Adaptation of the HCM-7 for estimating the level of service on a Brazilian two-lane rural highway with passing lanes

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58922/transportes.v33.e3032

Keywords:

Level of service. Traffic simulation. Passing lane.

Abstract

The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM-7) is the primary document for analyzing capacity and level of service worldwide. The traffic data used in the development of the manual were obtained on North American roads, so adaptations must be made based on observed local conditions. The present study aimed to adapt the HCM-7 method to estimate the level of service on a Brazilian two-lane highway with passing lanes. The proposed method was based on traffic data produced with the Aimsun Next simulator, previously calibrated from traffic data obtained on a Brazilian highway (BR-040). Based on the simulation results, the coefficients of several equations in the manual were adjusted to assess the service measure Follower Density (FD) values in segments with passing lanes. It was observed that the adaptation of the HCM-7 method provided FD and Level of Service values close to the data found directly in the field.

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Author Biography

José Elievam Bessa Junior, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

Graduado em Engenharia Civil pela Universidade Federal do Ceará (2006). Mestre (2009) e Doutor (2015) em Engenharia de Transportes pela Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC-USP). Foi Professor Efetivo do Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG), no Departamento de Engenharia de Transportes, entre os anos de 2014 e 2018. Atualmente, é Professor do Magistério Superior na Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), lotado no Departamento de Engenharia de Transportes e Geotecnia (DETG). Atua, principalmente, nos seguintes temas: Simulação de Tráfego, Capacidade viária e nível de serviço, Controle de tráfego urbano, Operação de transportes e Planejamento dos transportes.

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Published

2025-04-04

How to Cite

Felício Bicalho, A. C., & Bessa Junior, J. E. (2025). Adaptation of the HCM-7 for estimating the level of service on a Brazilian two-lane rural highway with passing lanes. Transportes, 33, e3032. https://doi.org/10.58922/transportes.v33.e3032

Issue

Vol. 33 (2025)

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Ana Carolina Felício Bicalho, José Elievam Bessa Junior

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