PTB 177-15 Traffic Data Collection – IDOT Districts 4, 6, & 8

Summary

Kaskaskia Engineering Group, LLC (KEG) served as a subconsultant to perform various traffic data collection services for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) in Districts 4, 6, and 8.  IDOT collects traffic data along its interstates, US routes, Illinois routes, and unmarked highways on a regular schedule to have accurate traffic volume data along the roadways and at intersections.  This traffic count data is then normalized by IDOT for various adjustments including seasonal and day-of-week factors and published on the IDOT website.

Project

In 2014, KEG engineers and technicians were responsible for the installation of road tube counters along various IDOT two-lane roadways in Mercer County, Illinois.  KEG was tasked with an aggressive schedule to perform traffic data collection at 270 sites.  The traffic data collected was along two-lane roadways and included the two-way average daily traffic (ADT) volumes.

In order to complete the traffic counts within the schedule, KEG utilized innovative solutions, including project scheduling utilizing GIS to plan the most efficient routes for KEG staff to set out and pick up traffic counters, as well as having KEG field crews adjust their working days and hours to meet the schedule constraints.  KEG crews completed the 270, 24-hour tube traffic counts in less than 5 weeks.  The traffic count data was submitted to IDOT for review and acceptance.

During 2015, KEG engineers and technicians will be responsible for 230 traffic counts in Logan County, Menard County, Peoria County, Sangamon County, Tazewell County, and Woodford County in IDOT Districts 4 and 6.  KEG engineers and technicians will perform 130, 24-hour tube counts to collect two-way ADT volumes, as well as 100, 24-hour volume and classification counts using magnetic lane counters (Hi-Stars traffic counters).