Assessment of a Traffic Monitoring System for a Major Traffic Generator to Improve Regional Planning: Technical Report (0-5531-2)

The opening of a major traffic generator in the San Antonio area provided an opportunity to develop and implement an extensive traffic monitoring system to analyze local, area, and regional traffic impacts from the generator. Researchers reviewed the technical literature and the experiences of other areas with major traffic generators. Twenty-nine new traffic data collection sites were installed as part of the monitoring system, including two sites with new radar-based technology. This provided the Texas Department of Transportation with the opportunity to test new traffic data collection equipment . Researchers combined historical traffic data from the study area, travel time runs, commuter surveys, and data from new sites to measure impacts. The major generator created small impacts at or in the vicinity of its location in the study area. Changes recorded in the data from roadways farther out from the major generator were found not related to activities from the generator. The process of developing and implementing a monitoring system is transferable to other cities and regions and depends on available resources and agency interest.