Appendix A: Traffic Count Guidelines

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Guidelines* for Traffic Counts Used for Forecasts Certified for Roadway Design

11/18/2016, updated 8-24-17

These guidelines are intended to address count quantity, quality, and form for traffic forecasting. This

document does not address agreement on counts between project stakeholders.

Basic Requirements:

1) Turning movement counts for intersections:

a) Summarize by car and truck in 15 minute intervals, should be counted for a minimum of 8

hours and capture the peak hour (4 hours, typically 6-10 AM and 2-6 PM).

b) Forty eight (48) hour machine counts (see 2) are recommended, one (1) on each of the

intersecting roads (outside of the intersection queuing area if possible). So, a 4 legged

intersection would have up to two machine counters to capture the mainline and cross

street, though adjacent intersections might utilize the same machine count if there are no

major traffic generators between them.

c) Where the traffic peak is midday, 12 hour turn movement counts are required, 6 AM - 6

PM.

d) For routes estimated to carry less than 1000 annual average vehicles per day, b) may be

waived.

e) Preferred format for submittals is shown in the Appendices.

2) Machine Counts:

a) Machine counts are defined as traffic counts made by anything other than a human.

b) For locations already counted within the previous two years in relatively stable areas, the

existing machine counts may be used.

c) At a minimum, machine counts are hourly, directional (cover both directions), classification

(car/truck) counts covering a contiguous 24 to 48 hour period where applicable.

d) In addition to the machine counts recommended to supplement turning movement counts

as described under item 1 above, machine counts should be conducted at other critical

locations within the project area.

e) For path 3, 4, &5 projects, permanent automatic traffic recorder (ATR) installations may be

discussed at early coordination meetings and if determined feasible, will be installed

through ODOT Traffic Monitoring Section of Office of Technical Services contracts. ATRs

collect traffic data continuously and indefinitely.

f) In addition to count summaries in Excel readable format, electronic count data files should

be submitted for ODOT traffic monitoring section’s use and therefore should be submitted

in the count equipment format per Appendix B.

3) When forecast requests include truck factors, truck counts must be summarized at a minimum by

hour, preferably by 15 minute periods.

4) Conduct counts during typical weekdays (Tuesday-Thursday) unless designing to accommodate

unique, area specific, conditions such as weekend or amusement park traffic.

5) If the request is for design designations on local roads (non-state), then include machine counts.

6) Provide a Map showing count location(s).

7) Queue counts are recommended if it is known that the queue backs up beyond the previous

intersection.

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Other Notes:

1) Slip ramps are not usually included in counts obtained thru TIMS. So, for projects including slip

ramps, please include counts on the slip ramps.

2) Age of Count - In general, up to date counts should be used (counted in the same year as the

request for forecast and same day for multiple adjacent locations). If counts are more than 3 years

old new counts are recommended. Although there could be exceptions in very stable rural areas,

rule of thumb is to get new counts.

3) When counting for TIS’s it is recommended that 8 hour minimums are followed so that ADT may be

more accurately estimated from the count.

4) It is recommended that counts be reviewed and checked before submissions to avoid delays caused

by re-counting.

5) For each forecast time period requested, include one or more “plates”1 containing the period counts

and AADT for the entire project area (see Plates below). Include in accompanied documentation

details on how the AADT was estimated including references to existing documents and specific

factors used such as TD and Seasonal factors other counts, data from routes with similar

characteristics, etc.

6) Interstate counts are usually estimated by adding and subtracting ramp counts from nearby ATRs,

particularly at high volume locations where laying counters is difficult.

7) For areas within Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) planning areas, MPOs often have

counts available. So, check with the MPO.

8) Unless otherwise approved for purposes of accommodating unique traffic patterns (recreational

route, tourist attraction, etc.), special event traffic dates must be avoided.

a) Examples of events or dates to avoid:

weekends,

Fridays,

holiday travel days,

the week before Christmas,

the week after Christmas,

the week of thanksgiving,

the day of a snowstorm,

roadway construction,

designated construction detour route,

Routes affected by County or State Fair traffic

* Guideline definition: A general rule, principle, or piece of advice. synonyms: recommendation, instruction, direction, suggestion, advice; regulation, rule, principle, guiding

principle; standard, criterion, measure, gauge, yardstick, benchmark, touchstone;

procedure, parameter

1 Plates:

Plates are diagrams or drawings (not to scale) that show the requested peak period and ADT counted traffic. An example of a plate is shown in figure 1 on the next page. See website for Microstation standard template.

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Figure 1 - Example of a Plate

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Traffic Count Guidelines for Design Traffic Forecasts

Purpose

The purpose of these guidelines is to facilitate traffic forecasts for roadway construction planning and

design, reduce delays caused by count discrepancies, and provide for more accurate estimates of

average annual daily traffic.

It was deemed necessary to provide traffic count guidelines to eliminate the submission of counts which

are found to be unusable for developing traffic forecasts for design. It is not always clear from initial

inspection that submitted counts are unusable. Unusable counts create delays and frequently puts

analysts in the position of making judgement calls that adversely affect design just to maintain a

timeline. Designers almost always require that ODOT forecasters provide AADT along with peak hour

estimates. That means that partial day counts submitted must be used as the basis for AADT estimates

when no other count source exists for the roadway in question. In the absence of any other count data

at the same location, estimates of AADT from a few hours count in the morning and in the evening is

unreliable and frequently poor results have been obtained from attempts to use these submittals.

Please note that these are “guidelines”, not absolute rules or standards. They are not meant to cover

every situation and therefore readers are encouraged to let common sense prevail in circumstances

where following these guidelines doesn’t make sense. If data collection costs make planning a roadway

improvement cost prohibitive, then it doesn’t make sense. Use common sense and document rationale

in cases where the guidelines are not followed.

