Volume Report Cover

2006 . 2007 . 2008 Northern Region State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Annual Traffic Volume Report STATE OF ALASKA Sarah Palin, Governor DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES Leo von Scheben, P.E., L.S., M.B.A. Commissioner DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES Northern Region Steve Titus, P.E. Regional Director Prepared by DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES NORTHERN REGION PLANNING AND SUPPORT SERVICES Gerald J. Rafson, P.E. Chief of Planning and Support Services Data Preparation by Northern Region Traffic Data Section Jennifer Eason Scott Vockeroth Nick Shier Jaclyn Elmes Jordann Conlon NORTHERN REGION ANNUAL TRAFFIC VOLUME REPORT Volume I 2009 Prepared by State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Northern Region Planning and Support Services In cooperation with U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION DEFINITIONS AND TERMS PART I State Route Index for Northern Region Road Listings by Route Description PART II Fixed Recorder Index Historic Screenlines Permanent Traffic Recorder Summaries PART III Vehicle Classification Summary PART IV Vehicle Miles Tables INTRODUCTION Introduction The Northern Region Highway Traffic Data and Forecasting seasonal variations by using one or more associated PTR’s to section within the Department of Transportation and Public obtain an estimated Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT). Facilities compiles the region’s Annual Traffic Volume Report. The calculated AADT then represents the traffic on the specific Engineers, planners, administrators, local governments, and the traffic link on which the count was taken. public use the information within this report for work that requires information related to urban planning, construction of Traffic classification data is collected throughout the entire new roads, forecasting traffic patterns, and determining year at 8 automated vehicle classifiers (AVC) sites. These possible economic development areas. AVC sites classify vehicles by type, based on the axle arrangement, number of trailers and other vehicle The Northern Region encompasses a geographic area of characteristics. Classification counts are also collected using approximately 394,000 square miles (252 million acres) an seasonal classification pneumatic-tubes (hose) counts that are area greater than California, Nevada, and Arizona combined. placed throughout the region during the months of May, June, This area stretches from Barrow to Cantwell and Nome to July, August and the first part of September if the weather Valdez and includes approximately 65% of Alaska’s land area, permits. 25% of the state’s population and 60% of State maintained highways. Northern Region maintains and operates Northern Region also has two Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) sites. approximately 3,500 miles of roads of which 48% are paved, These WIM sites classify all vehicles by the same criteria as 52% are unpaved, and 70% are on the National Highway the vehicle classification counts, but include the added System. dimension of axle weights for all commercial size vehicles. WIM data collected at these two sites is not included in this Traffic volume data is collected throughout the entire year at report, but can be obtained by contacting DOT&PF 30 permanent traffic recorder (PTR) sites. These PTR sites are Headquarters Planning Section. used to expand seasonal volume pneumatic tube or hose counts, which are referred to as coverage counts. Coverage This report provides a summary of all permanent, coverage and counts are placed throughout the region during the months of classification data collected throughout the Northern Region May, June, July, August and the first part of September if the from calendar years 2006 through 2008. weather permits. Because summer traffic is generally much higher than other times of the year, the counts are adjusted for weekday and DEFINITIONS AND TERMS Definitions and Terms Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT): The estimated number Coverage Count: An hourly (sometimes directional) total of vehicles traveling over a given road segment during one 24 traffic volume collected for a three to seven day period on a hour day. In practice, AADT is usually obtained from a sample cycle of one to three years. Counts are generally done with a (coverage count) adjusted for seasonality. portable automatic traffic counter using pneumatic-tubes (hoses) or inductive loops in the road. Locations of counts Automatic Polling: A method of obtaining data from automatic remain the same from one rotation year to the next. counters by telephone from a central computer location with automatic dialing equipment. Automatic counters in the field Functional Classification: The process by which streets and must have microprocessor memory and telephone connection. highways are grouped into classes, or systems, according to the character of service they are intended to provide. Automatic Vehicle Classifier (AVC): Traffic counting Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS): The data equipment which automatically counts and classifies vehicles reporting system developed by the Federal Highway passing over its detectors, providing a record of types of Administration (FHWA) for standardized road inventory, vehicles and volumes by specific time intervals. physical condition, and traffic use monitoring by all states. Axle-Body Combination: A vehicle description based on the Interstate Highway: A highway within the principal arterial configuration of axles, leading and trailing units, and tractor category that is also designated as part of the Federal Interstate body. Highway System. Axle Correction Factor: The proportion by which a volume Link: A section of a road for which traffic data is reported. count based on axles (e.g., from pneumatic tube detectors) is Link termini are located so that the traffic volume is roughly multiplied to obtain an estimate of the number of actual constant on a link. vehicles. The ratio is 1.0 or less, and is derived from vehicle class counts. Link Volume: The average number of vehicles passing over a traffic link in a 24-hour period of time. This is equivalent to the Collector: A road classification applicable to roads servicing a Annual Average Daily Traffic. mixture of local access and through traffic, for which the volume, average speed, and trip length of vehicles using the road are usually lower than for principal or minor arterials, but higher than for local roads. Local Roads: Any road (regardless of ownership) that is not Permanent Count: Hourly, directional or non-direction total classified as any higher type of arterial or collector. Serve traffic volumes collected year-round with Permanent Traffic primarily to provide access to adjacent land, provide service to Recorders (PTR)’s at established locations. These counts are travel over relatively short distances as compared to collectors used to adjust coverage counts for seasonal variations to yield or other higher systems. Local roads will, of course, constitute AADT’s. the rural mileage not classified as part of the principal arterial, minor arterial, or collector systems. Permanent Detector: A vehicle detector that is permanently installed in a roadway, as compared to a portable detector. The Major Arterial: A road serving mostly through movements, but most common permanent detector equipment employs an with shorter trip lengths and at lower speeds than principal inductive loop that senses a vehicle’s presence as a change in arterials. the electrical characteristics of the loop. Piezo electric cables are used in conjunction with inductive loops to detect and Major Collector Roads: Major Collectors provide service to sometimes weigh vehicle axles to determine a vehicle’s type any county seat not on an arterial route, to the larger towns not (classification) and sometimes weight. directly served by the higher systems, and to other traffic generators of equivalent intra-county importance, such as Permanent Traffic Recorder (PTR): Traffic volume counting consolidated schools, shipping points, county parks, important equipment that automatically counts vehicles passing over mining and agricultural areas, etc. Major Collectors link these detectors, providing a record of those volumes by specific time places with nearby larger towns or cities, or with routes of intervals. higher classification and serve the more important intra-county travel corridors. Pneumatic-Tube (Hose) Detector / Counter: A vehicle- detection device / counter consisting of a pneumatic rubber Minor Collector Roads: Minor Collectors are spaced at tube placed across a roadway, and which detects vehicles by intervals, consistent with population density, to collect traffic sensing air pressure pulses from the vehicle axles passing over from local roads and bring all developed areas within a the tube. reasonable distance of a collector road, provide service to the remaining smaller communities, and link the locally important Portable Counter: An automatic traffic counting machine traffic generators with their rural hinterland. which is moved from location to location where needed, rather than permanently installed in one location. Monthly Average Daily Traffic (MADT): The estimated average daily traffic volume for a specific month at a given Principal Arterial: A Street or highway connecting major location. population centers with high traffic volumes, long average trip lengths, and very little local travel service. Rural Collector

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