The Traffic Monitoring Program Research Project: Comparison of TDOT Practices with Selected States

This report presents the findings of research on traffic monitoring programs undertaken for Tennessee Department of Transportation's (TDOT's) Long Range Planning Division by Tennessee Technological University’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. The primary purpose of the research was to determine best practices for a traffic monitoring program based on an in-depth review of the Traffic Monitoring Programs of nine selected State Departments of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration’s Traffic Monitoring Guide. The project included six key research objectives, namely 1) to review and compare Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Traffic Monitoring program with that of the selected States; 2) to investigate the cost of improving TDOT’s Traffic Monitoring Program with the results of the best practices; 3) to investigate new technologies for traffic data collection methods and traffic data statistical analysis such as seasonal factors and variances; 4) to develop a ruleset designed to help remove questionable data reported by the permanent count stations; 5) to calculate seasonal factors based on the 2015 dataset; and 6) to review TDOT’s current process for estimating vehicle miles travelled on local roads. The report includes specific conclusions and recommendations for TDOT; however, the report narrative clearly indicates that state implementation of traffic monitoring varies widely. Most states, therefore, would likely benefit from a review of their current practice and incorporation of innovative or different methods presented herein.

• Record URL:
  https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/long-range-planning/research/final-reports/res2016-final-reports/RES2016-01_final%20report_approved.pdf
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/55051
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Cover title: The Traffic Monitoring Program Research Project: Comparison of TDOT Practices with those of Selected States.
• Corporate Authors:

  Tennessee Tech University

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  1020 Stadium Drive Box.5015
  Cookeville, TN  United States  38505

  Tennessee Department of Transportation

  Nashville, TN  United States  37219-0334

  Federal Highway Administration

  Central Federal Lands Highway Division, 12300 West Dakota Avenue
  Lakewood, CO  United States  80228
• Authors:
  • Badoe, Daniel A
  • Click, Steven M
  • Oswalt, Jessica
  • Edwards, Michelle
  • Humphreys, Emily
• Publication Date: 2017-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 157p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Best practices; Costs; Data analysis; Data collection; Recommendations; Seasons; State departments of transportation; Technological innovations; Traffic counts; Traffic data; Traffic surveillance; Vehicle miles of travel
• Identifier Terms: Tennessee Department of Transportation; U.S. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01691000
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: RES2016-01
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jan 17 2019 9:38AM