Life in the Fast Lane
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Greig Bumstead,
Transportation Planner
Rick Warner,
Planning Manager in Transportation Planning
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Rick Warner checks traffic forecasts on
the Count Travel Demand Forecasting Model.
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By Maggie Paiva
Whether we take city streets, regional
roads, highways or a combination of these routes
to get to work, we’re all looking for one
thing — to get to our destination in the
least amount of time. And that is what fuels Peel
Region’s Planning department during the Cordon
Count program.
The program provides insight into changes in
travel patterns, and assists in the planning of
the transportation system.
During the 2001 survey, the Region monitored
vehicle types, and the number of vehicles, as
well as the number of passengers in non-commercial
cars. "The program gives us a true snapshot
of vehicle and person volumes throughout the Region
and together with the previous counts, allows
the identification of historical trends,"
says Rick Warner, Planning Manager in Transportation
Planning.
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The
survey reveals trends such as the decrease
in the number of people who carpool and
the spreading of the peak traffic time.
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The survey results have many significant uses
within the Region. The Cordon Count validates
the Travel Demand Forecasting Model, assists consultants
undertaking regional transportation studies and
determines the impact of development on road facilities.
The data also allows staff to keep Council informed
on the state of the transportation system, which
is particularly useful in the development of policies
related to travel demand management.
"Travel demand management is an important
aspect of the transportation planning process,"
says Greig Bumstead, Transportation Planner.
The program involves the collection of a large
amount of data and data analysis. The stations
are located on pre-selected "screenlines"
to provide valuable information for planning purposes.
Before the count begins, employees in Planning
meet with other municipalities and the province
to co-ordinate station locations and screenlines
to ensure everyone’s needs are met.
"When you’ve put so much work into
this project, you won’t accept anything less
than the best survey results, which yields data
that’s accurate, usable and valuable to the
Region," says Greig.
It’s thanks to that perfect count that most
of us have a faster commute to and from work.
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