As mentioned previously, LOS is a measure of the operational condition of a given roadway segment or intersection. LOS can be thought of as individual grades: A, B, C, D, E, and F, with LOS "A" being the best and LOS "F" being the worst. Currently the minimum LOS for intersections is LOS D and the minimum for roadway segments is LOS C. As part of the Circulation Element Update, a review of the current LOS standards will be completed to ensure compliance with regional requirements while taking into consideration what is most appropriate and best suited for our community.

In addition, the various methodologies and capacity assumptions used to determine roadway and intersection LOS will be reviewed and refined to reflect any new guidelines for LOS analyses in the San Diego region. New LOS guidelines from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) have been released in the beginning of year 2010 that move away from the traditional emphasis on "capacity" and places more emphasis on "performance" of the roadways. These new guidelines take into consideration that more people might use another modes of travel such as transit, carpooling, walking, telecommuting or bicycling, to name a few. It may be appropriate for the City of Oceanside to adopt reformed LOS policies that provide more flexibility in determining changes in LOS due to new land use developments within the City.