Mainline Segment Counts

Typically, roadways would be designed to meet 30th highest hour of the year traffic conditions. Without

continuous traffic data collection over the course of a year, 30th highest hour will be estimated based on

statewide traffic count statistics. It is recognized that some locations do not fit statewide averages such

as at roadways located at or near theme parks or other recreational areas.

For more complex projects considering large investment such as those covering a corridor with multiple

intersections or a grid of streets, when feasible, automatic traffic recorders should be installed at key

locations a year in advance for use in forecasts certified for design in coordination with the ODOT Office

of Technical Services Traffic Monitoring Section.

Mainline roadway counts should be at least 24 contiguous hours. 48 hours is preferred. The count

should be vehicle classification counts following FHWA Traffic Monitoring Guide. AADT is estimated

from the count using seasonal and day of week adjustment factors derived using averages from

permanent automatic traffic recorders from all over the state.

In addition to using the counts for design decisions, guidelines have been extended to make the counts

usable for other purposes such as to augment the department’s traffic monitoring program and evaluate

forecast accuracy, update travel demand models, etc.

Intersection Classification Counts

Intersection classification counts provide turning movements at the intersection and include the vehicle

classifications: cars and trucks but could also include pedestrians and bicycles depending on the location

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and purpose of the count. Cars include the 13 FHWA classes, 1-3. Trucks include FHWA vehicle classes

4-13. FHWA classes are defined in ODOT’s “FHWA Vehicle Classification Scheme F report” or in the

traffic monitoring guide (TMG) published by Federal Highway Administration.

When counting for a project which involves only a single intersection, it is important to obtain at least a

contiguous 24 hour classification count on each leg of the intersection. This is often done using tube

counters. Since the cost of 48 hours is virtually the same as for 24 hours, 48 hours is recommended.

However, it is recognized that at high volume locations or high truck volume locations, tubes sometimes

break before 48 hours. Therefore, to reduce the cost of re-counting, 24 hour counts are considered

acceptable. This provides a daily traffic profile that can then be used to expand the partial day turn

movement counts to estimate average daily traffic.

For higher volume, larger intersections, or projects involving multiple intersections, video based or other

automated methods which capture all of the intersection turn movements on the same dates are highly

recommended. However, when same day counts are impractical, counts within the same week may be

useable. If multiple intersections are counted and the counts do not match up where no or few

driveways exist to account for the differences between intersections, submitted counts may be rejected

and the entire study area may have to be recounted.

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Appendix A – Preferred format for manual turning movement count summaries

At the time of preparing this document, the preferred computer format is Excel spreadsheet. In

addition, whenever possible provide an electronic file in the format shown in appendix B. Please note

that technology may change this before this document is updated again so check with ODOT periodically

to make sure this has not changed.

It is recognized that not all traffic count vendor’s software will support this but it should be easy to put

the summary data into an Excel compatible format.

Figure 2 below is an example showing the preferred Excel format. Figure 2

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Appendix B – Machine Count Electronic File Format

At the time of preparing this document, Petra is the software used for processing traffic count data. It is

advised that people following these guidelines periodically verify that this has not changed.

In order to make the counts useable by the department for other purposes, machine counts should be

submitted in one of the formats supported by the Petra software. As of the date these guidelines were

created, the following formats are supported:

Appendix B: MPO Map

Appendix C: MPO Modeling Contacts

City MPO Handling Agent Address

Akron AMATS Policy Committee of the Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study

City of Akron CitiCenter Building 146 South High Street, Suite 806 Akron, Ohio 44308-1423 Phone: (330) 375-2436 FAX : (330) 375-2275 http://amatsplanning.org/

Canton SCATS Policy Committee of Stark County Area Transportation Study

Stark County Regional Planning Commission

201 3rd Street NE, Suite 201 Canton, Ohio 44702-1231 Phone: (330) 451-7389 FAX: (330) 451-7990 http://www.starkcountyohio.gov/transportation

Cincinnati OKI Executive Committee of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments

Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments

720 East Pete Rose Way, Suite 420 Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Phone: (513) 621-7060 FAX: (513) 621-9325 http://www.oki.org/

Cleveland NOACA Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency Policy Board

Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency

1299 Superior Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44114-3204 Phone: (216) 241-2414 FAX: (216) 621-3024 http://www.noaca.org/

Columbus MORPC Policy Committee of the Columbus Area Transportation Study

Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission

111 Liberty Street, Suite 100 Columbus, Ohio 43215 Phone: (614) 228-2663 FAX: (614) 228-1904 http://www.morpc.org/

Dayton MVRPC Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission Board of Directors

Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission

10 North Ludlow Street, Suite 700 Dayton, Ohio 45402 Phone: (937) 223-6323 FAX: (937) 223-9750 http://www.mvrpc.org/

Huntington (WV)

KYOVA Huntington-Ironton-Area Transportation Study Coordinating Committee

KYOVA Interstate Planning Commission

400 Third Avenue, P.O. Box 939 Huntington, West Virginia 25712 Phone: (304) 523-7434 FAX: (304) 529-7229 http://www.kyovaipc.org/default.htm

Lima LACRPC Coordinating Committee of the Lima Area Transportation Study

Lima-Allen County Regional Planning Commission

130 West North Street Lima, Ohio 45801-4311 Phone: (419) 228-1836 FAX: (419) 228-3891 http://lacrpc.com/

Mansfield RCRPC Coordinating Committee of the Mansfield Area Transportation Study

Richland County Regional Planning Commission

35 North Park Street, Suite 230 Mansfield, Ohio 44902 Phone: (419) 774-5684 FAX: (419) 774-5685 http://www.rcrpc.org/

City MPO Handling Agent Address

Newark-Heath

LCATS Policy Committee of the Licking County Area Transportation Study

Licking County Planning Commission

20 South 2nd Street Newark, Ohio 43055 Phone: (740) 670-5200 FAX: (740) 670-5197 http://www.lcats.org/main.asp

Parkersburg-Belpre

WWWIPC Wood-Washington-Wirt Interstate Planning Commission

Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Planning And Development Council

