Highway Capacity Manual

Copy No.
___________
NCHRP 3-55(2)A
Planning Applications for the
Year 2000 Highway Capacity Manual
Final Report
Prepared for
National Cooperative Highway Research Program
Transportation Research Board
National Research Council

NAS-NRC
Privileged Document
This report, not released for publication, is furnished only for review to members of, or participants in the work of, the
National Research Program. It is to be regarded as fully privileged, and dissemination of the information included
herein must be approved by the NCHRP
Richard Dowling,
Dowling Associates
with the Assistance of:
Kittelson Associates
Dr. Alan Horowitz
Reynolds, Smith and Hills
Dr. William McShane
Deakin, Harvey, Skabardonis
September 1, 1999
Acknowledgement
This work was sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, and was conducted in the
National Cooperative Highway Research Program which is administered by the Transportation
Research Board of the National Research Council.
Disclaimer
This copy is an uncorrected draft as submitted by the research agency. A decision concerning
acceptance by the Transportation Research Board, and publication in the regular NCHRP series
will not be made until a complete technical review has been made and discussed with the
researchers. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in the report are those of the
research agency. They are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the
National Research Council, the Federal Highway Administration, the American Association of
State Highway and Transportation Officials, or of the individual states participating in the
National Cooperative Highway Research Program.
Dowling Associates
Transportation Engineering, Planning & Research
September 1, 1999
Dr. Robert J. Reilly

Director, Cooperative Research Program
2101 Constitution Avenue,
Washington, D.C. 20418
Attn: Mr. Ray Derr,
SUBJECT:
NCHRP Project 3-55(2a), FY '97

Planning Applications for the Year 2000 Highway Capacity Manual
Final Report
Dear Dr. Reilly:

