BlogTransport systems
Traffic counting and classification for road planning
By Micah Ondiwa, Senior Software Engineer 1 min read
Reliable counts of vehicles by type and time underpin road design, maintenance planning and safety decisions.
Road agencies and counties make large decisions based on traffic: which roads to upgrade, how thick the pavement should be, where to put crossings. Those decisions are only as good as the counts behind them.
What to measure
- Volumes by hour, day and season.
- Vehicle classes — cars, buses, light and heavy trucks.
- Speeds and direction of travel.
Methods
Permanent sites with loops or sensors give continuous data. Temporary counts with portable sensors or cameras cover more locations for shorter periods. AI video analytics can count and classify from cameras.
Make data comparable
Use consistent vehicle classes and time periods across sites, and record equipment problems so gaps are not mistaken for low traffic.
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About the author
Micah Ondiwa
Senior Software Engineer
Micah Ondiwa writes about software engineering — application architecture, APIs and integration, data and AI-assisted development, and reliable delivery.