What is the primary purpose of traffic counts?

The primary purpose of traffic counts is centered around gathering data on vehicle volume and characteristics for traffic analysis. This data is essential for understanding traffic flow patterns, forecasting future traffic demands, and making informed decisions about traffic management and infrastructure improvements. By collecting accurate traffic counts, engineers and planners can analyze peak traffic periods, vehicle types, and other characteristics that are critical for assessing the performance of the roadway system.

Gathering this data is foundational for a variety of applications, including safety studies, traffic signal timing, roadway capacity analysis, and overall traffic system planning. This information aids not only in evaluating current conditions but also in predicting how changes to the road network or surrounding developments might affect traffic.

The other options, while related to traffic management and planning, serve different purposes. Identifying locations for new road construction and planning public transportation routes rely on the insights gained from traffic counts, but their primary goal is to address specific needs in infrastructure and transit planning. Similarly, assessing the environmental impact of traffic is an important consideration, but it generally requires additional data sources and analyses beyond just vehicle counts.