The New Highway Capacity Manual 6 th Edition

The New Highway Capacity Manual 6 th Edition It’s Not Your Father’s HCM Tom Creasey, P. E. , Ph. D. Principal, Stantec Consulting Services Inc. Chair, TRB Highway Capacity and Quality of Service Committee OKI Intermodal Coordinating Committee Meeting February 7, 2017

We just published an update in 2010. Why another one? • Need for new research • Changes in driver behavior, vehicle fleet mix & capabilities, analytical methods, performance measures • New research since 2010 – truck analysis, managed lanes, reliability, alternative intersections, planning applications • Available funding (including SHRP 2)

HCM Structure Printed HCM Online Volume 1: Concepts Volume 2: Uninterrupted Flow Volume 3: Interrupted Flow 33 Volume 4: Applications Guide

Application of the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) • The HCM is commonly used by transportation agencies to evaluate current or projected operations • The HCM also can reliably and cost-effectively support: • • Planning efforts Programming decisions Performance monitoring Roadway management • Bringing the “back of the envelope” back

Planning and Preliminary Engineering Applications Guide to the HCM • NCHRP Research Project 7 -22 • Research Team Kittelson & Associates, Inc. • Richard Dowling (PI) • Paul Ryus ITRE/North Carolina State University • Bastian Schroeder Stantec • Tom Creasey University of Idaho • Michael Kyte REPORT 825 Planning and Preliminary Engineering Applications Guide to the Highway Capacity Manual

“Planning” in an HCM Context § Planning analyses are generally directed toward broad issues • Initial problem identification, long-range analyses, statewide performance monitoring § Preliminary engineering analyses support moderately detailed issues • Planning decisions on roadway design concept and scope, alternatives analyses, and proposed systemwide policies 6

Audiences for the Guide § Regular HCM users • Planning or preliminary engineering–level analyses with limited available data • Questions requiring a quick, reasonable answer § Planners who may not be aware of the HCM or consider themselves HCM users, but who can nevertheless use it for portions of their work • Coordinated use of the HCM with planning models and tools • Integration of HCM methods and defaults into planning tools • System performance monitoring

Levels of Analysis § High level • Large analysis area • Low detail § Medium level • Focus on a single roadway facility, segment, or intersection • Greater detail § Low level • Highly focused and highly detailed 8

Relative Detail of HCM-Based Analysis Methods 9

Guide Outline § Part 1: Overview • Gateway to the Guide for non-HCM users • Information cross-referenced throughout the Guide § Part 2: Medium-Level Analysis • Gateway to the Guide for current HCM users • Planning tools for HCM system elements § Part 3: High-Level Analysis • Guidance on extending the HCM to corridors, areas, and transportation systems § Part 4: Case Studies 10

Applications § LRTP, TIP development § Corridor studies; screening of alternatives § Small area transportation plans § Travel demand modeling § Generalized service volume tables 11 § Congestion management plans § System performance monitoring, including travel time reliability § Predicting traffic control § Default values for transportation analyses

Case Studies 1. Freeway Master Plan • V/C screening of critical segments • Prediction of speeds/travel times • Queuing estimation • System MOEs 2. Arterial Bus Rapid Transit • Multimodal Urban Street planning methods • Planning-level signalized intersection analysis • Trade-offs among various multimodal improvements 12

Case Studies 3. Long Range Transportation Plan • • 13 FFS, Capacities for Model Input HCM-based Volume-Delay Functions Generalized Service Volume Tables Predicting Reliability

Summary § Planners have been using Highway Capacity Manual methods in their applications for many years § Guidance on using the HCM for planning has been limited through previous editions § The Planning & Preliminary Engineering Applications Guide was written specifically for planners § The result is planners now have a more robust tool set than ever before for all types of applications 14

Questions? 15