane urban freeway has the following characteristics: 12-ft
lanes, 6-ft clearances on the right side of the roadway, rolling
terrain, an interchange density of 1.0 interchange per mile, and a
PHF of 0.92. The traffic consists of 8% trucks and no RV s,
and all drivers are regular users of the facility. The peak hour
volume on the facility is currently 3,600 veh/h, which is
expected to grow at a rate of 6% a year for the next 20 years.
• What is the current level of service on the facility, and what
levels of service can be expected in 5 years? In 10 years? In
15 years? In 20 years?

87

Example (cont..)

88
 Design Analysis
• In design analysis, an existing or forecast demand volume is
used to determine the number of lanes needed to provide for
a specified level of service. The number of lanes may be
computed as:

Where:
Ni = number of lanes (in one direction) required to provide level of service "i"
DDHV = directional design hour volume, veh/h
MSFi, fHV, fp as previously defined

Cont..
• Design analysis for freeways, however, becomes an iterative
process. Values of MSFi depend upon the free-flow speed of the
facility. For freeways, as will be seen, the free-flow speed is
dependent upon the number of lanes provided. Thus, a number
must be assumed, then computed, continuing to iterate until the
assumed and computed values agree.
• When such iteration is required, it is often more convenient to
compute the service flow rate and service volume for the desired
level of service for a range of reasonable values of N (usually 2,
3, 4, and possibly 5 lanes). Then the demand volume or flow
rate can be compared to the results for a simpler determination
of the required number of lanes.
 Example
A new freeway is being designed through a rural area. The
directional design hour volume (DDHV) has been forecast to
be 2,700 veh/h during the peak hour, with a PHF of 0.85 and
15% trucks in the traffic stream. A long section of the facility
will have level terrain characteristics, but one 2-mile section
involves a sustained grade of 4%. If the objective is to provide
level of service C, with a minimum acceptable level of D, how
many lanes must be provided ?

91

Analysis method of
Two-Lane Rural
Highways Capacity

92
 Capacity
• The capacity of a two-lane highway under base conditions is
established as 3200 pc/h in both directions, with a maximum of
1700 pc/h in one direction. The base conditions for which this
capacity is defined include:
 12-foot (or greater) lanes
 6-foot (or greater) usable shoulders
 Level terrain
 No heavy vehicles
 100% passing sight distance available (no "No Passing" zones)
 50/50 directional split of traffic
 No traffic interruptions

94
 Level of Service
• Level of service for two-lane rural highways is defined in terms
of two measures of effectiveness:
Average travel speed (ATS)
Percent time spent following (PTSF)
• Average travel speed is the average speed of all vehicles
traversing the defined analysis segment for the specified time
period, which is usually the peak 15-minutes of a peak hour.
When analysis of both directions is used, the average travel speed
includes vehicles in both directions. When analysis of single
direction is used, the average travel speed includes those vehicles
in the analysis direction only.

Cont..
• Percent time spent following is similar to "percent time delay,”.
It is the aggregate percentage of time that all drivers spend in
queues, unable to pass, with the speed restricted by the queue
leader. A surrogate measure for PTSF is the percentage of
vehicles following others at headways of 3.0 s or less.
• Level of service criteria for two-lane rural highways vary for Class
I and Class II highways. Class II highways, where mobility is not
a principal function, use only the PTSF criteria for determination
of level of service.
Table7: Level-of-Service Criteria for Two-Lane Rural Highways

Cont..
• The relationships between ATS, PTSF, and two-way flow rate on
a two-lane highway with base conditions shown in fig below.

(a) Average Travel Speed versus Two-Way (b) Percent Time Spent Following
Flow versus Two-Way Flow
 Cont..
• For multilane highways and freeways, operational
deterioration does not occur until v/c ratios are quite high.
Drivers on such facilities maintain high speeds in the vicinity
of free-flow speed for v/c ratios in excess of 0.75.
• On a two-lane highway, however, operational deterioration,
particularly with respect to PTSF, occurs at relatively low v/c
ratios.
• As illustrated in Fig (b), at a demand flow of 1,500 pc/h (a
v/c ratio of 1500/3200 = 0.47), PTSF is already at 64%. This
is for a highway with base, or nearly ideal, conditions.

