Road capacity estimation in Cuenca (Ecuador) and comparison with the HCM capacity manual | [Determinación de capacidad de carreteras en Cuenca (Ecuador) y comparación con el manual de capacidad HCM]

A transverse study was carried out in cross sections of 6 double lane roads in the City of Cuenca (Ecuador), in the period August 2015 to February 2016. The road capacity was calculated using at one hand field observations and at the other hand applying the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM). The HCM approach overestimated the road capacity on average with 58% as compared to the road capacity obtained using field data, field data was collected using the “moving observer” method. The overestimation of the road capacity using HCM occur since the parameters in this method not really represent local avenue parameters. Comparison between both methods clearly reveals that the HCM method, derived for American highway-traffic conditions, is not applicable to the road-traffic conditions in Cuenca.