W-5 Traffic Capacity

Transportation Engineering-I
TOPIC : TRAFFIC CAPACITY STUDIES

WEEK: 6
LEVEL: BE CIVIL ENGINEERING

PREREQUISITES: NONE
COURSE TEACHER: DR. HANIF ULLAH

EMAIL: hanif.civil@suit.edu.pk
Traffic Capacity
• Traffic capacity is the ability of
roadway to accommodate traffic
volume.
• It is expressed as maximum number of

vehicles in a lane or road that can pass
a given point in unit time, usually an
hour.
Traffic Capacity
• Capacity and volume are measures of
traffic flow and have the same units i.e.,
vehicles per hour per lane or roadway
• Volume represents an actual rate of

flow and responds to variation in traffic
demand, while capacity indicates a
capability or maximum rate of flow with
a certain level of service characteristics
that can be carried by the roadway.
TYPES OF TRAFFIC CAPACITY
 There are three types of traffic capacity;
I. Basic Capacity
II. Possible Capacity
III. Practical/Design Capacity

I- Basic Capacity
• It is the maximum number of passenger cars that can pass a given point
on a lane or roadway during one hour under the most nearly ideal
roadway and traffic conditions which can possibly be attained.
• It is theoretical capacity.
II- Possible Capacity
•It is expressed as maximum number of vehicles in a lane or road that
can pass a given point during one hour under prevailing roadway and
traffic conditions
•The possible capacity of a road is generally much lower then the basic
capacity as the prevailing road way and traffic conditions are seldom
ideal
•In a worst case when the prevailing traffic condition is so bad that due to
traffic congestion traffic may come to a stand still, the possible capacity
of the road may approach zero
II- Possible Capacity
• When the prevailing roadway and traffic conditions approach the ideal
conditions, the possible capacity would also approach the basic capacity.
• Thus the value of possible capacity varies from zero to basic capacity.
• For the purpose of design, neither basic capacity nor possible capacity
can be adopted as they represent two extreme cases of roadway and
traffic conditions.
III- Practical Capacity
• Practical capacity is the maximum number of vehicles that can pass a
given point on a lane or roadway during one hour without traffic density
being so great as to cause unreasonable delay, hazard or restriction to
the driver’s freedom to maneuvers under the prevailing roadway and
traffic conditions.
• It is the practical capacity which is of primary interest to the designer
who strives to provide adequate highway facility, and hence this is also
called design capacity
Factors Affecting Practical Capacity
Some of the important factors that affect the practical capacity of a traffic lane
are listed below:
I. Lane Width,
II. Lateral Clearance,
III. Width of Shoulder,
IV. Commercial Vehicles,
V. Alignment,
VI. Presence of Intersections at Grade.

1- Lane Width:
• As the lane width decreases,
the capacity also decreases.
• The practical capacity of a
3m wide lane in a two lane
rural road may decrease to 76
% of the capacity of a 3.5 m
lane.
ii- Lateral Clearance:
• Restricted lateral clearance affects

driving comfort and increases
accident rates
• Vertical obstruction such as retaining

walls or parked vehicles near the
traffic lane reduce the effective width
of a lane and thus results in reduction
in the capacity of lane.
Iii- Width of Shoulder:
• Narrow shoulders reduce the effective

width of traffic lanes as the vehicles travel
towards the centre of the pavement.
• When vehicles, in emergency, are parked

on the shoulder of insufficient width, there
is reduction in effective lane width
resulting in great reduction in the capacity
of lane.
iv- Commercial Vehicles: -
• Large commercial vehicles

like trucks and buses occupy greater
space and influence the other traffic
in the same lane as well as vertical
and horizontal adjoining lanes.
V- Alignment: -
• If the alignment and geometrics
are not up to the desired
standards, the capacity will
decrease.
• Particularly, restrictions to sight
distance cause reduction in
capacity.
• Steep and long grades affect
capacity.
vi- Presence of Intersections at
Grade:
• Intersections restrict flow of traffic
and thus adversely affect the capacity
• Access control is an important factor
controlling the interference to free and
continuous flow of traffic
• At signalized intersections as vehicles
have to stop alternately to allow the
crossing traffic, the capacity of the
road will be reduced greatly
Other factors which affect the capacity are the stream speed, one or two
way traffic movement, number of traffic lanes, vehicular and driver
characteristics and composition of traffic.
Determination of Theoretical Maximum Capacity
Using the relation:
C = 1000.V/S
one can easily determine the theoretical Maximum Capacity; Here,
C = Capacity of a single lane, vehicle per hour
V = Speed, kmph
S = Average center to center spacing of vehicles, when they follow
one behind the other as a queue or space headway, m.
Thus capacity depends upon the Speed and Spacing.
Spacing is governed by the safe stopping distance required by the rear
vehicle in case the vehicle ahead stops suddenly.
Numerically spacing is given by,
S = Sg + L
Where Sg is the space gap(Head to rear) between the vehicles and L is
the average length of the vehicle, both combined makes the center to
center spacing of the vehicles.
Here,
Sg = 0.278 V.t
S=0.278Vt+L
where V is in Kmph and Sg in m.
t is the total reaction time of the driver, generally assumed to be equal to
0.70 to 0.75 sec.
Assume t = 0.70 Sec;
S = (0.2V + L) m
Thus knowing the design speed, the spacing S can be found and thus the
theoretical capacity of the lane can be found.
Example: Estimate the theoretical capacity of a traffic lane with one
way traffic flow at a stream speed of 40 km/hr. Assume the average
space gap between vehicles to follow the relation
Sg = 0.278Vt
where
V is the stream speed in km/hr,
t is the average reaction time=0.7sec,
Assume average length of vehicle=5.0 m
Solution
V=40 km/hr, t=0.7 sec, L=5.0m
S=0.278Vt+L
S=0.278x40x0.7+5.0
S=12.78m
Theoretical Capacity C=1000V/S
C=(1000x40)/12.78
C=3130 vehicles/hour/lane
Level of Service
“Level of service (LOS) is a quality measure describing
operational conditions within a traffic stream, generally in terms
of such service measures as speed and travel time, freedom to
maneuver, traffic interruptions, and comfort and convenience.”
LOS A (best) LOS F (worst or system breakdown)

A Free flow
B Reasonably free flow
C Stable flow
D Approaching unstable flow
E Unstable flow
F Forced flow or breakdown flow
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Transportation Engineering-I

TOPIC : TRAFFIC CAPACITY STUDIES

LEVEL: BE CIVIL ENGINEERING

COURSE TEACHER: DR. HANIF ULLAH

• It is expressed as maximum number of

• Volume represents an actual rate of

II. Possible Capacity

III. Practical/Design Capacity

II. Lateral Clearance,

III. Width of Shoulder,

IV. Commercial Vehicles,

VI. Presence of Intersections at Grade.

• Restricted lateral clearance affects

• Vertical obstruction such as retaining

• Narrow shoulders reduce the effective

• When vehicles, in emergency, are parked

• Large commercial vehicles

LOS A (best) LOS F (worst or system breakdown)

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