Highway Capacity Software

Based on the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM)

Special Report 209 Transportation Research Board (TRB), National Research Council (NRC)

Ten Modules
1. 2.

3.
4. 5.

6.
7. 8. 9. 10.

Freeways Weaving Ramps Multi-lane Highways Two-lane Highways Signalized Intersections Unsignalized Intersections Arterials Transit Pedestrians

Modules Included in CE 4640

Signalized Intersections Unsignalized Intersections Multi-lane Highways Two-lane Highways

Signalized Intersections

Capacity

Defined for each lane group

Lane group: one or more lanes that accommodate traffic and have a common stopline

Lane group capacity: maximum rate of flow for the subject lane group that may pass through the intersection under prevailing traffic, roadway and signalized conditions

Traffic Conditions
Approach volumes (left, through, right) Vehicle type Location of bus stops Pedestrian crossing flows Parking movement

Roadway Conditions
Number and width of lanes Grades Lane use

Including parking lanes

Signalized Conditions
Signal phasing Signal timing Type of control Signal progression

Level of Service (LOS)

Defined in terms of delay as a measure of

driver discomfort Driver frustration Fuel consumption Lost travel time

Signalized Intersections

Delay experienced by a motorist includes many factors:

Signal control Geometrics Incidents

Total delay:

Difference between actual travel time and ideal travel time

In the absence of traffic control, geometric delay, incidents and when there are no vehicles on the road

In HCS only control delay is quantified

initial deceleration delay Queue move-up time Stopped delay Final acceleration delay

Previous versions of HCM/HCS (1994 version or earlier)

Only included stopped time delay

LOS

LOS criteria are stated in terms of average control delay per vehicle

Delay is dependent on
Quality of progression Cycle length Green ratio V/c ratio for lane group

Designated by letters A - F

LOS Criteria for Signalized Intersections

LEVEL OF SERVICE

CONTROL DELAY PER VEHICLE (SEC/VEHICLES)

A B C D E F

10 >10 and 20 >20 and 35 >35 and 55 >55 and 80 > 80

LOS A

Describes operations with very low control delay, up to 10 sec/veh

Occurs when progression is extremely favorable When most cars arrive during the green Most vehicles do not stop at all Short cycle lengths may also contribute to low delay

LOS B

Describes operations with control delay > 10 and up to 20 sec/veh

Occurs with good progression, short cycle lengths or both More vehicles stop than with LOS A

Causing higher levels of average delay

LOS C

Describes operations with control delay greater than 20 and up to 35 sec/veh

Fair progression, longer cycle lengths, or both Individual cycle failures may begin to appear at this level No. of vehicles stopping is significant

Many still pass without stopping

LOS D

Describes operations with control delay > 35 and up to 55 sec/veh

Influence of congestion becomes more noticeable Longer delays result

Unfavorable progression Long cycle lengths High v/c ratios

Many vehicles stop

Proportion of vehicles not stopping declines

Individual cycle failures are noticeable

LOS E

Describes operations with delay > 55 and up to 80 sec/veh

The limit of acceptable delay Indicate poor progression, long cycle lengths and high v/c ratios Individual cycle failures are frequent occurrences

LOS F

Describes operations with delay > 80 sec/veh

Considered unacceptable to most drivers Occurs with oversaturation

When arrival flow rates exceed the capacity of the intersection

Occurs at high v/c rations below 1.0 with many individual cycle failures Poor progression and long cycle lengths may also contribute

Operational Analysis Procedure

1. INPUT Geometric conditions Traffic conditions Signalization conditions

2. VOLUME ADJUSTMENT Peak hour factor Establish lane groups Assign volumes to lane groups

3. SATURATION FLOW RATE Ideal saturation flow rate Adjustments

4. CAPACITY ANALYSIS MODULE Compute lane group capacities Compute lane group v/c ratios Aggregate results

5. LEVEL OF SERVICE MODULE Compute lane group delays Aggregate delays Determine levels of service

Signals

Laneage Coding Examples

Default Values
May be used without compromising analysis Results become approximate

As more default values are used

Default Values for Use

Ideal saturation flow rate = 1,900 pcphpgpl Conflicting pedestrian volume

None: 0 peds/hr Low: 50 peds/hr Moderate: 200 peds/hr High: 400 peds/hr

Percent heavy vehicles = 2 Grade = 0 No. of stopping buses = 0/hr

Parking conditions: No Parking Parking maneuvers = 20/hr, where parking exists Arrival type

