TRB-762_KJackson_SiteSelectionMethods-Notes

Non‐Motorized Site Selection Methods for Continuous and Short‐Duration

Volume Counting

Non‐Motorized Site Selection Methods for Continuous and Short‐Duration

Volume CountingTRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 94TH ANNUAL MEETING

SESSION 762

INSTITUTE FOR TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

KRISTY JACKSONResearch AssociateBicycle and Pedestrian Program

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14, 2015

PRESENTER: CO‐AUTHORS:ELIZABETH STOLZSprinkle Consulting

CHRIS M. CUNNINGHAM, P.E.ITRE, NC State University

15‐0817

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Develop a bicycle and pedestrian volume counting program that can be replicated statewide.

NCDOT PILOT PROJECT

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OBJECTIVES:

NCDOT Division 7/9 Pilot Region

15‐0817: Non‐Motorized Site Selection Methods for Continuous and Short‐Duration Volume Counting15‐0817: Non‐Motorized Site Selection Methods for Continuous and Short‐Duration Volume Counting

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Continuous Count Stations – Permanent counting sites that provide data continuously (24 hours per day, 7 days per week).

Enough data should be collected to allow calculation of accurate adjustment factors (Time of Day, Day of Week, Monthly) to apply to Short Duration Counts.

CCS

SDC

Winston‐Salem, NC

Durham, NC

2013 FHWA Traffic Monitoring GuideChapter 4 –Traffic Monitoring for Non‐Motorized Traffic


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NON‐MOTORIZED TRAFFIC MONITORING PROGRAM ELEMENTS

Coordinated Data

Collection(CURRENT)

Literature Review

Sampling Plan

Data Collection Program Training

Site Selection

Local Agency Coordination

Data Collection Methods

Equipment Purchasing and

Support

Equipment Vendor

Coordination

Equipment Installation Oversight

Preliminary QA/QC and Data

Verification


Site Selection Task

Create standardized methodology to calculate annualized traffic statistics that comply with nationally accepted methods (TMG Guidance)

Include multiple stakeholders, develop partnerships, and engage early in the process.

Methods should yield the greatest benefit while being efficient in terms of cost, data usage, and technology to collect data.

OBJECTIVES


OUTCOMES OF REGIONAL PILOT:

Installation of 13 continuous count stations (CCS) 20 pieces of logging

equipment

5 Agency Partners

Identification of 22 short duration count (SDC) sites.

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Site Selection Task

NCDOT Division 7/9 Pilot Project: Final CCS and SDC locations15‐0817: Non‐Motorized Site Selection Methods for Continuous and Short‐Duration Volume Counting15‐0817: Non‐Motorized Site Selection Methods for Continuous and Short‐Duration Volume Counting

CCS SDC Sites

Gather Potential Site Locations

Conduct a Site Visit

Determine Recommended CCS Sites

Gather Additional Data and Select Continuous Count Stations

Select Short Duration Count Sites

Choose Technology and Develop Equipment Inventory

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Site Selection Methods Summarized


Gather Potential Locations

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Assign Data Wrangler Activities include but are not limited to: educating

agencies on non‐motorized program, virtual site audits, performing site visits, coordinating municipal agreements, coordinating encroachment agreements, scheduling installations, finding/leveraging resources, access to data, etc.

Contact Agencies Make agency contact to solicit for bicycle and pedestrian

counting sites. Explain non‐motorized data collection goals at every step.

Hold formal training, if possible.

NCDOT Pilot Project Contacted

agencies: 83

Agencies responding: 15

Contact method: Customized Survey

Potential sites received: Over 100, plus additional sites where counts conducted previous



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Develop a Tracking System This is the backbone of the system

for selecting both CCS and eventually SDC sites.

Develop Site Selection Criteria Consider geographic area, duration

of count, hypothesis of factor group designation, facility improvements, and agency support.

Critical Fields: Ranking Site Location (coordinates) Area Type (Urban/Suburban/Rural) Anticipated User Type (Commute/Weekday,

Mixed/Everyday, Recreation/Weekend) Install Type (i.e. Paved Path, Unpaved Path,

Roadway, Bike Lane, Sidewalk) Type of Count (Bicycle/Pedestrian/Both) Ownership (Municipal/State/County) Duration (Short/Continuous) Volume Potential (High/Medium/Low) Notes from Virtual Site Audit



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Evaluate and Prioritize recommended sites Virtual site audit using GIS or internet tools Assign site a numerical rank according to selection criteria Rank based on Critical Site Selection Variables


1. Area Type2. Anticipated User Type3. Install Type4. Volume Potential5. Geographic Region

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Conduct a Site Visit

Notify Local Contacts Review Ranking and Develop Site Visit Schedule Determine Baseline Activity Levels and Evaluate Site

Conditions Look at Origins and Destinations Make Additional Site Observations, not limited to:

Funneling – choke points, bridges, underpasses

Goat paths

Transit stops

Parallel Parked vehicles and Parking Utilization

Turning lanes

Bike Parking areas

Behaviors (i.e. sidewalk riding, midblock crossings)

Vehicles cueing in the roadway

Test for Interference from power lines (inductive loops)


Site Visit in Greensboro, NC

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Example: Useful Tool for Site Visit


Strava Bicycling HeatmapGreensboro, NC

Baseline Activity Levels? How do users funnel through an area?

