1683518555128_8 Multilane Highways

Highway Capacity & Level of Service Concepts
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 Determination of Level of Service for Multilane Highway
 A highway with at least two lanes for the exclusive use of traffic in each
direction, with no control or partial control of access, but that may have
periodic interruptions to flow at signalized intersections not closer than
3.0 km is called as multilane highway.
 HCM 2010 gives capacities (passengers’ cars per hour per lane) of
multilane highway with respect to Free flow speeds (FFS) as shown in
the table below:
 The determination of level of service for a multilane highway involves four steps:
 1. Determination of free-flow speed(FFS)
 2. Determination of flow rate (Vp)
 3. Determination of density(D):
 4. Determination of level of service (LOS)
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 Chart 1 Methodology for multilane highway (HCM2000)

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 Base Conditions for Multilane Highways (HCM 2000)
 1. Lane widths are 3.6 m.
 2. Lateral clearance is 1.8 m.
 3. A minimum of 3.6 m of total lateral clearance in the direction
of travel.
 Clearances are measured from the edge of the outer travelled lanes
(shoulders included)
 Lateral clearance of 1.8 m or greater are considered to be equal to 1.8 m.
 4. No direct access points along the highway.
 5. A divided highway.
 6. Only passenger cars in the traffic stream.
 7. A free-flow speed of 100 km/h or more.
 NB: Refer to HCM(2000 or 2010 for segment selection)
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 Divided multilane
 Undivided multilane
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 1. Determination of free-flow speed
 Free-flow speed (FFS)
 is the theoretical speed of traffic density, when density
approaches zero. It is the speed at which drivers feel
comfortable travelling under the physical, environmental and
traffic conditions existing on an uncongested section of
multilane highway.
 In practice, free-flow speed is determined by performing travel-
time studies during periods of low-to-moderate flow
conditions.
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 1. Determination of free-flow speed
 When field data are not available, the free-flow speed can be
estimated indirectly as follows:
 FFS = BFFS − fLW − f LC − fM − fA
 where, FFS is the estimated FFS (km/h),
 BFFS= base FFS (km/h),
 For a given design speed 85th percentile speed BFFS is obtained
from interpolation.
 f LW = adjustment for lane width, from Table 1 (km/h),
 f LC = adjustment for lateral clearance, from Table 2 (km/h),
 f M = adjustment for median type, from Table 3 (km/h), and
 f A = adjustment for access points, from Table 4 (km/h)
 See tables next page (obtained from HCM)
 NB: 85th percentile is a speed value that is less than 15% of a set
of field measured speed
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 2. Determination of Flow Rate
 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
 Peak flow rates and hourly volumes produce the PHF.
 Service Flow (SF) [ Rate of flow ]

 Service flow rate is the equivalent hourly volume that would occur
if a sub-hourly flow was sustained for an entire hour (HCM 2010)
 The peak 15 minute flow (V15) enlarged to an hourly value
 SF=V154 or SF (flow rate) = V / PHF
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 Example - PHF
 Data collected are as follows:
 From the table,

 HV = 4300 veh
 V15 = 1200 veh
 Therefore, = = 0.90
 PHF = 0.90
 SF = 4x1200 = 4800 veh/hr
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 The fifteen minute passenger-car equivalent flow rate:
 where,
 vp is the 15-min passenger-car equivalent flow rate (pc/h/ln),
 V is the hourly volume (veh/h) (demand volume for the entire peak
hour)
 PHF is the peak-hour factor (in the range of 0.75 to 0.95),
 N is the number of lanes, in one direction.
 fp is the driver population factor = 1 but can be reduced to 0.85 for the
analysis of weekend [Weekend driving populations may not be as
familiar with the facility as weekday commuters. Even familiar users may
not drive as aggressively on weekend recreational or other trips when the
pressure of a specific schedule may be less than is present during the
week {HCM, 2010}].
 fHV is the heavy-vehicle adjustment factor,
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 To determine fHV ,
 where,
 fHV is the adjustment factor for heavy vehicles.
 ET and ER are the equivalents for trucks and buses and for
recreational vehicles(RVs), respectively, see Table 5 below.
 PT and PR are the proportion of trucks and buses, and RVs,
respectively,(expressed as a decimal fraction),
 Table 5. Passenger-car equivalent on extended general highway segments(Source: HCM,2000)
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 where,
 D is the density (pc/km/ln),
 vp is the flow rate (pc/h/ln), and
 S=FFS is the average passenger-car travel speed

(km/h).
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 4. Determination of Level of Service
 LOS on a multilane highway can be determined directly from Exhibit
21-2 (HCM 2000) based on the free flow speed (FFS) and the service
flow rate (vp) in pc/h/ln.
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 4. Determination of Level of Service
 Speed-flow curves with LOS criteria for multilane highways (HCM2000)

