Do we need new ways of collecting urban traffic data. Paper presented at the Conference on Traffic Data Collection, University of Leeds, January 8-9, 1979.

his paper concentrates on the changes in transport planning brought about by current national policies and their implication for data collection. It focuses on four main topics - comprehensive traffic management, monitoring and provisions for pedal cyclists and pedestrians. The difficulties associated with presently accepted techniques for the collection of origin and destination data, likely to be required for comprehensive traffic management are examined. Problems with the collection of journey time data are discussed. Time-lapse photography or video-recording from the air seem to offer a solution but it poses its own problems of cost and data abstraction. Automated analysis is needed to develop widespread use of aerial photography for these purposes. At present the use of photography tends to merely transfer work from site to office. Other advantages are required such as reduced cost, speed of analysis and the quality of data. However, for most purposes, the present balance between using photographic or more direct means to collect data does not seem to be appreciably changed from the present situation where the method is chosen to suit the situation. For the covering abstract of the conference see IRRD 253497.