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Maryland Traffic Count Studies
Problem Statement and Objectives
The Maryland State Highway Administration (MDSHA) routinely conducts portable traffic count studies to augment the traffic data collected at their continuous count sites and to provide traffic data for special studies. These additional data collection activities are used to help MDSHA better manage their highway network.
Under a portable traffic count studies, ARA was responsible for reviewing and summarizing raw traffic data from hundreds of portable counts performed by a data collection firm. The data were reviewed and summarized for special studies on all functional classifications of highways throughout Maryland. In conjunction with these activities, ARA calculated and validated seasonal and daily correction factors used to adjust traffic data and develop annual traffic totals.
Results and Benefits
Data generated by the portable traffic counts were used to generate traffic volume and vehicle classification estimates at the various data collection locations. Both of these primary data types are important to the process of estimating traffic growth trends for more than 5,400 miles of Maryland highways. Vehicle classification data provide insight into traffic stream composition and serve as a source for the development of typical truck classification distributions, which are then used for highways of similar functional classifications where on-site data collection cannot be performed. Additionally, data reviewed, summarized, and verified by ARA are used for planning activities and for highway congestion studies in urban and suburban areas.
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