As the region continues to grow, travel patterns will change. Data on existing travel patterns is an important part of determining future transportation facility needs. The data collection of current travel patterns will take place along multiple roads and highways within the study area and will last through the end of May. Some of the types of traffic data that will be collected and used to forecast travel patterns and usage are:

24-hour Counts -Tube counters will be placed a fixed distance to count the number of cars and trucks on the road throughout the entire day. This provides information on times of high demand.

Intersection Counts - Tracking the directional flow of traffic is done with a manual process that counts the number of vehicles moving left, right, or through an intersection every 15 to 30 minutes.

Travel Time Runs - These runs will be conducted to estimate how long it takes to travel between specific points at various times of the day. Two types of systems can be used to collect this data; vehicles that automatically record times and locations using satellites, or by a manual process where one person drives and the other records the time runs.

Surveys - The information is gathered by video taping license plate numbers and then sending a survey to the vehicle owners. The anonymous returned surveys give IDOT information on specific trips, such as the starting point of the trip, the destination, the purpose of the trips, and the number of passengers in the vehicle.