Traffic count
Encyclopedia
A traffic count is a count of traffic
along a particular road
, either done electronically or by people counting by the side of the road. Traffic counts can be used by local councils to identify which routes are used most, and to either improve that road or provide an alternative if there is an excessive amount of traffic. Also, some geography fieldwork involves a traffic count. They are useful for comparing two or more roads, and also can be used alongside other methods to find out where the CBD
of a settlement is located.
to keep a record of vehicles which pass. This data can then be used to convince a local council that a particular road needs to have more work done on it or an alternative route needs to be built.
A traffic counter is a device, often electronic in nature, used to count, classify, and/or, measure the speed of vehicular traffic
passing along a given roadway. The device is usually deployed in near proximity to the roadway and uses an intrusive medium, such as pneumatic road tubes laid across the roadway, piezo-electric sensors embedded in the roadway, inductive
loops cut into the roadway, or a combination of these to detect the passing vehicles. Recently, in the interest of worker safety and ease of installation, non-intrusive technologies have been developed. These devices generally use some sort of transmitted energy such as radar
waves or infrared
beams to detect vehicles passing over the roadway. One of the first traffic counting units, called traffic recorders, was introduced in 1937 and operated off a strip laid across the street and operated off a six volt battery. Each hour it printed off a paper strip with the total for that hour.
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
along a particular road
Road
A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places, which typically has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by some conveyance, including a horse, cart, or motor vehicle. Roads consist of one, or sometimes two, roadways each with one or more lanes and also any...
, either done electronically or by people counting by the side of the road. Traffic counts can be used by local councils to identify which routes are used most, and to either improve that road or provide an alternative if there is an excessive amount of traffic. Also, some geography fieldwork involves a traffic count. They are useful for comparing two or more roads, and also can be used alongside other methods to find out where the CBD
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of a settlement is located.
Counting methods
To permanently monitor the usage of a road, an electronic traffic counter can be installed as a way of measuring road usage. In other places people either draw up a table and use a tallyTally marks
Tally marks, or hash marks, are a unary numeral system. They are a form of numeral used for counting. They allow updating written intermediate results without erasing or discarding anything written down...
to keep a record of vehicles which pass. This data can then be used to convince a local council that a particular road needs to have more work done on it or an alternative route needs to be built.
Example Table from a Traffic Count
This is an example of a traffic count, showing the type of vehicle and the data collected at a particular place in each direction. As you can see, this data has been compiled into numbers from each direction and a total count. The original table (which was used out on the road) used data recorded in tally form.| Vehicle Type | Direction X | Direction Y | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car | 48 | 47 | 95 |
| Lorry | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Van | 5 | 7 | 12 |
| Bus | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Bike | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Pedestrian | 3 | 4 | 7 |
Traffic counter device
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
passing along a given roadway. The device is usually deployed in near proximity to the roadway and uses an intrusive medium, such as pneumatic road tubes laid across the roadway, piezo-electric sensors embedded in the roadway, inductive
Induction loop
Induction loop is a term used to describe an electromagnetic communication- and detection system, relying on the fact that a moving magnet will induce an electrical current in a nearby conducting wire. Induction loops are used for transmission and reception of communication signals, or for...
loops cut into the roadway, or a combination of these to detect the passing vehicles. Recently, in the interest of worker safety and ease of installation, non-intrusive technologies have been developed. These devices generally use some sort of transmitted energy such as radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
waves or infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
beams to detect vehicles passing over the roadway. One of the first traffic counting units, called traffic recorders, was introduced in 1937 and operated off a strip laid across the street and operated off a six volt battery. Each hour it printed off a paper strip with the total for that hour.