By Emily Gerson, Content Marketing Specialist
In transportation, we make decisions based on data: if crashes or pedestrian accidents are high at a certain intersection, it’s time to explore solutions and related projects. The bottom line? Multi-modal traffic data measurement is important to day-to-day agency decisions. It can, and should, guide decision-making, which means you want your data to be as comprehensive, accurate, and up to date as possible.
Examples of data that your agency should be collecting thoroughly and why, include:
Average daily traffic (ADT): This measure tracks daily traffic amount in a set geographic location. It can be utilized to determine infrastructure needs and maintenance, as well as possible congestion reduction projects.
Turning movement counts (TMC): TMC data tracks traffic volume directionally in an intersection. The information collected can be used in a wide array of studies from “signalized intersection delay” to “enhanced turning movement,” according to a fact sheet from the University of Kansas Transportation Center for Road, Street and Bridge Agencies.
Bicycle counts: Counting bicycles, put most simply, helps you to better understand your traveling population and their needs. For example, if there are a high number of bicycles in one area, it might be good to consider adding a bike lane for improved traffic flow and safety.
Pedestrian counts: Similar to bicycle counts, knowing the average number of pedestrians in an area will help your agency plan accordingly, perhaps with more pedestrian walkways, traffic control devices, or signage to improve traffic flow and safety for both pedestrians and vehicles.
There are numerous other count-based studies that can be done, such as speed, classification and origin-destination studies.
Not only can the Navjoy team help you collect this data, but we can take it a step further because we are also able to analyze this data for you. Data does no good sitting on a shelf, unused and rarely looked at. Our goal is to help you best maximize data for decision-making.
If you are interested in our DBE-certified services, visit our data collection page, our data analytics page, or email us at communication@navjoyinc.com. Additionally, for more information on making better data-driven decisions, download our e-book here.