How is the demand flow rate expressed?

The demand flow rate is expressed in terms of the number of passenger cars per hour per lane, reflecting the flow of traffic in transportation engineering. This measurement provides a standardized way to evaluate and analyze traffic volume on roadways. It accounts for the capacity of each lane and gives a clear understanding of how many vehicles are using that specific lane over a period of time. This information is critical for traffic planning and management, as it allows engineers to design roadways and control systems that can accommodate the expected traffic load efficiently.

Other expressions of flow, such as vehicles per minute, total vehicles on the roadway, or miles per hour, do not specifically relate to the evaluated capacity of a lane over a defined time period. Vehicles per minute does not align directly with the standardized hourly analysis, total vehicles on the roadway does not convey an idea of flow rate but rather a static count, and miles per hour pertains to speed rather than flow, making them less useful for determining traffic demand in this context.