A turning movement count or TMC is a type of traffic count that counts the flows of people and vehicles through an intersection. [1] As with other traffic counts, they may be conducted on either a temporary or permanent basis and may use a variety of different technologies such as recorded video processed with image recognition algorithms or manual field collection [2] assisted by tools like turning movement counters. [3]
TMCs may classify different users of the intersection and provide separate counts for each. For example a TMC could provide separate movement counts for trucks, buses, other motor vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. [4]
Pedestrians, who don't use turning lanes in the roadway, may be counted differently such as when they cross the street in marked or unmarked crossings. [4]
TMC's may be used to determine whether the intersection needs a traffic light. [5] Formulas are used to decide whether the volume of the traffic determines that a light is needed. This equation is based on the road classification, entering speed and pedestrian/bicyclist movement through the intersection. A total of eight hours of turning movement is generally mandated for this type of assessment.
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