709 Market Street Parkersburg, West Virginia 26101 Phone: (304) 422-4993 FAX: (304) 422-4998 http://www.movrc.org/programs/wwwipc.aspx

Sandusky ERPC Policy Board of the Erie Regional Planning Commission

Erie County Department of Regional Planning and Development

County Services Center, 3rd Floor 2900 Columbus Avenue Sandusky, Ohio 44870 Phone: (419) 627-7792 FAX: (419) 627-6670 https://www.eriecounty.oh.gov/ErieRegionalPlanningCommission.aspx

Springfield CCSTCC Coordinating Committee of the Clark County-Springfield Transportation Coordinating Committee

Clark County 3130 East Main Street, Suite 2A Springfield, Ohio 45505 Phone: (937) 521-2128 FAX: N/A http://www.donet.com/~clarktcc/

Steubenville-Weirton

BHJTS Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Transportation Study Policy Committee

Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission

124 North Fourth Street, 2nd Floor Steubenville, Ohio 43952-2132 Phone: (740) 282-3685 FAX: (740) 282-1821 http://www.bhjmpc.org/

Toledo TMACOG Executive Committee of the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments

Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments

300 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Suite 300 Toledo, Ohio 43604 Phone: (419) 241-9155 FAX: (419) 241-9116 http://www.tmacog.org/

(responsibilities delegated to the Transportation and Land Use Committee)

Wheeling-Bridgeport

BOMTS Bel-O-Mar Regional Council and Interstate Planning Commission

Bel-O-Mar Regional Council and Interstate Planning Commission

105 Bridge Street Plaza, P.O. Box 2086 Wheeling, West Virginia 26003 Phone: (304) 242-1800 FAX: (304) 242-2437 http://www.belomar.org/

Youngstown ERCOG General Policy Board of the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments

Eastgate Regional Council of Governments

City Center One Building 100 East Federal Street, Suite 1000 Youngstown, OH 44503 Phone: (330) 779-3800 FAX: (330) 779-3838 http://www.eastgatecog.org/

Appendix D: Non-Interstate Bridge Replacement Form

PROCEDURES FOR DEVELOPING DESIGN DESIGNATIONSFOR NON-INTERSTATE BRIDGE

REPLACEMENT/REHABILITATION PROJECTS

OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

OFFICE OF TECHNICAL SERVICES

NOVEMBER 17, 1993

REVISED SEPTEMBER 11, 1998

PROCEDURES FOR DEVELOPING DESIGN DESIGNATIONSFOR NON-INTERSTATE BRIDGE

Ohio Traffic Forecasting Manual Appendix D: Non-Interstate Bridge Replacement Form

April 18 D-2

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REPLACEMENT/REHABILITATION PROJECTS

The procedures contained in this revised procedural manual are to be used to develop design

designations for non-interstate bridge replacement/rehabilitation projects. Such bridge projects

may be located on U.S. highways, state routes, county routes, township routes, or local streets.

These procedures replace those found in the manual dated November 17, 1993.

Traffic forecasts for bridge projects on the Interstate System must continue to be provided or

certified by the Office of Technical Services. For these bridges, the district offices may either

forward design designations to Technical Services or request that the Technical Services provide

them. Design designations for bridge projects that include more than simple replacement/

rehabilitation must also be provided by Technical Services. This would include bridges with major

approach work, bridges on new alignments, or bridges that are part of major capacity addition

projects.

Bridge projects within a metropolitan planning organization (MPO) area should be coordinated with

the MPO. Since a bridge project involving federal funds must be included on the MPO’s

transportation improvement program (TIP), coordination should take place at the time the project is

added to the TIP.

This responsibility was originally delegated to the district offices in November, 1993, based on

approval from FHWA in a letter dated September 29, 1993 (see Appendix A). The original version

of this manual was designed to provide a cookbook approach to developing design designations for

bridge projects for use by the district offices. The changes are intended to make the projections

more accurate by giving the district offices more flexibility in developing them.

The major changes in this edition of the manual are as follows:

• the elimination of generalized growth rates by county and their replacement with a statewide

continuous range of rates to provide flexibility in the selection of an accurate rate specific to

the site and the individual project;

• changes in the terminology used to refer to the year of construction from “Current Year” to

“Opening Year” to eliminate confusing “current” with the current calendar year or with the year

of the most recent count data;

• changing the Design Year to be either 12 or 20 years after the Opening Year, consistent with the

draft Pavement Design Manual (paragraph 2.02.1.1);

• providing a range of values for the selection of the K factor, the calculation of the DHV on the

worksheet, and the replacement in the design designation of K with the DHV;

• three choices for the D factor, depending on whether the bridge is within or outside an MPO’s

boundaries and whether the bridge is one-way or two-way;

Appendix D: Non-Interstate Bridge Replacement Form Ohio Traffic Forecasting Manual

D-3 April 18

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• providing a “comments” section on the worksheet for use in documenting the selection of the

growth rate, for substituting refined output from the MPO models, for noting more detailed

available truck information (the “B” and “C” components), and/or for noting directional

imbalances in the ADT such as those found on bridges on routes over freeways between ramp

termini;

• dropping the request for forwarding completed design designations to Technical Services; and

• the update of terms to reflect current terminology in use in the department.

The worksheet, itself, is now larger, the equivalent of two 8 ½ by 11 inch sheets. However, the

form can be reproduced as a two-sided 8 ½ by 11 inch form or side by side on an 11 by 17 inch

sheet, etc.

Any comments or questions on the use of this manual, including the discovery of any errors or

inconsistencies, should be directed to the Office of Technical Services at (614) 644-8195.

