Análisis de la capacidad vial en vías urbanas, av. Bolívar Madero Vargas entre Gral. Páez y 3ra norte de la ciudad de Machala

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the road capacity of Av. Bolívar Madero Vargas, in the section between Gral. Páez Street and 5ta Norte, in the city of Machala. To do so, a methodology based on the Invías Manual was used, supported by the Highway Capacity Manual 2000 (HCM2000), differentiating itself from approaches previously used in similar studies. The research was developed in three phases: initially, a bibliographic review was carried out to contextualize the traffic problems in the study area. Subsequently, surveys were applied to road users in order to evaluate their perception regarding traffic conditions and possible improvements. Finally, vehicle counts were carried out for a full week to obtain field data that would allow calculating the capacity and service level of the road. The survey results show that 73.9% of respondents perceive the road as congested, while 15.9% describe it as intermittent and 10.1% as free. As for improvement proposals, 58% suggest the implementation of an exclusive lane for public transport, 17.4% advocate restrictions on heavy vehicles, 13% recommend optimizing signage and 11.6% propose reducing red light times at traffic lights. Based on the capacity analysis, a C_60 flow of 1,642 (veh/h) and a C_15 of 1,485 (veh/h) were obtained. The service level determined was C, with an average speed of 65.304 (km/h), taking into account that the highest percentage of vehicles correspond to cars, thus indicating a flow condition with moderate restrictions. The findings of the study allow us to characterize the performance of the road and suggest the need for traffic management strategies that improve urban mobility in the analyzed area.