A method for managing traffic flow for transport over a plurality of communication channels (840a-840g) on a shared access cable network, the method comprising: receiving a first packet, the first packet having associated therewith a first set of characteristics, the first set of characteristics comprising a first service flow identifier representing a first service flow associated with the first packet, the first packet having a first packed size value associated therewith, the first packet size value representing a size of the first packet or of a first portion thereof; identifying, using at least a portion of the first set of characteristics, a first channel group associated with the first service flow from a plurality of channel groups (812, 814, 816), the first channel group comprising a plurality of communication channels which have been allocated for use in transporting data traffic associated with the first service flow, wherein at least one of the plurality of communications channels is also included within a second channel group; managing traffic flow associated with the first channel group, wherein the managing of the traffic flow associated with the first channel group includes: determining first packet size value data; selecting, using a first set of selection criteria, a first selected channel of the first channel group; and updating, using at least a portion of the first packet size value data, a first selected channel traffic usage value representing an amount of total traffic allocated for transport over the first selected channel during a first time interval. receiving a first packet, the first packet having associated therewith a first set of characteristics, the first set of characteristics comprising a first service flow identifier representing a first service flow associated with the first packet, the first packet having a first packed size value associated therewith, the first packet size value representing a size of the first packet or of a first portion thereof; identifying, using at least a portion of the first set of characteristics, a first channel group associated with the first service flow from a plurality of channel groups (812, 814, 816), the first channel group comprising a plurality of communication channels which have been allocated for use in transporting data traffic associated with the first service flow, wherein at least one of the plurality of communications channels is also included within a second channel group; managing traffic flow associated with the first channel group, wherein the managing of the traffic flow associated with the first channel group includes: determining first packet size value data; selecting, using a first set of selection criteria, a first selected channel of the first channel group; and updating, using at least a portion of the first packet size value data, a first selected channel traffic usage value representing an amount of total traffic allocated for transport over the first selected channel during a first time interval. determining first packet size value data; selecting, using a first set of selection criteria, a first selected channel of the first channel group; and updating, using at least a portion of the first packet size value data, a first selected channel traffic usage value representing an amount of total traffic allocated for transport over the first selected channel during a first time interval.