Skip to main content

Upgrade for traffic counting system on Delaware bridges

The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission recently approved the purchase of new technology and software to replace the aging traffic counting system at the agency's 18 road bridges. The US$268,724 purchase of radar traffic counters, auxiliary system and software will be made from Signal Services of West Chester, Pennsylvania through the Pennsylvania Department of General Services COSTARS Program. The Commission collects traffic counts to make data-driven decisions related to budgeting, maintenance an
April 29, 2016 Read time: 2 mins

The 794 Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission recently approved the purchase of new technology and software to replace the aging traffic counting system at the agency's 18 road bridges.

The US$268,724 purchase of radar traffic counters, auxiliary system and software will be made from Signal Services of West Chester, Pennsylvania through the Pennsylvania Department of General Services COSTARS Program.

The Commission collects traffic counts to make data-driven decisions related to budgeting, maintenance and long-term capital improvements.  

The current traffic counting system is roughly 20 years old and uses an inductive loop detection system to count vehicles as they drive over the loops.  Collected data is stored on local servers at each bridge and daily traffic totals are then fed into a centralised database over land telephone lines.

The new system uses non-intrusive microwave radar technology coupled with new auxiliary equipment, servers and software to collect data, which will then be transmitted via cell tower technology to the central database.

The Commission believes the new system will improve reliability and accuracy and allow for easier maintenance.

Related Content

  • July 27, 2012
    Automating enforcement of environmental zones
    Amsterdam City Council has chosen to move away from manual enforcement of its environmental zone, which is intended to keep highly polluting goods vehicles out of the city centre, and is installing an automated, ANPR-based system. The signs are not much to look at: white with a red circle and the all-important word Milieuzone ('Environmental zone'). But these signs mean that Amsterdam's city centre is strictly off-limits to polluting goods traffic. At the moment compliance is monitored by special wardens wh
  • November 21, 2012
    Developing new detection and monitoring technologies
    Established detection and monitoring technologies continue to evolve, but is it time to challenge their supremacy and take a serious look at less conventional ITS? Andy Graham considers the options with Jason Barnes. For ITS system providers, the most potentially lucrative markets over the next few years are going to be the BRIC (Brazil Russia India and China) group of countries, all of which are building many miles of new roads, applying tolling to existing ones (8,000km in China alone) and implementing w
  • April 25, 2013
    Upgrading Turkey's tolling system
    A programme modernising road tolling equipment on Turkey’s national highway network has resulted in what is arguably Europe’s most advanced toll system, reports Jon Masters. Turkey has introduced a new system of technology for charging for use of its 2000km national highway network, heralded as the first full-scale use of passive RFID tags for electronic open road tolling in Europe. The new ‘Fast Passing System’ (HGS) is an upgrade of Turkey’s existing Automatic Passing System (OGS) technology, which uses
  • March 2, 2012
    Cooperative infrastructures, cooperative enforcement?
    A dozen years from now, will enforcement still be constrained by the legislative thinking which currently prevails? Or will the needs of the wider transport community bring about some welcome changes?