Evaluation of External Station Survey Methodologies for High Volume Locations

External station travel surveys collect important information on local travel needed by districts and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPOs) in Texas for travel demand modeling. For roadways with low to moderate traffic levels, external surveys can be safely conducted using a roadside interview method. This 'intercept' method cannot be utilized on high volume facilities due to unsafe conditions and unacceptable levels of delay that it creates. Since high volume facilities often carry the majority of traffic going into and out of urbanized areas, research is needed to develop a safe and acceptable method for conducting external surveys on these facilities. The objective of this project was to develop a standardized methodology(s) for collecting external survey data on high volume facilities that can be utilized in TxDOT's travel survey program. The research assesses the importance of collecting data on high volume facilities in Texas, assesses the state of the practice and technologies for conducting these surveys, and evaluates techniques and methods currently being used. The project also researches legal and privacy issues related to the use of video in high volume surveys and establishes volume criteria for when external surveys should be conducted using a high volume method.