Lane groups with through movements:

3 if isolated 4 if coordinated

Lane group without through movement = 3

Peak-hour factor = 0.90 Lane width = 12 feet Area type = non CBD

Right Turns on Red (RTOR)

When RTOR is permitted

Right turn volume may be reduced

Number of vehicles able to turn right on red is a function of:

Approach lane uses Right turn demand Sight distance Left-turn phasing on conflicting street Conflicts with pedestrians

Arrival Types

Quantifies the quality of progression

Type 1: dense platoon, arriving at the start of the red, very poor progression Type 2: Moderately dense platoon arriving in the middle of the red phase, unfavorable progression Type 3: random arrivals, isolated intersections

Type 4: Moderately dense platoon arriving at the start of the green phase, favorable progression Type 5:Dense to moderately dense platoon, arriving at the start of the green phase, highly favorable progression Type 6: exceptional progression quality on routes with near-ideal characteristics

Effective green time

Time that is effectively available to a movement,

generally taken to be the green time plus the clearance interval minus the lost time

Lost time

Time during which the intersection is not effectively used by any movement, which occurs
During the clearance interval Start-up delay

Example:Evaluate Intersection LOS, Using HCS

f1 f2
G=10.0 sec Y=4.0 AR = 1.0

380 140 100

Main Street

G=40.0 sec Y=4.0 AR = 1.0

280 940 500 180 100

First Street

100 470

100

f3
G=35.0 sec Y=4.0 AR = 1.0

f4
G=5.0 sec Y=4.0 AR = 1.0

00

180 200 760 Assume RTOR Volume is 10% of right turn volume
Assume percent trucks (through traffic is 7% Assume PHF = 93%

Unsignalized Intersections

Two types

Two-Way Stop Controlled Intersections (TWSC) All-Way Stop Controlled Intersections (AWSC) Depends on driver interaction of drivers on the minor street approach and drivers on the major street Gap acceptance models are used in HCS to describe this interaction

Capacity- TWSC

Level of Service (LOS)-TWSC

Determined by the computed control delay and is defined for each minor movement. LOS is not defined for an intersection as a whole

LOS Criteria for Unsignalized Intersections

LEVEL OF SERVICE

AVG CONTROL DELAY PER VEHICLE (SEC/VEHICLES)

A B C D E F

10 >10 and 15 0 >15 and 25

>25 and 35 >35 and 50

> 50

LOS Criteria for unsignailzed intersections is slightly different than for signalized intersections

Because driver perception is different

Expectation is that a signalized intersection is designed to carry higher traffic volumes and experience greater delay than at unsignalized intersections

Data Input

Similar to those for signalized intersections

Geomerty Intersection control Traffic volumes Number and uses of lanes Channelization Two-way left turn lane (TWLTL) Raised or striped median storage Existence of flared approaches on the minor street

Key features

Presence of upstream traffic signals on the major street

Produce nonrandom flows Affect the capacity of the minor street approaches if the signal is within 0.25 miles of the intersection

Critical Gap and Follow Up Time

Critical gap

Minimum time interval in the major street traffic that allows one vehicle in the minor street traffic to enter the main street traffic. Minimum gap that would be acceptable A driver would reject any gaps less than the critical gap and would accept gaps greater than or equal to the critical gap. The time needed for more than one vehicle to complete a turn if an adequate gap is available.

Follow up time

Critical Gaps
Two-Lane Major Street Left turn from vehicles Right turn from minor Through traffic on minor Left turn traffic from minor 4.1 Four Lane Major Street 4.1 Base Followup Time 2.2

6.2 6.5

6.9 6.5

3.3 4.0

7.1

7.5

3.5

Unsignalized Intersections

Commands

File: New

General Information

Lane Designation

Example:Evaluate Intersection LOS, Using HCS

Main Street

470 940 500 180 100

First Street

100

00

55 101

AWSC Intersections

Each approach is analyzed independently Opposing approach and the conflicting approaches creates conflicts with vehicles on the subject approach (the approach under study) Drivers on all approaches are required to stop before entering the intersection

AWSC Intersections

75 26 22
Main Street

70 30

35 254 500 12 100

First Street

54 175 22

100 300

41
101

45

RESULTS