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 Determination of Level of Service for Multilane
 Applications:
 Operational: Computing LOS of existing or changed segment at
present or future
 Input: Number of lanes(N) & Vp Output: LOS
 Design: To check the adequacy or to find required no. of lanes for a
given volume under specific LOS
 Input: LOS & Vp Output: N
 Planning: Achievable flow rate of the highway
 Input: LOS & N Output: Vp
 Secondary outputs: Speed and Density
 NB: See Exhibit 21-13 Multilane Highways Worksheet (HCM 2000)
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 Analysis Example
 A segment of undivided four-lane highway on level terrain has:
 field-measured FFS 74.0km/h,
 lane width 3.4m,
 peak hour volume (PHV) 1900 veh/h,
 13 percent trucks and buses,
 2 percent RVs, and
 0.90 PHF.
 What is the peak-hour LOS, speed, and density for the level terrain
portion of the highway?
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 The solution steps are given below:
 i) Data given:
 Level terrain,
 Undivided 4 lane
 Field measured FFS = 74 km/h,
 Lane width is 3.4 m
 Peak-hour volume = 1900 veh/h,
 Percent trucks and buses 13% PT = 0.13,
 Percent RVs 2% PR = 0.02,
 PHF=0.90.
 ii) Required:
 a) S b) D c) LOS
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 1. Determination of free flow speed(S):
 In this example the free flow speed (FFS) measured at the field is
given and hence no need to compute free flow speed by indirect
method.
 FFS = BFFS − fLW − f LC − fM − fA
 Therefore, FFS = S = 74.0km/h.
 NB:
 BFFS: from 85th percentile speed obtained by interpolating between,
 62.4 km/h 85th percentile speed is 64 km/h and 91.2 km/h when the 85th percentile
speed is 96 km/h
 Or from posted speed (see next slide)
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 1. Determination of free flow speed(S):
 BFFS is approximately equal to 62.4 km/h ( i.e decrease in 1.6 km/h)
when the 85 th percentile speed is 64 km/h, and it is 91.2 km/h ( i.e
decrease in 4.8 km/h) when the 85 th percentile speed is 96 km/h and
the in between speed values is found out by interpolation
[Mathew (2014), Multilane Highways]
85th Percentile Speed BFFS
64 km/h 62.4 km/h
96 km/h 91.2
Posted Speed Limit in FFS
km/h
65-70 km/h 11 km/h higher than Speed Limit
80-90 km/h 8 km/h higher than Speed Limit
NB: The existing models in developing countries’ traffic streams relate to the highly homogeneous traffic evident in
developed countries, which cannot be transferred directly.. Hence, different models are required to be designed for
traffic stream in developing countries. Traffic stream in developing country is also characterized by slow speed of
vehicles
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 2. Determination of flow rate (vp):
 LOS can be calculated by knowing flow rate and free flow speed.
Flow rate (vp) is calculated from the equation
 Since fHV is unknown it is calculated from the equation
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 The density of flow is computed from the equation
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 4. Determination of LOS:
 LOS determined from the speed-flow diagram. LOS = C.
 Tutorial:
 A sub-district of major metropolitan has a ten-kilometer long four
lane undivided multilane highway with a segment 1 km long with a
3% upgrade and a segment 1 km long with a 3% downgrade. The
section has a volume of 1900 vehicles/hr in each direction with 13%
trucks and buses and 2% recreational vehicles. The 85th percentile
speed of passenger car is 80 km/hr on upgrade and 86km/hr on
downgrade. There are a total of 12 access points on both sides of the
roadway. The lane width is 3.6 m, PHF is 0.90 and having a 3m lateral
clearance. For a 3% upgrade and 1km length ( ET=1.5 , ER=3) while for
a 3% downgrade and 1 km length( ET=1.5 , ER=1.2 ) [HCM]
 Determine the LOS of the highway section (upgrade and downgrade)
during the peak hour? [LOS D for both]
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 Try:
 A segment of an east-west five-lane highway with two travel lanes in
each direction separated by a two-way left-turn lane (TWLTL) on a
level terrain has 83.0km/h 85th-percentile speed, 3.6-m lane width,
1500-veh/h peak-hour volume, 6 % trucks and buses, 8 access
points/km (WB), 6 access points/km (EB), 0.90 PHF, 3.6-m and
greater lateral clearance for westbound and eastbound.
 What is the LOS of the highway on level terrain during the peak
hour?
 Answer: LOS determined from the speed-flow diagram.

 LOS = C (for EB) LOS = C (for WB)
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Highway Capacity & Level of Service Concepts

 Chart 1 Methodology for multilane highway (HCM2000)

 f LC = adjustment for lateral clearance, from Table 2 (km/h),

 f M = adjustment for median type, from Table 3 (km/h), and

 f A = adjustment for access points, from Table 4 (km/h)

 See tables next page (obtained from HCM)

 Peak-hour factor (PHF)

 Service Flow (SF) [ Rate of flow ]

 SF=V154 or SF (flow rate) = V / PHF

 From the table,

 N is the number of lanes, in one direction.

 Table 5. Passenger-car equivalent on extended general highway segments(Source: HCM,2000)

 vp is the flow rate (pc/h/ln), and

 S=FFS is the average passenger-car travel speed

 Speed-flow curves with LOS criteria for multilane highways (HCM2000)

 NB: See Exhibit 21-13 Multilane Highways Worksheet (HCM 2000)

 Field measured FFS = 74 km/h,

 Lane width is 3.4 m

 Peak-hour volume = 1900 veh/h,

 Percent trucks and buses 13% PT = 0.13,

 Percent RVs 2% PR = 0.02,

 Since fHV is unknown it is calculated from the equation

 Answer: LOS determined from the speed-flow diagram.

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