Collecting traffic counts on high volume and high speed highways is particularly troublesome. Even in the early morning hours, placing road tubes or other devices in the road can be extremely hazardous to the field technicians and motoring public. To this end, Portable Non-Intrusive Traffic Data Collection Systems have been developed through extensive research in states including Minnesota, Virginia, New York, Wisconsin, and Kentucky. The purpose of this past research was to develop a traffic counting system that did not require entry into the traveled way. The solutions developed included mounting microwave or acoustic sensors on temporary poles attached to existing roadside signs or trailer-mounted telescoping poles. The testing grounds for these devices have typically been freeways, which had ample roadside space, favorable roadside topography, and were free of utilities. This permitted the devices to generally be mounted at the ideal location according to the manufacturers' specifications. However, the counting performance of the sensors is affected by the height and distance from traffic at which the sensors are placed. Placing the sensors at the recommended heights and offsets can be difficult in more restricted roadside environments. For example, the acoustic sensors are optimally placed high above the traffic (7.6 m to 9.1 m) and close to the traffic stream (3.0 m to 6.1 m), while microwave sensors are optimally mounted lower (4.6 m to 7.6 m) and farther from the traffic stream (7.6 m to 10.7 m). In non-freeway environments, limited right-of-way, adjacent property development, and overhead utilities can complicate equipment set up. In addition, because the sensors will tend to be located closer to the lanes, roadside safety and capacity restriction become issues. Finally, in nonfreeway environments, pedestrian/security issues also become important. The purpose of this research was to test the portable non-intrusive traffic data collection systems in a variety of environments, including some restrictive non-freeway environments. This research demonstrates the sensitivity of the equipment in matching manual traffic counts and vehicle classification with various roadside restrictions.
Portable non-intrusive traffic data collection in variable roadside environments
2006
6 Seiten, 4 Bilder, 1 Tabelle, 1 Quelle
Aufsatz (Konferenz)
Englisch
Portable Non-Intrusive Traffic Data Collection in Variable Roadside Environments
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2005
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Online Contents | 2016
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