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Why is Who Counting Cars?

Any of yinz guys know why who is counting cars at the intersection of Butler/Washington Blvd/ ARB? Me hopes 'tis a traffic study in support of road diet or bike path or both or whatever. Me fears 'tis a road study in support of more pseudo-highway infrastructure "improvements".


Or am I wrong about what those little black tube/wire looking things stretched out across the lanes are?


Second Question - how do those things work? I don't even know what to google to get my learn on.


ejwme
2012-02-16 17:13:56

It might be us (SPC). We are under contract to count cars at a few hundred locations on State Roads for PennDOT each year. I'll check our schedule to see if it is us.


If not, it could be part of any number of ongoing studies/investigations. The two that come to mind most readily are the Allegheny River Green Boulevard Project, and the effort to re-assess Washington Boulevard in light of the flooding/deaths earlier this year. But, those are just guesses.


As for how they work, perhaps Ryan can speak in more detail, but they are basically pneumatic tubes. They measure the passing of a tire over the tube, and the distance between axles to determine the type of vehicle (car, truck, etc) and the number of vehicles.


swalfoort
2012-02-16 17:44:38

@E - they are generically called tube counters. I think a google of traffic tube counts would get you the basics...


swalfoort
2012-02-16 17:45:27

They were on 2nd Avenue at the bottom of Greenfield a few months ago and every time I rode over them I thought 1) is me+my bike heavy enough to set them off? and 2) who is counting cars? It was interesting that they actually fell off/apart before whoever came back to get them.


jeg
2012-02-16 18:43:33