Traffic counts up throughout the county
Overall traffic flow counts throughout Jackson County increased in 2014, with the largest jumps noted along U.S. Highway 75, according to the 2015 Traffic Flow Map recently released by the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Planning.
The annual report notes that most traffic along U.S. 75 in the county, from the southern county line to Holton, increased by about 100 vehicles per day this past year. In that part of the county, commercial traffic rose by an average of 20 vehicles.
Along U.S. 75’s northern section, from Holton to the northern county line, most overall traffic increased by 50 to 80 vehicles. A continuous counter placed on U.S. 75 near 278th Road, however, recorded 5,950 vehicles, which is up from 5,720 vehicles recorded nearby in 2013. Commercial traffic in the northern part of U.S. 75 increased by 15 to 20 vehicles per day.
Elsewhere in the county, regular and commercial traffic saw modest daily increases along Kansas Highway 16/Kansas Highway 116, which runs east and west through the county.
Overall traffic in both the eastern and western sections of that road grew by about 10 to 20 cars a day, with commercial traffic increasing by an average of five vehicles a day. Commercial traffic remained stagnant in the easternmost point on K-116, the report shows.
Daily traffic counts on Kansas Highway 62 through Soldier, Kansas Highway 79 to Circleville and Kansas Highway 9 through Netawaka and Whiting also had modest increases in daily traffic this past year.
The annual map shows estimated average 24-hour traffic counts for the year ending Dec. 31, 2014. The averages are derived mainly from 24-hour volumes recorded by portable traffic counters.
These short-term counts are adjusted for day-of-week and seasonal variations using data from 80 continuous permanent counters. An axle correction factor has been applied to each short-term count. Heavy commercial volumes are derived from short-term vehicle classification counters.
The 2015 Traffic Flow Map is available to download in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format at the KDOT Web site (www.ksdot.org) under the “Traveler Information – State Maps” heading. Paper copies of the map may also be ordered from KDOT.
At the local level, the Jackson County Road and Bridge Department recently tested a new traffic counter on 214th Road between Q and R Roads.
During a recent Jackson County Commission meeting, Earl Bahret and Eric Fritz, road and bridge department supervisors, reported that an average of 200 cars were recorded on the road from Monday, April 1, to Tuesday, April 7.
The counter records daily traffic, as well as whether that traffic is eastbound or westbound, and is able to track speeds to some extent.
The highest traffic day on 214th Road was Monday, April 6, with 103 eastbound travelers and 121 westbound travelers, for a combined total of 224 vehicles.
The counter recorded average speeds of about 24 to 25 miles per hour during the testing period. Additional instances of drivers traveling speeds exceeding 35 and 45 miles per hour were recorded. The speed limit posted on 214th Road is 35 miles per hour.
