ESTIMATION OF THROUGH TRIPS USING EXISTING TRAFFIC COUNTS

Abstract

Through trips are a concerns as these trips contribute to roadway congestion that must be accommodated, but for which there are no simple methods to determine. Concerns for safety and a need to avoid inconveniencing drivers have limited the use of traditional vehicle surveys. Previous research developed equations to estimate through trips in communities, requiring data on street locations, traffic volumes, community demographics, economic data and geographic data. Alternatively, using cell phones or Bluetooth devices to collect traveler information have not always been accepted by the general public and are often seen as intrusions into driver privacy. Transportation professionals are in need of a methodology to estimate through trips to improve the transportation planning process and better allocate resources for roadway infrastructure investment. This research utilizes roadway connectivity and traffic count data to estimate through trip numbers. The methodology determines through trips using roadway counts collected as part of a routine traffic monitoring procedure. The methodology has been tested against a community that underwent a Bluetooth data collection study. The outcome of this research will benefit any community with a traffic monitoring program where through trip patterns could be used to improve resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]