A subscriber unit-based method and a subscriber unit include locally maintaining a status of each working channel of a plurality of working channels in a wireless communication system; responsive to an inbound request, selecting one of a plurality of idle working channels of the plurality of working channels and a dedicated control channel; and sending the inbound request on the selected channel. An infrastructure-based method is also provided. Variously, the methods and systems increase service capacity in radio communication systems using idle working channels as flexible control channels. An infrastructure-based method is also described.