To be more general. Engineers were optimizing the wrong objective function. Throughput the number of vehicles (or occupants) passing a point per time period in only part of what needs to be maximized. Death, property damage and injury are also costs that road design and pricing need to take into account.
Our MPO here in Pinellas County created a new index called the Multimodal Accessibility Index (MAX Index) to replace LOS. https://forwardpinellas.org/blog/pinellas/introducing-the-max-index-a-new-way-forward-beyond-level-of-service/
The tough part is getting public works departments in the 25 local governments to adopt it and change their car-centric mindset.
To be more general. Engineers were optimizing the wrong objective function. Throughput the number of vehicles (or occupants) passing a point per time period in only part of what needs to be maximized. Death, property damage and injury are also costs that road design and pricing need to take into account.
If anyone is looking for alternative metrics to LOS, then check out:
https://www.fehrandpeers.com/vmt-impacts/