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Appendix F: Level of Service (LOS) CONSULTING Research Brief Volume No. 3 Level of Service (LOS) Level of Service (LOS) is a qualitative tive d scription, einilar to "typical echo grades, that tr cate how good or bad traffic abons are on a corridor, intersection, or:interch nge... .. uni- Common Factors Traffic can be a hard thing to quantify as everyone has a different tolerance for congestion. What seems excessively long to one person may seem good enough for another. These differences are readily apparent when comparing small towns or rural areas, where five cars an hour can be the norm, to big cities or downtowns, where less than hundred cars an hour, even in the middle of night, is rare. To combat this issue and provide a consistent measuring tool for traffic studies, a "Level of Service" rating was developed. Level of Service ratings are based on the roadway or intersection characteristics and the amount of traffic. Just like grade school, LOS A represents the best traffic operations, where traffic flows freely. LOS F, on the other hand, represents failing operations, where the road or intersection is congested and running beyond maximum capacity. LOS E is typically considered "at capacity" which means the amount of traffic is right at the level the roadway or intersection can adequately accommodate. Using Level of Service letter grades provides an easy way to convey road operations to the general public and has been adopted across the United States. uum°i°1u IIIII a uulVuuuuuuuuuu� IIIIIIII IVuu �� IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII"uullllll" II11:IIIII III "IIIIIIII a Ild n uuu s u uu uul IIII muuuu�um uuuuuuuuuumiiiuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuiii u mu uu�VI .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ...: Level of Service criteria have been developed for multiple types of traffic operations including: • Intersections • Urban Corridors • Freeways • Transit Service • Bicycle Operations • Pedestrian Operations The most common LOS criteria used is for car operations at intersections; both signalized and unsignalized. For an intersection Level of Service analysis, average delay for cars travelling through the intersection is used to determine the appropriate grade. A high delay results in a poor LOS rating and equates to poor operations. Similarly, low delay results in a good LOS rating and equates to good or great operations. LOS can be determined for the intersection as a whole, or for individual movements. It is common during peak periods in major population areas for an intersection to have an acceptable overall LOS rating, but fail to achieve a good grade for individual movements. Irarrsection LUs0 Signaled lal rrs4;el Inn Traffic Impact Study Capstone Homes Residential Development F1 Speck Consulting