TWO-LANE HIGHWAY CAPACITY AND LEVEL OF SERVICE RESEARCH PROJECT: PHASE III - FINAL REPORT

This document represents the third and last phase of the Transportation Association of Canada's (TAC's) "Two-Lane Highway Capacity and Level of Service Research Project". The project, initiated in 1982, is comprised of three phases: 1) Study design, 2) Data collection, and 3) Data analysis, evaluation of the U.S. Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), and development of a Canadian methodology. Due to insufficient resource availability, one of the original objectives of the third phase, the development of a Canadian level of service (LOS) methodology, was dropped. It was agreed to concentrate on evaluating the applicability of the HCM LOS methodology to Canadian two-lane highways. As well, it was decided to prepare and disseminate the significant traffic/driver perception database (the results of Phase 2 - Data collection). The basic finding of the traffic data analysis project was that the HCM LOS procedure is generally conservative in rating Canadian highway operations. The HCM-predicted platooning levels are generally much higher than observed values, particularly on the rolling and mountainous terrain sections. A supplementary analysis, concentrating on the terrain classification effects, shows that the use of rolling or mountainous designations degrades the accuracy of the platooning predictions and it is recommended that these factors not be used in future HCM applications. The HCM-predicted mean travel speeds are generally, but not exclusively, lower than observed speeds. The platooning and speed results cause the HCM to rate the service levels lower than indicated by the field data. Finally, a number of recommendations are presented concerning areas requiring further research. Also available upon request are two technical supplements (one which presents the 43 data collection sites and the other which describes the traffic and driver perception data) and three accompanying data diskettes.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/1895102227
• Corporate Authors:

  Alberta Research Council, Canada

  Environmental Research and Engineering Department, 250 Karl Clark Road
  Edmonton, Alberta  Canada  T6H 5X2

  Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)

  401-1111 Prince of Wales Drive
  Ottawa, Ontario  Canada 
• Authors:
  • Krumins, I
• Publication Date: 1991-9

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 88 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Data analysis; Drivers; Field studies; Forecasting; Future; Highway capacity; Level of service; Mathematical analysis; Perception; Recommendations; Research; Terrain; Traffic platooning; Traffic speed; Two lane highways
• Identifier Terms: Highway Capacity Manual
• Uncontrolled Terms: Field data; Future research
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver perception
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Research; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00620654
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 1-895102-22-7
• Report/Paper Numbers: Project No. 1370
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 31 2003 12:00AM