The roadway link volumes illustrated on Exhibits 4-2A through 4-2C were assessed based on the standards outlined in the TAC geometric design manual. In general terms, this analysis was intended to identify the classification of the roadway, the existing daily traffic volume and the typical environmental capacity of the roadway. As a practical application, the actual physical capacity of the roadways are considerably higher than the environmental capacities. However, the environmental capacity represents the limit of comfortable operation of the roadway.
The assessment of existing traffic conditions is summarized here in Table 4.2.
The results of this analysis confirmed that all of the roadways within the study area are currently functioning within acceptable capacity parameters.[1]
[1] It should be noted that the daily traffic estimates illustrated at the Open Houses represented April data that had been rounded up to the next 500 vehicles per day. The review of data collected in July confirmed that this deliberate conservatism in estimating the April daily traffic volumes effectively accounted for the seasonal variation in daily traffic volumes on Highway 2A and Highway 12. The only location where a modification was made to the material presented previously was the daily volume on Highway 12 West. At this location the previous estimate of 7000 vehicles per day was increased to 7500 vehicles per day. This had no impact on the forecasting exercises undertaken as part of the study.