Cycle network and route planning guide - NZ Transport Agency

APPENDIX 2
SCALING CYCLE COUNTS
Introduction
The number of cyclists using a facility varies by time of day, day of the week and week of the
year. Based on some Christchurch cycle counts described below, the variation over an average
weekday is shown in Figure A2.1. The variation in weekly flows across one year is shown in
Figure A2.2. The purpose of this appendix is to recommend a procedure for estimating the
average annual daily flow of cyclists (cycling AADT) from cycle counts conducted at one time.
It is not normally practical to count cyclists over a whole year. A formula for scaling up shortperiod
cycle counts is described below.
Scaling factors
The scale factors in Tables A2.1 to A2.3 are based on year-round continuous cycle counts from 13 cycle loops around Christchurch. If an
adequate set of continuous count data is available for the local area concerned it should be used instead. (A programme for collecting
and updating such data for each area is recommended elsewhere in this guide.) The scale factors account for the time of day (H), day of
the week (D), and week of the year (W). The week factor varies with school holidays and season. The pattern was found to vary depending
on the presence of cyclists riding to and from school. The presence of school cyclists is shown by a peak after 3 pm (see Figure A2.1)
that is absent from work commuting. The amount of school cycling at the site also affects the extent of the drop in cycling during school
holidays. For this reason there are two sets of factors in the tables to provide for situations with and without school cycle traffic.
Figure A2.1 Weekday
daily cycling count profile
corresponding to H-weekday
for all sites in Table A2.1.
Figure A2.2 Profile of weekly
cycling counts corresponding
to W-all in Table A2.3.
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