Types of Analysis
Three distinct methodologies are provided:
i. Two-directional analysis of general extended sections ( ≥
2.0 mi) in level or rolling terrain
ii. Single-directional analysis of general extended sections ( ≥
2.0 mi) in level or rolling terrain
iii. Single-direction analysis of specific grades
• For specific grades, only single-direction analysis of the
upgrade and downgrade is permitted, as these tend to differ
significantly.
 Free-Flow Speed
• For two lane highway the free-flow speed can be find either
in the field or by estimation.
1. Field Measurement of Free-Flow Speed
• Free-flow speeds may be find directly if the flow is less than
200veh/hr in both direction . if the flow is greater than
200veh/hr it is find by using the following formula.
where:
FFS = free-flow speed for the facility, mi/h
Sm = mean speed of the measured sample
(where total flow> 200 pc/h), mi/h
vf = observed flow rate for the period of the
speed sample, veh/h
fHv = heavy vehicle adjustment factor

Cont..
2. Estimating Free-Flow Speeds

fLs = adjustment for lane and shoulder width, mi/h

fA = adjustment for access point density, mi/h
• The BFFS is limited to a range of 45-65 mi/h,
• For Class I highways usually it is in the 55-65 mi/h range and
Class II highways usually in the 45-50 mi/h range. Design
speed may be used as inputs to establishing an appropriate
value for BFFS.
 Figure 8:
Free-Flow Speed
Adjustments for Lane
and Shoulder Width

Figure 9:
Free-Flow Speed
adjustments for
Access Point Density

Estimating Demand Flow Rate

Where:
v = demand flow rate, pc/h
V = hourly demand volume under prevailing conditions, veh/h
PHF = peak hour factor
fHv = adjustment for heavy vehicle presence
fc = adjustment for grades
 Grade Adjustment Factors

• For every computation, two grade adjustment factors will be

required: one for the ATS determination and one for the PTSF
determination.
Table10: Grade Adjustment Factor (fG) for General Terrain Segments
and Specific Downgrades (ATS and PTSF) Determinations

Table 11:
Grade Adjustment Factor (fG) for
Specific Upgrades: ATS
Determinations
 Table 12:
Grade Adjustment
Factor (fG) for Specific
Upgrades: PTSF
Determinations

Determining the Heavy-Vehicle Adjustment Factor

The heavy-vehicle adjustment factors for ATS and PTSF
determinations are found from passenger-car equivalents as
follows:

Table 13: Passenger-Car Equivalents for General Terrain Segments: ATS and
PTSF Determinations
Table 14:
Passenger-Car
Equivalents of Trucks
for Specific Upgrades:
ATS Determination

Table 15:
Passenger-Car
Equivalents of RVs for
Specific Upgrades: ATS
Determination
 Table 16: Passenger-Car Equivalents for Trucks and RV's on
Specific Upgrades: PTSF Determination

Table 17: Passenger-Car Equivalents for Trucks Operating at

Crawl Speeds on Specific Downgrades: ATS Determination
 Estimating Average Travel Speed

where:
ATS = average travel speed, both directions, mi/h
ATSd = average travel speed in the direction of analysis, mi/h
FFS = free-flow speed, both directions, mi/h
FFSd = free-flow speed in the direction of analysis, mi/h
v = demand flow rate, both directions, pc/h
Vd = demand flow rate in the direction of analysis, pc/h
V0 = demand flow rate in the opposing direction, pc/h
fnp = adjustment for the existence of "No Passing" zones in the
study segment

Table 18:
Adjustment for Effect
of "No Passing" Zones
(fnp) on ATS: Two-
Direction Segments
 Table 19:
Adjustment for Effect of "No
Passing Zones" (fnp) on ATS Single-
Direction Segments

Determining Percent Time Spent Following

Where:
PTSF = percent time spent following, two directions,%
PTSFd = percent time spent following, single direction,%
BPTSF = base percent time spent following, two directions,%
v = demand flow rate, pc/h, both directions
vd = demand flow rate in analysis direction, pc/h
 Cont..
fd/np = adjustment to PTSF for the combined effect of directional
distribution and percent "No Passing" zones on two way analysis
segments, %
fnp = adjustment to PTSF for the effect of percent "No Passing"
zones on single-direction analysis segments,%
a, b = calibration constants based on opposing flow rate in single
direction analysis

Table 20:
Adjustment (fd/np) for the
Combined Effect of Directional
Distribution and Percent "No
Passing" Zones on PTSF on
Two-Way Segments
 Table 21:
Adjustment (fnp) to PTSF for Percent
"No Passing“ Zones in Single-
Direction Segments

Table 22:
Coefficients "a" and "b"
 Example
A Class I two-lane highway in rolling terrain has a peak demand
volume of 500 veh/h, with 15% trucks and 5% RVs. The
highway serves as a main link to a popular recreation area. The
directional split of traffic is 60/40 during peak periods, and the
peak-hour factor is 0.88. The 15-mile section under study has
40% "No Passing" zones. The base free-flow speed of the
facility may be taken to be 60 mph. Lane widths are 12 ft, and
shoulder widths are 2 ft. There are 10 access points per mile
along this three-mile section.

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Thank you!

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