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Select Continuous Count Stations Reprioritize Recommended CCS

Based on site visit and discussions with local agencies involved

Based on selection criteria Based on proposed factor groups

Gather additional data Best practice to perform a SDC count Ensure investment Ensure site is the type if you have

predicted


Example of data collected conducted to understand use

patterns and volumes at 2 sites in Chapel Hill, NC

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Select Continuous Count Stations


Rank Duration Location Area Type User Type Install Type Ownership TechnologyOther Install

Items

Ease of Install and Counting Virtual Comments Potential

1Continuous W 4th St (between Urban Commute Sidewalk / RoadwayMunicipal 2 IR / 4 Loop 2 urban post Good 2 lanes, narrow High2Continuous Salem Creek GreeRural Recreation Hardpack SUP (SomMunicipal (SUP) 1 IR / 3 Pfmd Loop 1 wood post Good Wide hardpack pathHigh3Continuous E Washington St (Urban Mixed Sidewalk / RoadwayMunicipal 2 IR / 4 Loop 2 urban post Okay 2 lanes, narrow High4Continuous Libba Cotten BikewUniversity Mixed Paved SUP Municipal (SUP) IR / 3 Loop 1 wood post Good Asphalt Trail High5Continuous Hawthorne Rd (WaUrban Commute Sidewalk / RoadwayMunicipal 2 IR / 4 Loop 2 urban post Good 2 sidewalk, 2 lanes High Ped / Med 6Continuous Spring Garden St (University Mixed Sidewalk / RoadwayMunicipal 2 IR / 4 Loop 2 urban post Good 2 lanes, sharrows, nHigh7Continuous Strollway at AcadeUrban Recreation Hardpack SUP / RoaMunicipal (SUP) 1 IR / 6 Loop 1 wood post Good Path intersects BicyHigh Ped / Med 8Continuous Lake Daniel GreenwUrban Recreation Paved SUP / RoadwMunicipal 1 IR / 2 Loop 1 wood post Good Can't see on Google Medium9Continuous S Elm St (betweenUrban Commute Sidewalk / RoadwayMunicipal 2 IR / 4 Loop 2 urban post Good 2 lanes, narrow Medium

10Continuous Hillsborough Rd Rural Recreation Sidewalk / RoadwayNCDOT 1 IR / 4 Loop 1 urban post Good 3 lane, sidewalk, High Bike / Low 11Continuous Martin Luther King University Commute Sidewalk / RoadwayNCDOT 2 IR / 4 Loop 2 urban post Okay Shared use path andMedium12Continuous American Tobacco Urban Mixed Paved SUP Municipal 1 IR / 2 Loop 1 wood post Good Asphalt Trail High

Example: Pilot Project Prioritization List used to Develop Equipment Inventory

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Select Continuous Count StationsSite Type Pilot Project

Recommended CCS

(Ranking)Proposed Factor

GroupArea TypePattern

Anticipated Site Type ExampleUrban Commute Urban sites with weekday volumes highest, primarily journey to work trips

expected(1) (9) Urban Commute

Recreation Greenway trail or street/sidewalk network within city limits not generally used for commuting or other trip purposes. This pattern may be found around urban parks or bodies of water.

(5) (7) Urban Recreation

Mixed Urban site with varied trip purposes and volumes (3) (8) (12) Urban Mixed

Rural Commute Large employer generating trips to work in rural area Rural Commute

Recreation Greenway trail or rural bicycling/jogging route with primarily recreation‐oriented users, weekend users. This pattern may be found around lakes or other natural attractions.

(2) Rural Recreation

Mixed Rural facility that receives both recreation and journey to work trips, such as a rail trail in a rural area that connects to employment centers in an urban area

(10) Rural Mixed

University Commute Facilities that primarily serve to connect student and staff residences to university areas

(11) University Commute

Recreation A location near campus that does not connect to destinations, such as a long distance walking or running loop.

University Recreation

Mixed A location adjacent to a university that captures a variety of trip purposes, such as a mixed use area or connector between university and downtown.

(4) (6) University Mixed


Select Short Duration Count Sites

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Some sites naturally lend themselves to being considered as SDC Sites. Lower ranking: Not enough money to install all the desired CCS

Stations

Seasonal activity only

Not enough information to make investment in CCS

Specific need for non‐intrusive technology


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Choose Technology and Develop Equipment Inventory Match technology to the

selected CCS sites

Develop an equipment inventory

NCHRP 07‐19 offers guidance on technologies

Accuracy of equipment is key consideration to program whose purpose is to develop traffic statistics


Equipment Examples: Winston‐Salem, NC

Agency coordination! Educate agencies on

program objectives. Methodology allows for

flexibility as new information is gathered throughout process.

Revisions: Interference issues at three

sites Agency conducted additional

data collection to justify movement of CCS

Added CCS outside Division boundary due to coordination occurring at the MPO level

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Lessons LearnedTop Ranked Sites for CCS prior to Site Visits

Actual CCS Installations (Revised 3 times during process)15‐0817: Non‐Motorized Site Selection Methods for Continuous and Short‐Duration Volume Counting15‐0817: Non‐Motorized Site Selection Methods for Continuous and Short‐Duration Volume Counting

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NON‐MOTORIZED TRAFFIC MONITORING PROGRAM ELEMENTS

Program Development(FUTURE)

Developing Web‐Enabled

Access

Expand to New Regions

Program Maintenance

Developing Advanced

QA/QC Methods

Data Warehousing Data Analyses

Data Processing (Calculating

Traffic Statistics)

Data Collection Strategic Plan

Developing Data Reporting and Publication Methods

Statewide Implementation


Thank You!KRISTY JACKSONResearch AssociateBicycle and Pedestrian ProgramInstitute for Transportation Research and EducationNorth Carolina State [email protected] | 919.515.8771

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Project Team: Sarah O’Brien, Christopher Cunningham, Kristy Jackson, Sarah Searcy (ITRE)Other Team Members: Liz Stolz (Sprinkle), Daniel Rodriquez and Montse Fuentes (UNC)

TRB-762_KJackson_SiteSelectionMethods-Notes

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