MEASURING RURAL TRAFFIC FLOWS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

THIS PAPER EXAMINES THE METHODS CURRENTLY RECOMMENDED FOR MAKING ESTIMATES OF TRAFFIC FLOW ON RURAL ROADS IN THE UK. IT IS ARGUED THAT RECENT CHANGES IN HIGHWAY DECISION CRITERIA HAVE SHIFTED THE EMPHASIS FROM AUGUST TO ANNUAL TRAFFIC CHARACTERISTICS. CONSEQUENTLY THE USEFULNESS OF AUGUST AS A STANDARD FOR TRAFFIC OBSERVATIONS HAS BEEN LESSENED: RESULTS SHOW THAT THE SEASONAL VARIATION INDEX FOR AUGUST IS NOT CONSTANT AND HAS BEEN DECREASING WITH TIME, AND THAT COUNTS IN SOME OTHER SUMMER MONTHS GIVE AS ACCURATE OR MORE ACCURATE ESTIMATES. THE PAPER SHOWS THAT ALL METHODS CURRENTLY USED FOR ESTIMATING ANNUAL TRAFFIC FLOWS SUFFER BECAUSE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SPECIFY THE CONFIDENCE LIMITS ATTACHED TO THE ESTIMATES RESULTING FROM THEIR USE. IN VIEW OF THIS LIMITATION IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE WHOLE BASIS OF STANDARDIZING RURAL TRAFFIC COUNTS IN THE UK NEEDS TO BE REEXAMINED. THE PAPER SUGGESTS THAT THE MEASUREMENT OF RURAL TRAFFIC FLOWS IN THE UK SHOULD BE BASED ON THE CONCEPT 'ANNUAL AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC'.(A)

• Corporate Authors:

  Institution of Civil Engineers

  One Great George Street, Westminster
  London,   United Kingdom  SW1P 3AA
• Authors:
  • HOWE, J D
  • Samarasinghe, N P
• Conference:
  • Institution of Civil Engineers, Proceedings
• Publication Date: 1974-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 353-365
• Serial:
  • Volume: 57
  • Issue Number: 2

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Forecasting; Methodology; Rural areas; Rural highways; Seasons; Summer; Traffic counting; Traffic counts; Traffic flow; Traffic surveillance; Travel patterns; Years
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• Old TRIS Terms: Seasonal traffic pattern
• ITRD Terms: 132: Forecast; 9102: Method; 328: Rural area; 2525: Season; 2534: Summer; 689: Traffic count; 671: Traffic flow; 8119: United Kingdom; 9091: Year
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00080688
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 6 1975 12:00AM