Multi-Modal Level of Service Toolkit
Fort Collins MMLOS Manual – Motor Vehicle LOS
Overview Fort Collins created MMLOS standards for its streets in the late 1990s and has continued to refine them. Fort Collins standards consider both route characteristics and land use characteristics; high-priority land uses, such as public schools, require higher LOS for pedestrian and bicycle modes.
How to measure: Auto LOS for Public Infrastructure Provision The City of Fort Collins uses predicted volume/capacity ratios to establish LOS for city infrastructure improvements. Predicted future volume and capacity are based on models maintained by City staff.
Although Fort Collins uses HCM 2000 for traffic analysis, it has established context-sensitive automobile LOS standards for its streets. Standards are based on the type of facility (Major Arterial, Arterial, Minor Arterial, Collector or Connector) and land use (Commercial Corridors, Mixed Use Districts, Low Density Mixed Residential and All Other Areas). Facility types are sorted according to connectivity, continuity and access provided. For Mixed Use Districts, LOS can fall below what is required if congestion mitigation measures are put in place. See Figure 1 (below) for a chart that shows the relationship between land use and street designation. Fort Collins uses a separate method (the “Neighborhood Transportation Impact Analysis”) to evaluate level of service for local streets whose primary function is access.
Land Use Roadway Functional Classification Major Arterial Arterial Minor Arterial Collector Connector Local streets
Commercial corridors E E E D
Other corridors within Mixed Use Low Density Districts* Mixed Residential E E E D C
All Other Areas
D D C C B
D D D D C
Standards per “Neighborhood Transportation Impact Analysis”
Table 1: Auto LOS Standards by Street Classification (from Larimer County Multi-Modal Transportation Level of Service Manual (2007))
Applications General Plans Transportation Master Plans Congestion Management Plans
Fort Collins does not use this measure of automobile LOS to calculate transportation impact fees for developers.
Advantages
New development achieves connectivity and continuity goals Reduces City’s capital infrastructure burdens (developments must meet LOS standards to win approval) Educates developers, engineers and planners; promotes buy-in among professionals Creates better interconnectivity between modes, higher modal splits
Disadvantages
Harder to enforce when economy, demand for development are weak Can be difficult to implement in infill areas Requires defined roadway networks, congestion/transportation demand management plan
Data Requirements (public infrastructure provision only)
Volume/Capacity calculations (based on existing conditions and projected land uses) Land use plan (existing) Transportation master plan (existing)