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Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-05-138
 Date: July 2006

Shared-Use Path Level of Service Calculator

A User's Guide

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APPENDIX B. FACTORS USED IN THE LOS MODEL

Table 11 provides a summary list of the key factors used in the Shared-Use Path LOS model. It also provides the shorthand name for each factor and a general description of how it functions in the model.

Table 11. Factors used in the shared-use path LOS model.

Factors found to affect bicyclists' LOS Shorthand name How the factor functions in the model
Overall user volume One-way volume per hour Used in the calculations of meetings, active passes, and delayed passes
Peak-hour factor PHF Accounts for flow peaking that was found to be common within hourly counts. Boosts base volume by 17.6 percent
Percentage of volume assigned to each of the five user types Mode split Used in the calculations of active passes, number of meetings, and number of delayed passes
User speed Speed: average and standard deviation Used in the calculations of meetings, active passes, and probability of delayed passes
Passing users traveling in the same direction Active pass Multiplied by 10 and added to meetings to create total events
Test bicyclist speed Test bicyclist speed Used in the calculations of meetings, active passes, and probability of delayed passes
Meeting users traveling in opposite direction Meetings Added to 10 x active passes to create total events
Meetings and active passes Events Total number of events and width determine LOS; calibrated to user perception survey grades
Path width Width Limits or enables passes, determines impact of potential blockages, defines operational characteristics, and is calibrated to user perception survey grades
Other users block active passing event Delayed pass Total number of delayed passes, from 0 to 180, correlates to a reduction of baseline LOS score of 0 to 1.5
Presence of a striped centerline Centerline Correlates to a .28 reduction in baseline LOS score

 

FHWA-HRT-05-138

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