This is our Final Report for NCHRP Project 3-55(2a); " Planning Applications for the Year 2000 Highway
Capacity Manual ".
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people that made this project successful.
Mr. Wayne Kittelson, Mr. John Zegeer, Mr. Paul Ryus, and Mr. John Karachepone, all of Kittelson Associates,
conducted the nationwide survey of agency default values for the Highway Capacity Manual, prepared the
transit sections for the corridor analysis and area-wide analysis chapters, prepared the transit sample problems
for those chapters, and performed technical reviews of the draft chapters.
Dr. Alan Horowitz performed technical reviews of all the chapters, and contributed significant improvements
to the areawide analysis procedures, particularly the node delay procedures. His experience with the adaptation
of the Highway Capacity Manual to planning analyses was a great help to this project. His advice and
contributions were always timely and are greatly appreciated.
Mr. Terry Shaw of Reynolds, Smith, and Hills contributed initial drafts of the sample problems for each
chapter and conducted a survey of areawide performance measurement systems in Florida that contributed to
the development of the recommended performance measurement system for area and corridor analyses.
Dr. Willian McShane, due to a change in positions, did not have as much time available later on in the study as
originally anticipated, but he contributed some very insightful suggestions on the project approach early on and
at the Fall 1997 Washington D.C. workshop.
Dr. Alexander Skabardonis, of Deakin, Harvey, Skabardonis; made significant contributions to the signal
timing analysis of the node delay procedures for the areawide analysis chapter and performed a comprehensive
technical review of all draft chapters. His expertise in signal operations analysis and their adaptation to
planning applications were a valuable resource for this project.
Mr. Doug McLeod, of the Florida Department of Transportation and chairman of the panel, contributed many
valuable insights on Floridas experience in the development and application of corridor and areawide
performance measures. He provided us with many valuable contacts in the field of performance measurement.
I would like to thank the panel members for their thoughtful comments, their excellent technical suggestions,
and the many hours of labor they contributed reviewing the extensive amount of material developed by this
180 Grand Avenue, Suite 995, Oakland, CA. 94612 510-839-1742 FAX 510-839-0871
P970030
project for the Year 2000 Highway Capacity Manual. Ms. Barbara Ostrom, Mr. Robert Bryson, Mr. James
Altenstadter, Mr. Alfred Tavares, Dr. James Gattis, Mr. Brian Gardner, Mr. Thomas Hicks, Mr. Davey Warren
all made valuable contributions to this effort.
Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Ray Derr of your staff, who organized the Washington D.C workshop,
diligently reminded us of upcoming deadlines and deliverables, and kept us informed of relevant parallel
research being sponsored by NCHRP and TCRP.
Sincerely,
Richard Dowling
Principal
RGD/E:\WORK\PROJECTS\proj98\355cont\finrep\finrep.doc
NCHRP 3-55(2)A
Final Report
September 1, 1999
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1 PROJECT OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................... 1
1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT ................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................. 1
1.3 OVERVIEW OF WORK PLAN........................................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER 2 WORK PERFORMED ......................................................................................................... 3
APPENDIX A. LITERATURE REVIEW
APPENDIX B. PLANNING APPLICATIONS WORKSHOP
APPENDIX C. DEFAULT VALUES SURVEY
APPENDIX D. URBAN STREET CONCEPTS
APPENDIX E. FREEWAY CONCEPTS
APPENDIX F. HIGHWAY CONCEPTS
APPENDIX G. ANALYSIS OF MULTIPLE FACILITIES
APPENDIX H. CORRIDOR ANALYSIS
APPENDIX I. AREA-WIDE ANALYSIS
NCHRP 3-55(2)A
Final Report
September 1, 1999
Chapter 1
Project Overview
1.1 Problem Statement
The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) and the Clean Air Act Amendments
(CAAA) have made planning analyses more relevant to national policy issues and concerns. Current
techniques for estimating speeds and service volumes are inadequate to meet present transportation
planning needs. Research was needed to determine the most appropriate techniques to estimate speeds
and service volumes for use throughout a broad range of planning applications.
Existing capacity analysis techniques for use in transportation planning do not adequately reflect the
broad range of operating conditions. For example, most planning models and evaluation techniques do
not adequately consider the effects of traffic signals in the estimation of speeds on arterial roads.
Transportation Research Board (TRB) Special Report 209, Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), indicates
that signalization characteristics are just as important as traffic and roadway characteristics and the
volume-to-capacity ratios are inappropriate for evaluating the operation of arterials. However, volumeto-capacity ratios continue to be emphasized in planning analysis techniques.
Improved speed and service volume estimation techniques will provide more consistent and reliable
inputs to a variety of planning applications. It is hoped these techniques will be widely adopted by the
transportation planning community and incorporated into planning processes.
The first part of this research developed planning techniques for estimating speed and service volumes
for individual facilities. The continuation portion of this project will extend these planning techniques to
systems level analyses (A system being defined as a combination of transportation facilities located in a
corridor or selected area).
The first part of this research resulted in the publication of NCHRP 387, Techniques to Estimate Speeds
and Service Volumes for Planning Applications. The continuation portion of this project will result in
two new sections of the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM). One section (to be called Part II of the new
HCM) will provide default values and input data estimation techniques for planning applications of the
analytical techniques contained in the Highway Capacity Manual. The other section (to be called Part IV
of the new HCM) will provide techniques for corridors and area-wide analyses.
1.2 Research Objectives

The goal of this research project is to develop modifications and or alternatives to existing techniques for
estimating speeds and service volumes in planning applications, and to document these improved
techniques in the Year 2000 Highway Capacity Manual.
1.3 Overview of Work Plan

The work plan consists of:
1. a review of the available literature;

2. development of default values;
3. holding a planning applications workshop;
NCHRP 3-55(2)A
Final Report
September 1, 1999
4. preparing three of the six chapters for Part II of the HCM 2000, General concepts and Estimated
Values;
5. preparing three of the chapters for Part IV of the HCM 2000, Corridor and Areawide Analyses;
6. developing sample problems for the chapters prepared for Part II and Part IV of the HCM 2000;
and
7. preparing the Final Report.
NCHRP 3-55(2)A
Final Report
September 1, 1999
Chapter 2
Work Performed
Task 0. Amplified Research Plan
The amplified research plan was delivered to TRB. Comments were received on September 17, 1997 and were
responded to in the September, 1997 Quarterly Progress Report.
Task 1. Literature Review

