Definition§
Daily Traffic Counts refer to the quantification of vehicles traveling on a specific highway or street within a 24-hour period. Many state departments of transportation perform these counts periodically using various methods, such as road sensors and manual counts, to track traffic patterns and inform infrastructure planning.
Examples§
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Interstate Highways: An interstate highway in a metropolitan area might record over 250,000 vehicles passing a particular point daily. This data is vital for infrastructure maintenance, expansion plans, and managing traffic congestion.
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Commercial Real Estate: Retail chains like convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, and big-box retailers often require minimum daily traffic counts in feasibility analysis before selecting a site for a new store. For instance, a retailer may seek a location with a minimum of 20,000 vehicles per day to ensure sufficient customer base potential.
Frequently Asked Questions§
Why are Daily Traffic Counts important?§
- Infrastructure Planning: Governments and municipalities use traffic data to plan road maintenance and expansions.
- Safety Measures: High traffic counts can indicate the need for enhanced road safety features.
- Commercial Site Selection: Businesses use traffic counts to gauge potential customer base for new locations.
- Environmental Impact: Understanding traffic patterns helps assess vehicle emissions and environmental impact.
Who collects Daily Traffic Counts?§
State departments of transportation typically collect daily traffic count data using road sensors, automatic traffic recorders, and manual counting methods.
How do Daily Traffic Counts affect real estate?§
High traffic counts can increase the value of commercial properties due to higher potential customer flow. Conversely, residential properties might be less desirable in high traffic areas due to noise and pollution.
How often are Daily Traffic Counts updated?§
The frequency of updates can vary. Some locations might see updates annually, while high-impact areas could be counted more frequently.
Related Terms§
- Traffic Flow: The movement of vehicles through a specific area or roadway segment. Traffic flow studies include variations in volume, speed, and vehicle types.
- Highway Capacity: The maximum number of vehicles that can reasonably be expected to pass a point on a highway in a given time under prevailing conditions.
- Level of Service (LOS): A qualitative measure describing operational conditions within a traffic stream, generally from A (best) to F (worst).
- Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA): A study predicting the amount of traffic a new development will generate and the consequences that this traffic will have on the local transportation network.
Online Resources§
- Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
References§
- Federal Highway Administration. “Traffic Monitoring Guide.” FHWA, 2021. Link
- American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. “A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets.” AASHTO, 2018.
- National Cooperative Highway Research Program. “Traffic Data for Performance Measurement.” NCHRP Report 769, 2014.
Suggested Books for Further Studies§
- “Traffic and Highway Engineering” by Nicholas J. Garber and Lester A. Hoel
- “Transportation and Traffic Theory” edited by Moshe Ben-Akiva, Hervé Rakha & Wen-Long Jin
- “Highway Capacity Manual” by Transportation Research Board
