PROCEDURE MANUAL FOR DETERMINING TRAFFIC PATTERNS FOR A SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE FOR MAJOR THROUGHFARE PLANNING IN SMALL URBAN AREAS

THE CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES WITH POPULATIONS OF 50,000 OR MORE ALL HAVE CONTINUING, COMPREHENSIVE, COOPERATIVE TRANSPORTATION STUDIES UNDERWAY. THE CONTINUING ASPECT OF THESE STUDIES REQUIRES THAT AT LEAST SOME STAFF BE CONTINUALLY MAINTAINED FOR PERIODIC UPDATING AND CONTINUAL DATA COLLECTION FOR BOTH LARGE AND SMALL URBAN AREAS. THESE PROCEDURES REQUIRED THE SAME STRINGENT PERSONNEL EXPERTISE IN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND THE SAME LEVELS OF SOPHISTICATION. THE PROCEDURES BECAME EXTREMELY COSTLY, BURDENSOME AND TO A DEGREE LESS VALID WHEN APPLIED TO THE SMALL URBAN AREAS. THEREFORE A SIMPLIFIED PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING TRAFFIC PATTERNS FOR MAJOR THOROUGHFARE PLANNING IN SMALL URBAN AREAS WAS DEVELOPED. THIS THIS MANUAL PRESENTS THESE PROCEDURES WHICH INCLUDE: CORRIDOR AND EXTERNAL CORDON IDENTIFICATION; TRAFFIC VOLUME DETERMINATION; TRAVEL PATTERNS AND TRAFFIC FORECASTS (BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL).