Assessment of Urban Roadway Performance through Traffic Volume, PCU, and LOS Analysis Using IRC Standards

Author

Sachin Gulia, Mr. Abhishek

Abstract

 Rapid urbanization and continuous growth in vehicular population have created serious operational challenges on urban roads in India. Heterogeneous traffic conditions, roadside activities, inadequate roadway infrastructure, and lack of lane discipline frequently reduce traffic efficiency and increase congestion levels. The present study focuses on assessing urban roadway performance through traffic volume analysis, Passenger Car Unit (PCU) estimation, and Level of Service (LOS) evaluation using IRC standards.

Traffic data was collected from selected urban road sections through manual traffic counting and video recording surveys during peak and off-peak hours. Vehicles were classified into different categories and converted into equivalent PCU values for effective analysis under mixed traffic conditions. Roadway capacity was estimated using IRC methodology, and Volume-to-Capacity (V/C) ratios were calculated to determine operational conditions and LOS categories.

The results revealed that major urban roads operate under moderate to congested conditions, with higher V/C ratios observed on arterial corridors. The study highlights the influence of roadway geometry, traffic composition, and roadside friction on traffic performance. Appropriate traffic management strategies and infrastructure improvements were recommended for enhancing roadway efficiency and reducing congestion.

Keywords

Roadway Performance, Traffic Volume, Passenger Car Unit (PCU), Level of Service (LOS), Urban Traffic, IRC Standards, Traffic Congestion, V/C Ratio, Mixed Traffic Flow, Urban Transportation.

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