Los problemas

Traffic volume count data is the most widely used and easily understood method to monitor and measure activity on our roadways. Using Automatic Traffic Recorder (ATR) counting equip-ment, the MVPC has annually gathered traffic volume information on roadways throughout the region since 1983. These counts are taken for several important transportation planning pur-poses including the calculation of accident rates on links and at intersections, for use in MVPC corridor and intersection studies, in refining the Statewide Travel Demand Model, and in re-sponse to community requests for traffic counting information. These community requests often call for data on vehicle classification and vehicle speed to be collected. Counts are also taken at MassDOT-specified coverage locations to aid the state in obtaining data on vehicle miles traveled by road type. This information is submitted to the FHWA each year and is used, in part, to determine the amount of federal highway funding that will be made available to Massachu-setts.

In addition to the ATR counts described above, MVPC staff manually collects vehicle turning movement counts at intersections/interchanges as well as information on bicycle and pedestrian travel.

Previous Work

Under the FFY 2019 UPWP, MVPC completed approximately 80 traffic counts. Many of these counts were taken at locations needed to better calibrate the Statewide Travel Demand Model.

At the same time, MVPC produced Community Traffic Counting reports that were distributed to local officials.

In 2020 the nature and extent of the MVPC traffic data collection program was impacted by the COVID-19 Epidemic. In April, MassDOT asked the RPAs to not collect any ATR volume, classi-fication or speed counts while the Commonwealth was under Emergency Executive Order limit-ing travel. Staff will work with MassDOT durlimit-ing the sprlimit-ing and summer of 2020 to develop a new traffic counting schedule that monitors how the transportation system responds to the reo-pening of the regional economy.

In 2020, MVPC worked to include more historical count data into its active traffic count data-base.

FFY 2021 Activities

Under this year’s UPWP, MVPC again anticipates conducting approximately 90 ATR traffic counts. In addition, MVPC staff is seeking to obtain equipment that will allow it to automatically collect data on bicycle and pedestrian travel volumes to better monitor these two important

Tasks

2.1.1 Establish Revised 2021 Traffic Counting Schedule: Staff will work with MassDOT and CTPS staff to develop a revised schedule of ATR volume count locations. This will be impacted by the rate and nature of the reopening of the Massachusetts and New Hamp-shire economies.

2.1.2 Conduct MVPC Counts: Conduct counts throughout the region to refine and update the Statewide Travel Demand Model and in support of MVPC studies and analyses.

2.1.3 Conduct MassDOT Coverage Counts: Take additional counts at MassDOT coverage count locations on undivided highways in the region. The MVPC will conduct 15 such counts this year for MassDOT to assist in their efforts to estimate the number of vehicle miles traveled on various classes of roadways in the Commonwealth. MassDOT will be submitting this information to FHWA and it will be one of the data sources used to deter-mine the state’s highway funding allocation.

2.1.4 Community Requests: Member communities often request traffic counting information (vehicle classification, volume, or speed counts) at specific locations in anticipation of fu-ture developments, to address citizen concerns, etc. The MVPC anticipates conducting 10-15 of these counts under this UPWP.

2.1.5 Count Library: Maintain a library of traffic counts to be made available to the public. Staff annually updates its library of volume counts by including new information collected by MVPC, MassDOT, and by consultants as part of any traffic studies conducted in the Val-ley.

2.1.6 Traffic Monitoring System: Depending upon the traffic volume data collection program established under Task 2.1.1, MVPC will attempt to collect traffic volume counts at many of the locations it counts annually to measure changes in traffic levels. This data, along with volume data collected by MassDOT at the permanent count stations in the region, serves to quantify regional volume growth factors.

2.1.7 Data Submittal: All counts taken by the MVPC in FFY 2021 will be uploaded to the Mid-western Software Solutions (http://www.ms2soft.com/) website. MassDOT has recently proposed having this data upload process occur in the field rather than from the MVPC Offices.

2.1.8 Community Reports: Prepare and distribute reports summarizing the traffic counting ac-tivities for each community in the region. Paper copies of these reports will be distributed to the chief elected officials, MVPC Commissioners and DPW Directors of each commu-nity. Electronic versions of the reports will be emailed to other local officials.

2.1.9 Bicycle and Pedestrian Travel Data: Staff will collect bicycle and pedestrian counts along key on-road and off-road facilities in the Valley and at locations previously counted as part of MVPC intersection/corridor studies and mine the data contained in such studies

prepared by consultants to support the development of a bicycle/pedestrian travel data-base.

Products/Schedule

2020 2021

Task(s) Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

Data Collection Count Library Data Submittal

Community Reports ●

Bike/Ped Counts

● Product/Event

Funding

Funding for Task 2.1 Traffic Monitoring Program

Source Person

Hours Amount

FHWA 716 $62,436

MassDOT 179 $15,609

FTA Section 5303 0 $0

MassDOT 0 $0

FTA Section 5307 0 $0

MVPC 0 $0

TOTAL 895 $78,045

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Task 2.2 - Regional Pavement Management Program