Ohio Traffic Forecasting Manual Appendix D: Non-Interstate Bridge Replacement Form

April 18 D-4

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Worksheet Instructions (Note: the worksheet is found on pages 6 and 7.)

1A. Enter the PID.

1B Enter the County-Route-Log. If the project is not on the State System, enter an appropriate

project identifier.

2A. Enter the Existing ADT. The ADT selected should be the most recent, accurate, seasonally

adjusted 24-hour volume available. The most recent ADT may be obtained from the latest

Traffic Survey Report (TSR) if the project is on the State System. Other data sources may be

used (ODOT data obtained since the last TSR, count data from county engineers, MPOs,

consultants, cities, etc.). Partial-day counts may be expanded to 24-hours using average values

for the proportion of each hour in the daily total. Expansion tables and seasonal adjustment

factors can be obtained from the Office of Technical Services’ Traffic Monitoring Section. If

the available count data is three (3) years or older, consideration should be given to obtaining a

new count.

2B. Enter the 24-hour B&C volume (trucks). If no data is available, leave this box blank.

2C. Enter the Existing Year. This is the year the count was taken. For TSR data, assume this is the

year of the report (e.g., for a report published in 1996, assume the data is from 1996) unless the

specific ADT is known to come from a count taken in an earlier year.

3. Enter the Opening Year. The Opening Year is the year construction will be completed and the

bridge will reopen to traffic.

4. Enter the Design Year. The Design Year is either 12 or 20 years after the Opening Year. This

is determined by the scope and intent of the project and is unlikely to be an option available to

the user of this manual. Most projects will have a 20-year life; a 12-year design year would

occur only when the bridge is part of an overall 12-year pavement rehabilitation project.

5A. Enter the number of years from the Existing Year to the Opening Year. Enter the difference

between the Opening Year and the Existing Year: (3) - (2C).

5B. Enter the number of years from the Existing Year to the Design Year. Enter the difference

between the Design Year and the Existing Year: (4) - (2C).

6. Select a growth rate. The growth rate is to be selected from the continuous range of rates

shown on the worksheet. The range of rates for each category is subjective, as are the

categories, themselves. Judgment must be used in selecting an appropriate rate. If the project

lies within an MPO area, manually adjusted output from a travel demand forecasting model

provided by the MPO may be used in place of the growth rate. A rate derived from a

regression analysis of historical traffic volumes over at least a twelve year period (equivalent to

three traffic survey reports–five preferred) may be used as a tool for selecting the growth rate.

It is important to recognize that a high rate derived from a regression analysis, based on only a

few data points may not be sustainable when projected 20 or more years into the future. The

Appendix D: Non-Interstate Bridge Replacement Form Ohio Traffic Forecasting Manual

D-5 April 18

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implicit growth rate based on the Design Year ADT and the Existing Year ADT should be

calculated and evaluated against the rates shown. The use of model output in place of the given

rates should be noted in “Comments” (Section 15) of the worksheet.

7. Enter the Opening Year Factor. This factor is calculated as follows: [(6) x (5A)] + 1. Multiply

the growth rate by the difference between the Opening Year and the Existing Year, then add 1.

8. Enter the Design Year Factor. This factor is calculated as follows: [(6) x (5B)] + 1. Multiply

the growth rate by the difference between the Design Year and the Existing Year, then add 1.

9. Enter the Opening Year ADT. The Opening Year ADT is obtained by multiplying the Existing

ADT by the Opening Year Factor: (2A) x (7).

10. Enter the Design Year ADT. The Design Year ADT is obtained by multiplying the Existing

ADT by the Design Year Factor: (2A) x (8).

11A. Enter K. The K factor is selected from the chart on the worksheet. The volume groupings

shown are subjective. When count data exists, it is possible to estimate K by dividing the peak

hour volume by the ADT. However, K is to reflect the 30th highest hour of the year. For a

count on a given day, there is no way to know how the peak hour for that day compares to the

30th highest hour, but “true” K would almost always be higher than this estimated K.

11B. Enter the DHV. The DHV (Design Hourly Volume) is obtained by multiplying the projected

Design Year ADT by the K Factor: (10) x (11A).

12. Enter the D factor. The D factor is assumed to be .55 for projects outside an MPO’s

boundaries and .60 for projects on or within an MPO’s boundaries, except for a one-way

bridge, in which case the D factor is always 1.00. The D factor, representing the directional

distribution in the design hour, is used to calculate the Directional Design Hourly Volume

(DDHV). Like the K factor, it can also be estimated from available count data.

The directional distribution in the ADT is entirely different from D. In the ADT, the

directional split is usually close to 50/50. If known to vary significantly from 50/50, such as

between the ramps on a bridge on a roadway over a freeway, then the directional distribution

should be noted in the “Comments” section of the worksheet.

13. Enter the T24 factor. T24 represents the proportion of B&C commercial vehicles in the ADT.

T24 is calculated based on the Existing Year data and assumed to apply to the Design Year.

Information is seldom available that warrants selecting a T24 value for the Design Year that

differs from T24 as calculated from the Existing Year data. T24 is calculated as: (2B)/(2C).

If no count data exists, assume T24 = .03 or obtain new count data that provides truck data.

14. Enter the TD factor. TD is the proportion of B&C commercial vehicles in the design hour. If

the number of trucks in the peak hour is included in any available count data, an estimate of

TD can be calculated directly. However, TD is usually close to 60 percent of the T24 value,

which an acceptable approximation for use here. TD is calculated as (13) x .6.

Ohio Traffic Forecasting Manual Appendix D: Non-Interstate Bridge Replacement Form

April 18 D-6

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15. The comments section may be used for noting the substitution of MPO model output for

volume estimates based on growth rates, the B and C components of the truck traffic, a

significant departure from the expected 50/50 split in the daily directional distribution rate, or

anything else the user wishes to document.

