Keeping count on our streets

From time to time you’ll see these black tubes stretched across the road with a small metal box off to one side.

This is how we count the number of vehicles that are travelling on that particular road.

Sometimes when people see the traffic counting equipment in use, they assume that Council are planning to do road works. 

Most often, that isn’t the case. Council mainly carries out traffic counts to gather information about traffic volumes and speeds. Basically, it’s about monitoring the current situation and looking out for changing traffic patterns. Gathering that information is vital for effective long-term management of our roading network.