Transportation System Plan 2018-2038

Appendix G Level of Service Study Methodology and Results Introduction This Appendix docum ents the City of Medford’s Le vel of Service Study that was conducted during 2002- 2003 to study alternative level of service standards for the city . In addition, this study also provides significant input for the TSP in identify ing existing and likely future (2023) street capacity problem s and potential m itigation strategies. Included in this appendix is a discussion of the analy sis methodology , the level of service results for signalized intersections, an evaluation of three level of service alternatives including m itigation requirem ents, and a level of servi ce results for unsignalized intersections that also included identification of potential m itigation. Overview of Level of Service Study Principal elem ents of the Level of Service Study included: ƒ Assessm ent of the operation of all m ajor intersections in the City of Medford given existing (2002) and projected (2023) traffic volum es (existing LOS results are presented in Chapter 3 of the TSP while 2023 analy sis results are presented in detail in this appendix and sum marized in Chapter 5). ƒ A list of projects required to m eet various potential auto traffic m obility standards for the City of Medford. ƒ Cost estim ates for the projects iden tified for each m obility standard. ƒ A written sum mary of the “Level of Service Study ” results for use by the Medford City Council to aid in m aking policy decisions regarding tolerable levels of auto traffic congestion on City of Medford transportation facilities throughout the planning horizon. ƒ Instructions for m aintaining the “existi ng conditions” traffic analy sis model. For purposes of this analy sis, “m ajor intersections” were defined as roadway intersections in which both intersecting streets are classified as either “Arterial” roadway s or “Collector” roadway (based on the street classification sy stem that existed prior to adoption of the Medford Transportation System Plan ). These two roadway classifications represented the highest classifica tions in the City of Medford. In addition, all signalized intersections were analy zed regardless of the classification of the intersecting roadway s. The future-y ear analy sis was b ased on the horizon y ear for the Transportation System Plan , 2023. Future-y ear traffic projections were determ ined by apply ing growth rates to present-day traffic volum es. The growth rates used in the prediction were determined from the Regional Transportation Model, a traffic forecasting tool developed jointly by the Rogue Valley Council of Governm ents (RVCOG) and the Oregon Departm ent of Transportation’s (ODOT’s) Tr ansportation Planning and Analy sis Unit (TPAU). Two principal m easures of effectiveness were used to assess the operation of at-grade intersections: delay and volum e-to-capacity (v/c) ratio. The “delay ” is si mply the average am ount of tim e a vehicle m ust wait at an intersection because of the intersection control (either a signal or a stop sign in m ost cases). “Level of Service” (“LOS”) is a grade given to various rang es of delay , with a grade of ‘A’ representing ideal operation with m inimal auto delay and ‘F’ representi ng unacceptable operation with high auto delay . The G-1