Sub-problem 4c: Peak Operational Analysis of Alternate Route 7

Let's now discuss the key points from the results for time period 1. We should first note that the conditions on the freeway system are undersaturated, that is, the demand is less than the capacity for each of the sections of the freeway. This means that all the demand is served during this time period. Another way of looking at this is that the segment demand (the number of vehicles desiring to travel through the segment) equals the number of vehicles that actually use the segment during this 15-minute period. We can also see this by looking at the demand/capacity (d/c) and volume/capacity (v/c) ratios that are all less than one.

Since we are dealing with undersaturated conditions, we would expect the operational performance of the facility to be good. This is indeed the case. The forecasted level of service is C or above for all segments. Speeds remain high, above 50 mph. There is no queuing present. For the first part of the peak period, the system operates well.

When you are ready to review the results for time period 2, proceed to the next page.