The Design Designation is summarized at the end of the worksheet from the above information.

The design values (D, T24, and TD) are commonly listed as percents rather than decimal

proportions. DHV is usually shown on the plans instead of K, although to assess the

reasonableness of the DHV, it is usually easier to think in terms of K.

References:

1. Pavement Design and Rehabilitation Manual, Draft, Office of Materials Management,

transmitted on August 10, 1998.

2. Guidelines for Developing Design Year Traffic on Local Roads and Streets, prepared by the

Bureau of Technical Services, December, 1976.

3. Procedures for ODOT District Offices for use in Developing Design Designations for Non-

Interstate Bridge Replacement/Rehabilitation Projects, Bureau of Technical Services,

November 17, 1993.

4. Traffic Survey Reports prepared by the Bureau/Office of Technical Services, 1975-1998 (some

in preparation, older reports exist).

.

Appendix D: Non-Interstate Bridge Replacement Form Ohio Traffic Forecasting Manual

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BRIDGE PROJECT DESIGN DESIGNATION WORKSHEET

1A Enter the PID: 1A

1B Enter the County-Route-Log or other identifier: 1B

2A Enter the Existing ADT (Total Vehicles): 2A

2B Enter 24-hour B&C (commercial) volume if available: 2B

2C Enter the Existing Year: 2C

3 Enter the Opening Year: 3

4 Enter the Design Year: 4

5A Enter the number of years from the Existing Year to the Opening

Year: (3) - (2C) =

5A

5B Enter the number of years from the Existing Year to the Design

Year: (4) - (2C) =

5B

6 Select a growth rate from the following range of rates:

Stable .0025-.0050 Moderate .0100-.0200

Low .0050-.0100 High .0200-.0300

6

7 Enter the Opening Year Factor: [(6) x (5A)]+1 = 7

8 Enter the Design Year Factor): [(6) x (5B)]+1 = 8

9 Enter the Opening Year ADT: (2A) x (7) =

Round to nearest 100 vehicles (nearest 10 vehicles if < 1000)

9

10 Enter the Design Year ADT: (2A) x (8) =

Round to nearest 100 vehicles (nearest 10 vehicles if < 1000)

10

11A Enter K, selected from the following table of Design Year ADT :

< 1000 .12 5001 - 15000 .10

1001 - 5000 .11 15001 < .09

11A

11B Enter the DHV: (10) x (11A) 11B

12 Enter the D Factor (for DDHV): within an MPO area: .60

outside an MPO area: .55

any one-way bridge: 1.00

12

13 Enter the T24 factor (the proportion of B&C vehicles in ADT):

[(2B)/(2A)] or .03 if (2B) is blank

13

14 Enter the TD factor (the proportion of B&C vehicles in the design

hour): (13) x 0.6

14

Ohio Traffic Forecasting Manual Appendix D: Non-Interstate Bridge Replacement Form

April 18 D-8

BRIDGE PROJECT DESIGN DESIGNATION WORKSHEET

7

15 COMMENTS 15

DESIGN DESIGNATION (summarized from above) PID 1A

County-Route-Log 1B

Opening Year ADT = 9

Design Year ADT = 10

K = 11A

D = 12

T24 = 13

TD = 14

Appendix D: Non-Interstate Bridge Replacement Form Ohio Traffic Forecasting Manual

D-9 April 18

Appendix E: Early Coordination Meeting Checklist

MEETING ATTENDEES

Please list attendee names and the organization they represent below.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Give a brief description of the project below. Include boundaries, build changes, new developments, etc.

PROJECT ALTERNATIVES AND STUDY AREA

Does study area encompass minimum traffic analysis study area1? (use larger of two)

Yes No

How many build alternatives?

Do any alternatives substantially change the highway networks2?

Yes (modeling) No (probably no modeling, use Model of Record or SHIFT)

Is study area completely contained in an MPO area?

Yes (MPO Model) No (Statewide Model)

Are freight impacts the central driver of the project?

Yes (Statewide Model) No (see above)

If multiple versions of model available, which to use? (coordinate with MPO as needed)

Modeling and Forecasting Early Coordination Checklist This checklist is to be completed at the time of the early coordination meeting and is meant to help identify potential issues with upcoming PDP path 4&5 (and some path 3) projects and workload responsibilities. This checklist also serves as the meeting minutes.

Date of Meeting

Are alternatives complex enough to require traffic microsimulation?

Yes No

If Yes, should refined alternative traffic be generated?

Yes No

Is a no-build alternative needed3?

Yes No

If Yes, list what additional projects (if any) should be included in the no-build and build. (review E+C / LRP maps, check for big volume differences between E+C and LRP)

Should forecasts be consistent with previous forecasts?

Yes No

If Yes, list project(s) below.

Are there future projects related to or that will be influenced by this project?

Yes No

If yes, should the analysis be expanded to accommodate them now?

Yes No

If Yes, list the project(s) below and include the same level of information about the project(s) as for the subject project.

Are there physical constraints near this project that will limit the amount of traffic that can reach the project area at least until after the design year?

Yes No

If Yes, list the locations and capacity constraint conditions.

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT

Is there specific land development associated with the project?

Yes No

Is the development included in or consistent with TAZ map data?

Yes No N/A

If No, list any differences in the TAZ data modification section

Is the development contingent on the project (i.e. should it be omitted from the no-build)?

Yes No N/A

If Yes, list development(s) not to be included in the no-build.

Does the model of record TAZ data need to be modified?

Yes No

If Yes, list any differences between the development(s) and TAZ map data below providing quantifiable amounts and locations.

If modified, are zone splits (MPO) or focus model (Statewide) needed?

None Needed Zone Splits Focus Model

Is the District provided information sufficient to represent in the model?

Yes No (District will provide specific locations & quantities of development with request)

PROJECT OPENING AND DESIGN YEARS

What are the expected Opening and Design Years?

