Traffic data comes in many forms and underpins a lot of the work we do as Transport Planners.

Traffic data helps us to analyse vehicle and pedestrian movements in different settings. Various types of traffic data help us to determine, traffic volume, traffic speeds, and patterns of movements which can all be used to support infrastructure design, as well as inform detailed traffic capacity assessments and models commonly used in Transport Planning practice.

There is a host of publicly available traffic data and in the interests of costs and practicality for our clients, we always consult what data is freely available to us prior to designing and commissioning new data collection. We must consider timing; the majority of data is only considered valid outside of school holidays; this is to ensure a robust representative of typical conditions are observed.

There are several different types of traffic data, each collected through different methods. While specialist contractors are typically the most efficient option, it is sometimes feasible to collect the data in-house, and we have the capability to do this. The key types of traffic data commonly used by Transport Planners include:

• Manual Classified Turning Counts (MCC): Typically recorded at 15-minute intervals.
  
• Queue Surveys: Usually conducted in 5-minute intervals to measure congestion and vehicle queues.
  
• Automatic Traffic Counts (ATC): Generally collected over a minimum of 7 days to analyse traffic patterns.
  
• Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR): Useful for network mapping, origin-destination studies, and identifying rat-runs or parking patterns.
  
• Parking Beats: Tracks vehicles parked, including volume and duration, typically recorded in 15-minute intervals.
  
• NMU Surveys (Non-Motorized Users): Focuses on pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians, supporting junction capacity assessments and multimodal planning.

Typical applications for traffic data include:

• Junction Capacity Assessment and Traffic Modelling: These assessments vary in complexity, and the level of data required typically increases with the complexity of the model. We have in-house capability to undertake and audit all types of stand-alone junction models (including ARCADY and PICADY modules of JUNCTIONS software and LinSig).
  
• Validation: Queue surveys are used to validate junction models and ensure their accuracy in real-world conditions.
  
• Visibility Splays: Vehicle speed data assists in the design and placement of new junctions by determining required sight distances.
  
• Environmental Assessments: Traffic data is crucial for environmental modelling, including Air Quality and Noise Assessments, as it helps model road traffic emissions. We have in-house capability to organise traffic data collection and process traffic data for use in Air Quality and Noise Assessment modelling.
  
• Parking Demand Profiles: Informs the analysis of peak parking demand and dwell times, crucial for parking planning.
  
• Car Parking Analysis/Studies: Traffic data supports parking assessments, which may be used to justify new developments or assist local authorities in optimizing parking stock. We have in-house capabilities to conduct detailed car parking studies.
  
  In each case, the quality and detail of traffic data directly influence the accuracy and effectiveness of the analysis.
  
  If you are in need of development support through traffic data, our head of Transport Planning Tom Price will be able to talk more about you needs.