With reference to the considerable growth in the volume particularly of motor vehicle traffic in urban areas as well as in rural areas, a study has been set up. The first two of three interconnected objectives of this study are to obtain both data and understanding in character and volume of rural traffic and to obtain insight into this character and volume influencing factors. South-west friesland, the rural area south of workum and west of lemmer, is chosen as the study area. The four methods used for this study are: mechanical counts, visual counts and roadside interviews on the roads and home and business questionnaires by inhabitants. The trip production of the inhabitants, i.e. the average daily trip rate on weekdays, is 2.80, of which 0.94 by foot, 1.01 by moped and bicycle, 0.51 as driver of a motor vehicle and 0.34 as passenger. Trip production with a vehicle in south-west friesland is low in comparison with the results of other dutch studies. School traffic is important in south-west friesland and is characterised by a relatively high proportion of public transport. The great variation in volume is remarkable for the roads: the aadt varies in 1973 from 167 to 2606. These results are lower than elsewhere in the netherlands on comparable roads, while a stronger seasonal fluctuation is found. A relation with the recreational function of the area seems logical. With reference to the foregoing a third objective is included, namely the development of a transportation model, by which daily volumes of motor vehicles on weekdays (the so called link loads) for a road network in a rural area can be calculated from explanatory variables (e.g. inhabitants and jobs). The sequential model is divided into four phases. The successive phases are the determination of the road network, of the trip generation, of the trip distribution and of the assignment.
Samenvatting