Transportation System Plan 2018-2038

Table 3-4 Level of Service Definitions Averag e Delay /Vehicle (sec.) Level of Serv ice Signa lized Unsignalized Descrip tion A (Desirable) <10 seconds <10 seconds Very low delay ; most vehicles do not stop. B (Desirable) >10 and <20 seconds >10 and < 15 seconds Low delay resulting from good progression, short cycle lengths, or both. C (Desirable) >20 and <35 seconds >15 and < 25 seconds Higher delay s with fair progression, longer cy cle lengths, or both. D (Acceptable) >35 and <55 seconds >25 and < 35 seconds Noticeable congestion with many vehicles stopping. Individual cy cle failures occur. E (Unsatisfactory ) >55 and <80 seconds >35 and < 50 seconds High delay with poor progression, long cycle lengths, high v/c ratios, and frequent cy cle failures. F (Unsatisfactory ) >80 seconds >50 seconds Very long delay s, considered unacceptable by most drivers. Often results from over-saturated conditions or poor signal timing. Source: 2000 Highw ay Capacity Manual , Transportation Research Board. In a study effort that ran pa rallel with developm ent of the Transportation System Plan , the City conducted a study of LOS. This study evaluated m itigation m easures and associated improvem ent costs corresponding to three alternative LOS thresholds: the current PM peak hour LOS D standard; a standard of LOS E during the PM peak hour; and a standard of LOS D for the second highest hour of the PM peak period. In addition, the LOS study considered appl ying a PM peak hour LOS E standard only within the City’s Central Business District. The City Council was presented with the study results, and directed consideration of a specific LOS threshold for purposes of com pleting the TSP. The LOS Study is further discussed in Chapter 5 and Appendix G. State Highw ay Volume-to-Capacity (v/c) Ratios Within City of Medford UGB Several state highway s pass through the City ’s Urban Growth Boundary . As adopted in the 1999 Oregon Highway Plan, ODOT uses volum e-to-capacity (v/c) ra tios to m easure state highway perform ance rather than intersection or roadway levels of service. Various v/c thresholds are applied to all state highway s based on functional classification of these facilities. For the four state highway s passing through the Medford UGB, the following v/c thresholds apply : Highway OHP Level of Significance V/C Threshold Interstate 5 (I-5) Interstate Highway 0.80 Highway 62 (ORE 62) Statewide Expressway (north of Delta Waters) 0.80 Highway 62 (ORE 62) Statewide Highway (south of Delta Waters) 0.85 Highway 99 (US 99) District Highway 0.90 Highway 238 (ORE 238) District Highway 0.90 According to the 2000 I-5 State of the Interstate Report by the Oregon Departm ent of Transportation, I-5 through Medford operates today without noticeable congestion on the freeway mainline, with average daily traffic volum es (ADT) ranging from 34,000 ADT at the south end of the City to 44,000 ADT north of the South Medford Interchange at Barnett Road , decreasing to 33,000 ADT north of the I-5/Highway 62 interchange. Trucks account for about 12 to 15 percent of total I-5 traffic. However, peak period congestion on the off-ram ps at both the South Medf ord/Barnett Road and North Medford/Highway 62 (Biddle Road) interchanges generates backups that affect mainline traffic flow on I-5 in both directions. Based on current PM peak hour volum es both the inte rsections of I-5 southbound ramps/Stewart Avenue with Barnett Road and I-5 northbound ram ps with Biddle Road exceed ODOT’ s volum e-to-capacity standard for an interstate facility . Medford Transportatio n System Plan 3-12 Existing Conditions