Traffic Counts

• The acronym AADT stands for the Annual Average Daily Traffic, and represents the average number of cars that cross the counter location in any one day. 
• Counters may be placed on any street, at any location depending upon the specific information we are seeking. 
• The Cities' counters also allow us to identify the speed of the vehicles as the pass over the counters, the exact time of day, as well as the length of the vehicle. 
• The information gained by these counts will allow staff to more accurately identify the streets that need higher priority ratings for maintenance scheduling. 
• The goal is to provide maintenance and street improvements where the most traffic will be impacted to obtain a better value to the citizens tax dollars. 

Additionally, these counters can be used to determine whether speeding is a particular problem on a street, and will accurately identify the time(s) of the day when traffic is the most unsafe.  With this information, the Police Department can more effectively place staff in those areas and times when the traffic is the most dangerous.

Lastly, the information will also be used for Community and Economic Development.  Many businesses want to know the amount of traffic at a particular location to determine whether or not they will locate at a particular location or another.  Additionally, when new subdivisions are to be built, these traffic counts will allow the actual traffic, as well as the estimated new traffic to be used when determining any street upgrades that may be necessary as a result of the new subdivision.