Reports
Period of (05/2024 – 06/2024)
Completed Tasks by Project Team
Coming soon…
Suggestions and Questions from Subcommittees
Coordination and Community Engagement
- Comments
- Site Selection Guidance: Provided guidance on count locations and noted considerations for special events like the Hank Aaron State Trail 5K candlelight walk.
- Communication Methods: Expressed concern that emails were not drawing sufficient attention, with a recommendation to focus on using the website and include a sign-up option for updates.
- Committee Goals/Tasks:
- Mentioned partners and resources involved, including WisDOT, MnDOT, TxDOT, NCDOT, and various local entities.
- Identified conferences and meetings previously as key communication platforms.
- Suggestions
- Website and Updates: Suggested establishing an annual meeting for partners conducting counts, ideally held in late winter/early spring, and including a sign-up for updates option on the website.
- Count Locations Review: Recommended reviewing count locations within WisDOT’s GIS Resources for equity and appropriate stratification.
- Questions
- A request was made for a project description to be included in an introductory email to potential partners, indicating a need for clear communication regarding the project’s scope and objectives.
Data management
- Comments
- Data Collection Methods: Discussed are various methodologies for collecting data, including potential crowdsourcing, the use of Eco Counter Pyro Box for infrared counting, and Eco Counter Mobile Multi Units Viva sensors and Axis cameras.
- Count Site Locations: Provided details on suggested locations for count sites, including the need for coordination with David Meurett for a signalized and unsignalized crossing at UW-Stevens Point, which is considering a road diet.
- Data Collection Points: Bob provided a comprehensive list of data points to be collected, covering location, type of data, facility type, and numerous other metrics, detailed on the last page of the minutes.
- Suggestions
- Data Collection and Privacy: Raised concerns about privacy issues regarding collecting demographic data like age and disability status during manual/video counts.
- Data Sharing Platform: Discussed the need to establish a website with UWM for data sharing where users can be certified and download data in various formats like Excel spreadsheets and shapefiles.
- Infrastructure Data Considerations: Additional infrastructure-related data points like pedestrian level of stress, bike level of stress, and other site conditions such as signals, curb extensions, and obstructions near intersections are recommended.
- Questions
- Questioned whether the current counting equipment can store sufficient data for the proposed two-week counts and discussed geographic spread for the data collection.
- Raised the need to establish methodologies for processing collected data to ensure it’s usable and valuable for project insights and future planning.
Technical Support Subcommittee
- Comments
- Count Devices: Discussed various counting technologies such as Mio Vision and Eco Counter, including their cost, capabilities, and limitations for specific uses like counting scooters.
- Data Collection and Site Selection: Emphasized the need to incorporate data from existing count stations and potentially use crowdsourced data. Specific details were provided about temporary and permanent counts, types of sensors and cameras used, and integration of different data sources.
- Protocols and QA/QC: Highlighted the requirements for lighting systems in cameras and proposed a minimum count duration to ensure reliability, including considerations for special events.
- Suggestions
- Counting Technology Recommendations: Provided insights on selecting appropriate technology based on lessons learned from previous projects. Mentioned the effectiveness of using in-house or consultant-recommended technologies over manual counts.
- Data Handling and Anomaly Management: Suggested strategies for handling data anomalies and proposed a focus on specific types of data collection methodologies depending on urban or rural contexts.
- Literature Review and Information Sharing: There was a suggestion to summarize the information from the literature review and share findings and updates via webinars and presentations to keep the TAC informed.
- Questions
- Inquired about the extent and focus of the literature review that UWM has done or plans to do as part of the project, emphasizing the need to understand the foundational research guiding the project’s technical approaches.