New Mexico’s roads are about to be put under traffic assessment after a transportation firm has been hired to spread across the state and collect new data on how motorists use everything from major arterials to interstate highways.
The New Mexico Department of Transportation selected Traffic Group, a Maryland-based transportation engineering and data collection company, to conduct traffic data collection across the state, marking the firm’s first contract in the state.
But the project will involve scrutinizing the newly collected information against both historical and current traffic data, as well as data from adjacent roadways and other factors that could explain changes in traffic.
That means investigators will be looking for clues in everything from new developments and changing land use to altered road layouts and shifting driving patterns. For example, a road that once carried a predictable stream of commuters may now face heavier traffic due to new housing, businesses, or development nearby.
The goal is to give transportation officials a clearer picture of not only how many vehicles use New Mexico’s roads. It also aims to help officials understand why traffic patterns may be changing.
The design of NMDoT’s Traffic Monitoring Program is to track the use and performance of the state’s roadway system. This information can eventually help guide future planning, investment, design, and safety decisions. “Accurate, reliable traffic data is the foundation for sound transportation planning and investment,” Traffic Group president Anthony Guckert said.
According to the contract, the company will carry out 48-hour short-duration traffic counts on routes identified in NMDoT’s annual count schedules. It will also collect turning movement counts on major and minor arterials and at interstate locations.
Officials will gather the information in accordance with strict state and federal standards, including NMDoT’s State Traffic Monitoring Standards, the Federal Highway Administration’s Traffic Monitoring Guide, AASHTO guidelines, and the Highway Performance Monitoring System Field Manual.
Founded in 1985 and based in Baltimore County, Maryland, the Traffic Group conducts more than 100,000 traffic counts each year. The company describes itself as the largest privately owned ‘just traffic’ engineering, transportation planning, and data collection firm in the United States.