Opening Year Design Year

Will revised model years be needed or can model years be interpolated to actual open/design year4?

Revise Model Years Interpolate Model Years

Is opening year modeling needed3?

Yes No

Are intermediate years needed due to project or development phasing?

Yes No

If Yes, list year(s) below as well as any details regarding portions of project or development that should be phased in by listed dates.

COUNT DATA

What periods will be needed for the project?

Daily AM PM MID

Should independent growth rates be developed for each time period?

No (standard) Yes (will require additional modeling for each period increasing time required)

If Yes, which period(s)? (check all that apply)

AM PM MID

Will truck factors be needed?

Yes No

Are there special seasonal or weekend considerations?

Yes No

If Yes, list them below.

If there are seasonal or weekend considerations is there data available to account for these considerations?

Yes No (list with additional count data needs below)

Will Turn movement forecasts be required?

Yes No

If yes, list locations below (or attach map/separate list).

Based on review of existing count data and previous studies, can counts meeting the project needs and M & F count guidelines be obtained from existing data or do new/additional counts need to be obtained?

Yes (all locations covered) No (additional counts needed to cover study area)

If additional counts are needed list the location and type of count (TMC or tube) below (or attach map/separate list).

Are queue counts required for this project?

Yes No

If Yes, list the locations and any other details below.

Is an ATR count in or near the project area required?

Yes No

If an ATR count is required, does one currently exist that meets the needs of the project?

Yes No

If a new ATR count is required, does the timeline allow for the collection of the new count? (typically requires 14 months to place and obtain a full year’s worth of data.)

Yes No (include any special methods to accommodate the shorter time line in the section below)

Are there special considerations for the selection of design hour factors (for example other than 30th highest hour, special methods, 8th highest hour for signal warrants, etc.)?

Yes No

If yes, list them.

Will count plates be produced?

Yes No

If count plates are produced list details below (who is making them, are they factored, balanced, when will they be available, etc.).

DESIGN TRAFFIC TIME LINE RELATIVE TO PDP (see attached figure)

PDP Step 1.3.C: Traffic counts to be collected as determined above.

PDP Step 1.3.D or PDP Step 1.3.E or pre-PDP traffic for Purpose and Need:

If there is only a single analysis alternative using the model of record then a single design traffic request can be made as PDP Step 1.3.E (skip remaining PDP steps), otherwise planning level (or design)7 traffic for the no build will be required per PDP Step 1.3.D. No build traffic can also be requested prior to beginning the PDP to establish Purpose and Need.

Type of request to be made at this stage for the No Build Alternative:

None Planning Level Traffic5 Refined Alternative Level Design Traffic5

Anticipated date of request?

PDP Step 2.1.A.A:

If there is a feasibility study then traffic forecasts will be requested here for each alternative (unless obtained in a previous step), by default they will be planning level forecasts, if however differentiation of feasible alternatives involve detailed traffic operations, turn lanes, turn movement or hourly level forecasts, then either design traffic or refined alternative level traffic is needed. If design traffic, skip remaining PDP steps.

Are alternatives specifically well-known ahead to combine this request with 1.3.D?

Yes No

Type of request to be made at this stage:

None Planning Level Traffic5 Refined Alternative Level Design Traffic5

Number of alternatives?

Anticipated date of request?

PDP Step 2.3.B.A:

If there is an alternative evaluation study, design traffic will generally be requested for the alternatives in this study (unless obtained in a previous step) due to the more detailed nature of the alternatives however, sometimes planning level or refined alternative level traffic may be adequate.

Are alternatives specifically well-known ahead to combine this request with 1.3.D or 2.1.A.A?

Yes 1.3.D Yes 2.1.A.A No

Type of request to be made at this stage:

None Planning Level Traffic5 Refined Alternative Level Design Traffic5

Number of alternative?

Anticipated date of request?

PDP Step 2.5.B:

If design traffic was not necessary during previous steps, it is requested here for the final preferred alternative.

Anticipated date of request?

Who will produce the Design Traffic?

Project consultant or sponsor (discuss boiler plate scope language & any needed modifications)

M&F On-call consultant

M&F

1. The minimum traffic analysis study area is: • The next parallel facility to either side of the project facility • Two intersections or interchanges before and after the last one physically impacted by the

project and one beyond parallel facilities on cross routes • All of the remaining network facilities connected to and bounded by these

2. Substantially Change means: • Major New Bridge • New Interchange • Removal/Addition of Connections for Certain Movements at an Interchange • Building New Roads (or closing roads) • Increase of 50% or More to the Number of Through Lanes • Changes in Transit Service • Changes in Toll Rates • Implementation of Transportation Demand Management, Managed Lanes or Intelligent

Transportation Systems • Complex Traffic Operations interactions such as occur in the CBD of a large urban area.

3. The answer should usually be yes if project modeling is needed. 4. Usually model year can be safely interpolated/extrapolated to an opening/design year within 5 unless

project and/or development phasing suggest otherwise. 5. The following page summarizes the difference between planning level, refined alternative level and

design, it should be further noted that planning level forecasts are daily link volumes, any request for hourly or turn movement level forecasts are by default design or refined alternative level.

Excerpt from “Guidelines for Planning Level Traffic and the Use of Models for Project Traffic Forecasting” detailing difference in forecast types.

