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Comprehensive Plan Transportation Element The level of service for roadway links is determined by comparing the traffic volume to the roadway capacity. The result is used to identify the LOS. Level of service calculations are determined using guidelines established in the latest edition of FDOT's Level of Service Handbook. Generalized tables used in this element also are derived from FDOT's Level of Service Handbook. Alternatively, level of service can be determined using other methodologies, including ART -Plan analyses, speed -delay studies or the Highway Capacity Manual method. In Indian River County, LOS "C" is considered the minimum accepted standard for rural level of service "D" is the minimum accepted standard during peak hour, peak season, peak direction conditions The peak hour/peak season parameter is considered the 100th highest hour of traffic activity during a year. Recently, the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) considered several programmed roadway improvement projects. During the public involvement phase of the roadway development process, a considerable amount of citizen opposition arose against two of those roadway projects — the 43rd Avenue and 27th Avenue widening projects. Both 43rd Avenue and 27th Avenue are two-lane undivided facilities that were proposed to be widened to four -lane divided facilities. The proposed widening projects were perceived as leading to higher volumes of traffic, higher travel speeds, increased noise levels, and reduced safety. As structured, the Comprehensive Plan contains a number of proposed roadway projects necessary to maintain an adequate level of service throughout the county. Five-laning 43rd Avenue and 27th Avenue are two of those projects. According to Indian River Count Traffic Engineering, two mdividual roadway segments (43rd Avenue southbound between 16t Street and 12t Street and 43rd Avenue southbound between 12th Street and 8th Street) will soon exceed the PM Peak Hour level of service "D" standard established for those facilities (currently 810 vehicle trips/hour/direction). Based on current traffic volumes, vested trips in the County's concurrency management system, and trips anticipated fromproposed new developments that are not yet vested, it is anticipated that these segments will carry 921 trips in the near-term future. In addition to these two roadway segments, a number of other road segments on both 43rd and 27th Avenues are within 10% of level of service "D" standards and could exceed the standard in the Los D near future when additional trips are placed on these links. In order to maintain the adopted level of service while also maintaining the quality of life of the residents in south Indian River County, the county explored a number of alternatives to four- laning 43rd and 27th Avenues. These alternatives included three-laning 43rd and 27th Avenues; establishing new roadway alignments; and widening parallel facilities In addition, an analysis was conducted to determine the feasibility of maintaining adequate levels of service through expanded transit service on the facilities. In performing the analysis of alternatives, the county employed a number of quantitative techniques, including regional travel demand modeling using FSUTMS on the adopted Treasure Coast Regional Planning Model network. Community Development Department Indian River County 13