Abstract
The central traffic counting program in israel covers the major rural highway network. Week-long mechanical counts are performed on each link every 1 to 2 years. This paper describes a study of possible ways to increase the program's efficiency by counting only a sample of links every year. Two possible methods for updating link volume estimates based on a sample of counts are described: (a) using network connectivity information and (b) using older counts for estimating the rate of change of volumes over time. The methods have been evaluated using actual count data. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1236, Transportation data 1989.