2. Planning Level Traffic

Planning level traffic consists of traffic forecasts produced for projects expected to cause traffic diversion (paths 4, 5 and

some path 3) and usually involving multiple alternatives using traffic models to quantify that diversion. It is used in the

project planning process (PDP Phase 1) and the preliminary engineering process (PDP Phase 2) unless either of the

subsequent categories is obtained for this purpose. Planning level traffic uses model output but involves various checks

and adjustments as documented in the second part of these guidelines. However, it has not necessarily been refined to

produce reasonable values at all locations within the study area. If the checks, refinements, adjustments and volume

reporting guidelines in this manual are followed, planning level traffic should be suitable for all decision making in the

project planning process and the Feasibility Study (PDP Task 2.1.A) of the preliminary engineering phase (unless refined

alternative level traffic is deemed necessary or if more detailed design activities are moved forward as discussed in the

next section). In addition, following these procedures will make it much more likely that design traffic and planning level

traffic are consistent. However, it should always be remembered that planning level traffic is designed to answer questions on the order of magnitude of the addition of a general purpose travel lane in a certain location. If more detailed decisions such as location and length of turn lanes, auxiliary lanes, traffic control devices etc. are being made; refined alternative level or design traffic is required. Generally these types of decisions are deferred until

certified design traffic is available, if not, the project manager (or designee) should work with ODOT M&F to identify the

appropriate analysis procedures.

3. Refined Alternative Level Traffic

Refined alternative level traffic only occurs in certain rare cases where additional model work beyond the TDF model has

occurred for certain types of projects. This model work typically involves using matrix estimation techniques (other

techniques are possible as well) to refine travel demand to more precisely match study area traffic counts so that the

results are accurate enough for use in operational level traffic models. Since this is extremely labor intensive, this level of

traffic is generally only produced for very complex model projects. Before attempting to produce refined alternative level

traffic, all of the appropriate checking/ adjusting/ refining procedures documented herein should have been applied first.

This traffic is suitable for making more detailed decisions on alternatives in a Feasibility Study (PDP Task 2.1.A) (note,

most projects will use Planning Level Traffic for the feasibility study as mentioned previously) and potentially in an

Alternative Evaluation Study (PDP Task 2.3) as well.

4. Design Traffic

Design traffic consists of the final traffic forecasts and related information including turn volumes, direction factors, 30th

highest hour factors etc. needed to inform the final detailed design of a project. For projects requiring model work, all of

the checking/ adjusting/ refining documented herein (as appropriate for the project type) will have been conducted for the

feasible alternatives (or just the preferred alternative) to serve as inputs to the design traffic forecasting process. That

process involves labor intensive manual checking and adjusting of location specific volumes to produce final forecasts that

are consistent both internally and with counts. Design traffic is said to be “certified” when the ODOT Office of Statewide

Planning and Research, Modeling & Forecasting Section transmits a certification memo. Design traffic is requested in the

Planning Phase (task 1.3.E) for path 1, 2 and most path 3 projects, and for larger projects as part of the Alternatives

Evaluation Study (per PDP Task 2.3.B.A) or in the absence of said study (or if it is determined that planning level traffic is

suitable for use in the Alternatives Evaluation Study) generated in PDP task 2.5.B for subsequent use in Stage 1 Design

(PDP Task 2.7). The production of certified design traffic forecasts is its own topic and will not be discussed further here.

PDP Steps Relevent to Design Traffic

http://pdp.dot.state.oh.us/General/TaskTemplateReader.aspx

Design Traffic Preliminary Coordination Meeting Checklist (to be reviewed prior to meeting)

It is assumed that the below pre-meeting checklist will be sent to meeting participants at least a week before the meeting and that all participants will arrive at the meeting with all of the applicable items on the below lists.

Pre-meeting Checklist

Notify District to bring (copies, preferably electronic, should be made available to M&F):

Maps of study area showing study area limits, impacted roadways

Maps or description of alternatives (to the extent known) including:

Proposed alignments/number of lanes

Lane additions

Ramp/Interchange locations

Turn Lanes

Traffic Control

Speed Limits

Maps or description of proposed developments including:

Locations

Size (square feet or employment or persons or households)

Type (usually ITE Trip Gen. categories)

Trip rates for specialized developments

Driveway locations

Development dependent on project?

In what years is the proposed development expected?

Previous Studies including:

Safety

TIS

Planning

Previous Design Traffic, Planning Level Traffic or Modeling

Previous Counts (or description/locations)

List of future projects related to or that will be influenced by this project

Prepared by Modeling & Forecasting Section:

TAZ Maps1 of MPO (or statewide) model variables in area including:

Population Change (base and forecast annotated)

Employment Change (base and forecast annotated)

Optional Categorical2 Employment Change (base and forecast annotated)

Map of previous project traffic forecasts with forecast volume annotated

Scope Boiler Plates

Map or list of existing ATR’s near project

Map showing projects in model E+C/LRP networks (annotate vol., PID’s, color lane changes)

Traffic Count Guidance Document

PKD Report Tables

1. All TAZ maps to be annotated TAZ maps showing aerial imagery as the background, possibly with employment locations indicated as well.

2. Only include relevant categories, categorize as: N11-42,48-49=Basic, N43-44,71-81=Retail/Service, N61=Education, N62=Health, N51-N56,92=Office

Appendix F: Certified Traffic Request Form

Form Version: June 2017 Date Submitted Please check for latest version from: http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Planning/SPR/ModelForecastingUnit/Pages/CertifiedTraffic.aspx

NAME ORGANIZATION

PHONE EMAIL

Traffic Forecast Request Form Office of Statewide Planning & Research – modeling & Forecasting Section 1980 W. Broad Street, Mail Stop 3280, Columbus, OH 43223 Phone: (614) 752-5747

ODOT personnel should submit this form and any supporting materials to: CertTraffic@dot.state.oh.us Non-ODOT personnel should send request for traffic forecasts through the appropriate ODOT district office.

PID DISTRICT COUNTY ROUTE LOG From: To: DESCRIBE THE PROJECT BOUNDARIES (i.e. all road sections, ramps, and bridges requiring a value) Include a street-network map of the study area with this request which clearly identifies the locations requiring forecasted traffic.

