Stellenbosch Municipality has implemented a traffic counting survey designed to gain a better understanding of traffic flow in Stellenbosch, said Stuart Grobbelaar, communications manager for the municipality, via written correspondence with SMF News.
The survey began on 18 May and is still ongoing, stated Grobbelaar. It is meant to gather data to aid the improvement of traffic management systems, he explained. There is no official end date, as the survey will only finish once enough data has been collected to form an accurate picture of traffic patterns in the town, added Grobbelaar.
A private company has been commissioned to conduct the survey, said Grobbelaar.
The survey utilises specialised cameras, and is being done over an extended timeframe as “we [the municipality] require data on different seasons, off-peak times, busier times, during the [Stellenbosch University (SU)] semesters, [and] after semesters”.
The traffic counting survey, conducted by Stellenbosch Municipality, through a private contractor, “will have no effect on motorists or the flow of traffic”. This was according to Stuart Grobbelaar, communications manager for Stellenbosch Municipality. Pictured above are the cameras used in the survey. PHOTO: Supplied/Stellenbosch Municipality Twitter (@StellMun)
Traffic count to help find congestion hotspots
The survey will “gather data on parking needs, peak times, and the flow of traffic to assist in future planning”, stated Grobbelaar.
The cameras will be placed at “key intersections and busy areas in [Stellenbosch]”, according to a tweet by Stellenbosch Municipality.
After the survey has been completed, the consultants will compile a report, which will be presented to the municipal council at a future date, said Grobbelaar.
Traffic counting can be used to identify congestion hotspots, assess road capacity and performance, plan infrastructure improvements and evaluate the impact of traffic management systems. This was according to Bob Kabeya, a transportation engineer and director of DC Traffic Data, a traffic data collection and analysis agency, via written correspondence with SMF News.
The results of the traffic counting survey, conducted by Stellenbosch Municipality, will be shared with Stellenbosch University (SU) as the campus is largely integrated into the town, said Martin Viljoen, media manager for SU. PHOTO: Daniel Roodt
How it works
The survey will have no impact on motorists or traffic flow, and is being run in conjunction with the municipality’s engineering services, said Grobbelaar.
“Cameras are installed at specific locations, and computer algorithms analyse the video footage to detect, count and track vehicles based on visual characteristics, such as size, shape, and movement,” explained Kabeya.
These systems employ a variety of methods to ensure the same vehicle is not counted twice in the same detection zone, stated Kabeya. This includes measuring the length of vehicles and using licence plate identification, said Kabeya.
Data from traffic counting surveys, like the one currently being done by the Stellenbosch Municipality assists making “informed decisions about traffic management, infrastructure improvements, and future planning”. This was according to Bob Kabeya, a transportation engineer and director of DC Traffic Data, a traffic data collection and analysis agency. PHOTO: Daniel Roodt
Town collaboration
While the survey is being run exclusively by the municipality, the results will be shared with key institutions in Stellenbosch, including SU. This was according to Martin Viljoen, media manager at SU.
“The result and suggestions that will come from the survey will certainly be shared with SU as the Stellenbosch campus is, to a large degree, woven into the town. The SU/Local authority’s planning must be aligned, hence the importance of good cooperation,” added Viljoen.
How traffic counting surveys work. INFOGRAPHIC: Daniel Roodt