Traffic Operational Performance Assessment of Bebora Road in Dili City, Timor-Leste: Capacity, Saturation, Speed, and Level of Service

Increasing traffic demand has become an important factor affecting the operational performance of Bebora Road in Dili City, Timor-Leste. The continuous growth of traffic volume may influence traffic flow characteristics, road capacity, vehicle speed, degree of saturation (DS), and level of service (LOS). This study aims to assess the operational performance of Bebora Road by examining road capacity, traffic volume, vehicle speed, degree of saturation, and level of service based on the Indonesian Highway Capacity Manual (MKJI) 1997. Field observations were conducted on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday to collect traffic volume, vehicle speed, and road geometric characteristics at selected observation points and traffic directions. The analysis indicates that the calculated road capacity of Bebora Road is 2,140.20 passenger car units (pcu) per hour. The highest degree of saturation was 0.837, recorded on Thursday in the direction of Mauloa Bridge, while the lowest degree of saturation was 0.654, observed on Wednesday in the direction of the traffic signal. All observed DS values remained below 1.00, indicating that the traffic demand during the observation periods was still within the road capacity available. However, the variation in traffic conditions resulted in Level of Service categories C and D, indicating moderate to relatively high traffic operational conditions. These findings demonstrate that although Bebora Road can currently accommodate the observed traffic demand, increasing traffic volume may gradually reduce operational performance and traffic mobility. Therefore, appropriate traffic management strategies, including improved traffic control, monitoring of traffic growth, and potential capacity improvements, are necessary to maintain acceptable operational conditions and support future transportation needs in Dili City