PROJECT OPENING YEAR DESIGN YEAR

EARLY COORDINATION MEETING WITH MODELING & FORECASTING STAFF HELD:

Yes No Date of Meeting (attach meeting minutes with request)

FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR C.O. TASK ORDER CONSULTANT: Yes No (Review Requests)

PREVIOUS STUDIES: Have any previous studies (TIS, Planning, etc) relevant to this project been completed?

Yes No (please attach with request)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION & REASON FOR REQUEST (The reason helps us provide forecast tailored to the purpose and need.)

REQUESTOR CONTACT INFORMATION LOCATION OTHER REQUEST DETAILS

TYPE OF REQUEST – Select one

NEW Project Forecast – There are no previous forecasts for this project.

UPDATE Project Forecast – Previous forecast(s) for this project exist. Provide reason for update (check all that apply):

Reason(s) Change in future year(s) of interest

Change in design alternative/alignment (provide drawings of each new alternative)

Change in project boundaries

Other changes:

Date of previous forecast

REVIEW Project Forecast – Review of forecast created by a consultant or other non-ODOT entity.

DESIRED DESIGN DESIGNATIONS (Certified design traffic requests only)

K & D Factors T24 TD 8th highest hour factor (only needed for signal warrants)

REQUESTED SERVICES – Select one

Certified Design Traffic – Project involving no new roads* and no new general purpose (GP) lanes. (include reason for submittal in Special Conditions below)

Certified Design Traffic – Project involves new roads or GP lanes and planning level traffic is complete.

Date of planning level traffic (Attach if not done by ODOT Modeling & Forecasting)

Certified Design Traffic – Project involves new roads or GP lands and NO planning level traffic is available.

Planning Level Traffic** *New roads includes new ramps and/or interchanges. **Planning level traffic is used for analysis of new roads or other projects expected to substantially change traffic volumes. See Certified Traffic Manual, Appendix C for details. TRAFFIC COUNTS & REQUIRED FORECASTS

Counts following the recommended guidelines attached for all locations requested.*

Count Plates attached with request. (Should be included with all PDP Path 4 & 5 projects.) *See Guidelines for Traffic Counts Used for Forecasts Certified for Roadway Design for traffic count guidelines.

Required Forecast Periods: ADT A.M. DHV P.M. DHV

Required Forecast Types (check all that apply):

Turning Movements Mainline** Ramps** Weaves (weave count recommended)***

**If not covered by intersection forecasts.

***Requires additional model work to complete.

Identify locations where forecasts are needed by forecast type (attach maps if necessary).

CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS

Are there capacity constraints in or near the project area that would impact the forecast?

Yes No

Please list locations and restrictions below.

REQUIRED ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS In addition to the base case/no build, does this project require analysis of alternative future scenarios?

Yes No

For modeling purposes, roadway networks with committed construction projects (MPO Long Range Plan) will be used unless otherwise specified.

COMMITTED AND/OR PLANNED DEVELOPMENT IN VICINITY

MPO long range plan assumptions should be modified as described below.

MPO long range plan assumptions are acceptable for this project.

Provide all information available about the planned development, i.e. number of employees, square footage of buildings, site map, location map, etc. For projects in MPO planning areas, if no development information is provided, then the MPO long range plan land use will be assumed.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS (i.e. concerns with existing counts, special site impacts to be considered, etc.) and/or need by date:

Appendix G: Draft Standard Scope

NOTE that the Design Traffic Request Form is to be filled out and attached. Project Identification PID # C-R-S Services Requested Develop Design Traffic for Certification for C-R-S, PID #. All work will be done in accordance with the Ohio Design Traffic Manual. ODOT standard files will be used for all work including Excel traffic adjusting spreadsheets and Microstation design plates for the display of the final values and counts. The ODOT Traffic Impact Study Guidelines will be used if applicable. Tasks include:

Develop Microstation design plates for AM peak hour, PM peak hour and AADT showing traffic counts that will be used for the project. All locations/turning movements where design traffic is requested will be shown on the plates with a count. The ODOT standard Microstation plate and design guidelines will be used. See StandardDesignTrafficTemplate.dgn. Factors used to calculate AADT from short term counts if used should be shown in an attached spreadsheet.

Review materials and determine if any additional traffic counts are required. Counts are required to be consistent with the ODOT Count Guidelines.

Review travel demand model inputs (including networks, zonal data and zone structure) and outputs (including traffic volumes by time-of-day and turning movements).

Develop Design Traffic as specified in the Request Form (attached) using the required spreadsheets and design plates.

Document your work and assumptions in a report so that if additional work is needed, the next analyst is able to determine what was included in this set of traffic, what adjustments were made (e.g. smoothing, select links for weaving analysis), any special situations (e.g. trucks forecasted separately) and any special land use considerations. Inputs should also be documented including the count plates and traffic model and its inputs (e.g. model version, zonal file and/or trip table dates and years, networks, screen shots of model volumes used in the project area).

Project information can be found on the project website at: link here Opening Year: # Design Year: # Final plates are as follows:

Build Opening Year - AM, PM, 24 hour Build Design Year – AM, PM, 24 hour Truck percentages – TD, T24 List any additional plates here, including any No Build requests. This should match

the Design Traffic Request Form

Interchanges include: List interchanges here – specify Ramps only if no turning movements are needed

Intersections include: List intersections here

MPO will provide model assignments for: List all alternatives here – confirm with MPO before stating that they will be

available

ODOT will provide model assignments for: List all alternatives here – confirm with OSPR before stating that they will be

available

Any additional model run requests should be submitted with the cost proposal. List any additional notes here. Task Order Completion Time: 21 days from notice to proceed or as negotiated. Products

Traffic Count Plate(s) (.pdf and Microstation) Design Traffic Plates(s) (.pdf and Microstation) Traffic Adjuster Spreadsheets (.xlsx) Documentation (.docx) Model inputs, scripts and outputs if not generated by ODOT Other assistance as needed.