Chapter 5 - Capacity and Level of Service

Abstract

Capacity is considered as the maximum capability of a given transportation mode or its particular component to serve a certain volume of demand, during a specified period of time, under given conditions. In this chapter, we describe the capacity and level of service of different transportation modes. The capacity of a given modal component depends on its size, technical/technological performances, and rules and procedures of its operation. The “ultimate” capacity of a given modal component can be defined as the maximum number of served entities during a given period of time under conditions of constant demand for service. The “practical” capacity of the same modal component can be defined as the maximum number of entities served during a given period of time when each is provided with the specified service level. The service level is usually expressed by the waiting time/delay while getting service, available space, accessibility, and reliability of service characterized for each particular transportation mode. Each transportation network generally consists of the nodes and links. Both are characterized by the capacity and corresponding level of service. In this chapter, the traffic and transport “ultimate” and “practical” capacity and corresponding level of service of particular components of the infrastructure and service networks are described. These descriptions are given for road, rail, air, and maritime transport modes and their systems, serving both passenger and freight transport demand in urban, sub-urban, and inter-urban areas.