City Conducts Traffic Studies

It’s that time of year again that the City is placing traffic analyzers in the roadways. Please be mindful of the men and women installing these devices.

You may have periodically noticed small devices on the City roads—these are portable traffic analyzer sensors that are used to collect short-term traffic data to be analyzed as part of a traffic study. These devices collect information by utilizing a magnetic sensor to detect vehicle count, speed and classification (cars, trucks, buses, etc.).

The sensors are placed directly in the traffic lane and can be installed and removed quickly and easily without damage to the road’s surface. They are placed in a protective cover and then placed and secured in the traffic lanes with screws.

The sensors are typically installed on Mondays and retrieved on Fridays, with a data collection period from Tuesday through Thursday. Data extracted from the sensors is utilized for inhouse review of speed, volumes, peak hours and vehicle type. The City tries to ensure that all traffic counts are five-years-old or less, with a high concentration on collector and arterial roadways. We also collect data at particular locations based upon requests from the Public Works Department and Police Department.