A New Method to Account for Seasonal Peak Traffic Volumes in Project Prioritization

摘要

Annual average daily traffic (AADT) is one of several statistics that transportation agencies use to report roadway volumes. However, high traffic volumes are often concentrated over short and specific time periods due to seasonal activities, such as tourism, vacation, or holiday-related travel. To understand and address seasonal traffic volume fluctuations without excessive investment, an additional measure to aid in traffic volume analysis beyond AADT can add value to the prioritization process. Such a metric would allow transportation agencies to enhance their strategic plans and ensure accurate prioritization for the construction and maintenance of critical roadways. The underlying premise is that a reliance on AADT only may overlook strategically important routes with heavy seasonal traffic loads (but low average volumes) in the prioritization process. In the U.S. State of North Carolina, coastal communities (with peak loads in summer months) or mountain regions (with peak loads during the fall leaf changing season) are prime candidates for these potential issues.