DRAFT
Traffic Technical Memo
4. TRAFFIC DATA COLLECTION For this project, existing traffic counts were taken in December of 2008. Based on historic traffic patterns, the PWG decided that Christmas counts could be used with adequate adjustments to model existing summer heavy traffic times. The City determined that the week of Christmas would most accurately reflect the patterns seen during the most heavy traffic season which occurs in July. Peak hour turning movement counts were recorded at seven locations: • • • • • • •
US 40 & 13th Street US 40 & Elk River Road US 40 & County Shop Road US 40 & Downhill Drive US 40 & CR 42 US 40 & Brandon Circle Elk River Road & Downhill Drive
Twenty four hour directional vehicle classification counts were recorded at six locations: • • • • • •
US 40 West of 13th Street US 40 West of Elk River Road US 40 East of Slate Creek US 40 West of Brandon Circle CR 42 North of US 40 Elk River Road North of Downhill Drive
These locations are shown in Figure 4. Because Steamboat Springs receives a considerable amount of snowfall, the daily counts were recorded with radar detectors rather than the more standard pneumatic tube counts. During the counting period, a snow event did occur which, because of Steamboat Springs ski industry tends to increase traffic rather than diminish it. Appendix A Traffic Count Data includes the raw data collection sheets recorded for this study. Figure 5 shows a summary of the existing turning movement counts at all major intersections in the study area. These counts do not exactly match the traffic count data as they have been balanced between intersections accounting for land uses adjacent to US 40. Peak hour volumes in the morning are much higher going into Steamboat Springs and peak hour volumes in the evening are much greater leaving Steamboat Springs.
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