2 Del. Admin. Code § 4C.02

Current through Register Vol. 28, No. 5, November 1, 2024
Section 4C.02 - Warrant 1, Eight-Hour Vehicular Volume

Support:

01 The Minimum Vehicular Volume, Condition A, is intended for application at locations where a large volume of intersecting traffic is the principal reason to consider installing a traffic control signal.
02 The Interruption of Continuous Traffic, Condition B, is intended for application at locations where Condition A is not satisfied and where the traffic volume on a major street is so heavy that traffic on a minor intersecting street suffers excessive delay or conflict in entering or crossing the major street.
03 It is intended that Warrant 1 be treated as a single warrant. If Condition A is satisfied, then Warrant 1 is satisfied and analyses of Condition B and the combination of Conditions A and B are not needed. Similarly, if Condition B is satisfied, then Warrant 1 is satisfied and an analysis of the combination of Conditions A and B is not needed.

Standard:

04 The need for a traffic control signal shall be considered if an engineering study finds that one of the following conditions exist for each of any 8 hours of an average day:
A. The vehicles per hour given in both of the 100 percent columns of Condition A in Table 4C-1 exist on the major-street and the higher-volume minor-street approaches, respectively, to the intersection; or
B. The vehicles per hour given in both of the 100 percent columns of Condition B in Table 4C-1 exist on the major-street and the higher-volume minor-street approaches, respectively, to the intersection.

In applying each condition the major-street and minor-street volumes shall be for the same 8 hours. On the minor street, the higher volume shall not be required to be on the same approach during each of these 8 hours.

Option:

05 If the posted or statutory speed limit or the 85th-percentile speed on the major street exceeds 40 mph, or if the intersection lies within the built-up area of an isolated community having a population of less than 10,000, the traffic volumes in the 70 percent columns in Table 4C-1 may be used in place of the 100 percent columns.

Guidance:

06 The combination of Conditions A and B is intended for application at locations where Condition A is not satisfied and Condition B is not satisfied and should be applied only after an adequate trial of other alternatives that could cause less delay and inconvenience to traffic has failed to solve the traffic problems.

Standard:

07 The need for a traffic control signal shall be considered if an engineering study finds that both of the following conditions exist for each of any 8 hours of an average day:
A. The vehicles per hour given in both of the 80 percent columns of Condition A in Table 4C-1 exist on the major-street and the higher-volume minor-street approaches, respectively, to the intersection; and
B. The vehicles per hour given in both of the 80 percent columns of Condition B in Table 4C-1 exist on the major-street and the higher-volume minor-street approaches, respectively, to the intersection.

These major-street and minor-street volumes shall be for the same 8 hours for each condition; however, the 8 hours satisfied in Condition A shall not be required to be the same 8 hours satisfied in Condition B. On the minor street, the higher volume shall not be required to be on the same approach during each of the 8 hours.

Option:

08 If the posted or statutory speed limit or the 85th-percentile speed on the major street exceeds 40 mph, or if the intersection lies within the built-up area of an isolated community having a population of less than 10,000, the traffic volumes in the 56 percent columns in Table 4C-1 may be used in place of the 80 percent columns.

Table 4C-1. Warrant 1, Eight-Hour Vehicular Volume
Condition A-Minimum Vehicular Volume
Number of lanes for moving traffic on each approach Vehicles per hour on major street(total of both approaches) Vehicles per hour on higher-volumeminor-street approach (one direction only)
Major Street Minor Street 100%a 80%b 70%c 56%d 100%a 80%b 70%c 56%d
1 1 500 400 350 280 150 120 105 84
2 or more 1 600 480 420 336 150 120 105 84
2 or more 2 or more 600 480 420 336 200 160 140 112
1 2 or more 500 400 350 280 200 160 140 112
Condition B-Interruption of Continuous Traffic
Number of lanes for moving traffic on each approach Vehicles per hour on major street(total of both approaches) Vehicles per hour on higher-volumeminor-street approach (one direction only)
Major Street Minor Street 100%a 80%b 70%c 56%d 100%a 80%b 70%c 56%d
1 1 750 600 525 420 75 60 53 42
2 or more 1 900 720 630 504 75 60 53 42
2 or more 2 or more 900 720 630 504 100 80 70 56
1 2 or more 750 600 525 420 100 80 70 56
a Basic minimum hourly volume b Used for combination of Conditions A and B after adequate trial of other remedial measures c May be used when the major-street speed exceeds 40 mph or in an isolated community with a population of less than 10,000 d May be used for combination of Conditions A and B after adequate trial of other remedial measures when the major-street speed exceeds 40 mph or in an isolated community with a population of less than 10,000

2 Del. Admin. Code § 4C.02