The consultant team completed and documented their review of the significant research that has been produced or
published since late 1996 on speed and service volume estimation techniques. A copy of the Literature Report is
attached as Appendix A.
Task 2. Default Values

The consultant team administered a survey to various sources to assist in the development of the default values
and/or estimation procedures to be used in planning applications of the Part III HCM analytical procedures. The
survey was conducted entirely by phone so that we could be flexible in adapting the questions to the particular
circumstances of the agency. The survey instrument served as a guide to phone conversation with each agency. The
survey results are presented in Appendix B.
Task 3. Planning Applications Workshop

The NCHRP 3-55(2a) Planning Applications Workshop was completed on Friday, September 12, 1997. It was a
very productive workshop in setting the goals and contents for the planning applications portions of the Year 2000
Highway Capacity Manual. A list of attendees and a summary of the key points of consensus are given in Appendix
C of this Final Report.
Task 4. Part II Chapters

Drafts of Chapters 8, 10, and 11, Urban Street Concepts, Highway Concepts, and Freeway Concepts1, were delivered to
the NCHRP 3-55(6) contractor in December 1997. They are included in Appendices D, E, and F of this Final
Report. The consultant team organized and presented a workshop on the chapters at the January 1998 TRB Annual
Meeting. These chapters have subsequently undergone two rounds of review by the Committee on Highway Capacity
and Quality of Service (January 1998, and July 1998). The text describing the signalized intersection planning method
that was contained in the signalized intersection chapter of the 1997 Highway Capacity Manual was re-worked and
incorporated in an appendix to the Part II chapter, Urban Street Concepts.
Note that the chapter numbers have been changed in the latest edition of the HCM 2000. They are currently chapters 10, 12,
and 13. Readers should look for the corresponding chapter in the HCM 2000 with the same title.
NCHRP 3-55(2)A
Final Report
September 1, 1999
Task 5. Part IV Chapters

Draft Chapters 28, 29, and 30, Analysis of Multiple Facilities, Corridor Analysis, and Areawide Analysis were submitted
to the panel as part of the September 1998Quarterly Report. They are included in Appendices G, H, and I of this
Final Report. Revised chapters were then delivered to the NCHRP 3-55(6) contractor in November 1999. Catalina
Engineering then took this material and prepared December 1998 drafts of these chapters. The consultant team
organized and presented a workshop on the chapters at the January 1999 TRB Annual Meeting.
The consultant team delivered comments on the Catalina Engineering December 1999 draft of these chapters on
February 9, 1999.
The consultant team monitored progress on Chapter 22, Freeway Facilities, and Chapter 20, Two-Lane Highways, which
were not yet available in draft form when it was necessary to submit the Part IV chapter drafts to Catalin Engineering.
The team identified any needed textural changes to Part II or Part IV. Only some reconciliation of default values used in
Chapters 20/22 and Part II was required.
Service volume tables for two lane highways were not be prepared for Part II, because of the lack of software for making
the necessary computations and the late completion date of this chapter.
Two chapters were judged to not be amenable to planning applications, and consequently are not discussed in the Part II
or Part IV chapters. They are:
Chapter 24, Freeway Weaving
Chapter 26, Interchange Ramp Terminals
(expected completion: July 1999)

(expected completion: July 1999)
Task 6. Sample Problems

Sample problems were included with the Part II and Part IV chapters. The Part IV chapter sample problems were
prepared using specially developed spreadsheet implementations of the recommended procedures. The Part II, Urban
Streets chapter sample problem was prepared using Florida DOT ARTTAB spreadsheets updated to the 1997 HCM
method.
Task 7. Final Report

This final report with appendices was prepared in May 1999 for review by the panel.

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Transportation Research Board

Dr. Robert J. Reilly

NCHRP Project 3-55(2a), FY '97

Dear Dr. Reilly:

1.2 Research Objectives

1.3 Overview of Work Plan

1. a review of the available literature;

Task 1. Literature Review

Task 2. Default Values

Task 3. Planning Applications Workshop

Task 4. Part II Chapters

Task 5. Part IV Chapters

(expected completion: July 1999)

Task 6. Sample Problems

Task 7. Final Report

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