The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission offers traffic counting as a free service to local jurisdictions in Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties.
How do I access the traffic count data base?
To access traffic counts and the tutorial click here
How is traffic count data collected?
Vehicles are counted by Southwest Michigan Planning Commission in various locations in Cass, Van Buren and Berrien counties each year. Mechanical traffic counting devices are deployed along the roadside (usually secured to a utility pole) and a rubber "road tube" is placed across each traffic lane. Pressure from vehicles crossing the rubber tube is detected by the mechanical counter (a small box comparable in size to a car battery) and electronically stored by the counter. The "road tube counters" are placed on a section of highway for a minimal 24-hour period then moved to another location. The raw counts are then adjusted using a formula to calculate the Average Daily Traffic. This adjustment takes into consideration weekday and time of year variations.
What are the counts used for?
Traffic count data is used by state and local transportation officials in the planning of road improvements and monitoring of traffic conditions. In the private sector - realtors, bankers, developers, economic development agencies, as well as citizens also use traffic count data for a variety of purposes. This information is provided via the data base as a service from the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission in partnership with the Michigan Department of Transportation.
When are traffic counts taken?
Traffic counts are usually taken from May through November depending on the weather conditions.
How do I request a traffic count?
Requesting traffic counts can be done two ways either through mail/fax requests or the e-mail requests. Higher priority counts should be listed at the top. If you have a map of the location(s) where you are requesting traffic counts, please send a copy with your request form. All requests should be mailed/faxed to Linda Douglas at SWMPC or e-mailed to Douglasl@swmpc.org.
