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examBoard: Cambridge
examType: IGCSE
lessonTitle: Traffic and Pedestrian Counts
Traffic and pedestrian counts are essential fieldwork techniques used by geographers to understand movement patterns in urban and rural environments. These methods help us collect data about how people and vehicles move through spaces, which can inform decisions about urban planning, transport management and environmental impacts.
Key Definitions:
Traffic counts involve recording vehicles passing a specific point. They help us understand traffic flow, congestion patterns and transport usage. You can record different vehicle types (cars, buses, lorries, bicycles) to analyse the composition of traffic.
Pedestrian counts involve tallying people walking past a specific location. They help us understand footfall patterns, popular routes and busy periods. This data is valuable for retail planning, public space design and pedestrian safety measures.
There are several approaches to collecting traffic data, each with specific advantages depending on your research question:
This involves physically counting vehicles as they pass a specific point. It's the most common method used in GCSE fieldwork.
Clipboard, tally chart, stopwatch, hi-vis jacket for safety and weather protection.
Stand at a safe location, use tally marks to record vehicles by type and count for consistent time periods (e.g., 10 minutes every hour).
Choose locations carefully, ensure safety and be consistent with timing to make data comparable.
A well-designed tally chart is crucial for accurate data collection. Here's a simple example:
| Vehicle Type | 8:00-8:10 | 12:00-12:10 | 5:00-5:10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars | IIII IIII II (12) | IIII III (8) | IIII IIII IIII I (16) |
| Buses | II (2) | I (1) | III (3) |
| Lorries/Trucks | III (3) | IIII (4) | II (2) |
| Bicycles | IIII (4) | II (2) | IIII I (6) |
Remember to include columns for different time periods to capture variations throughout the day.
Pedestrian counts use similar techniques to traffic counts but focus on people rather than vehicles:
This involves physically counting people as they walk past a specific point or through a defined area.
Clipboard, tally chart, stopwatch and possibly a clicker counter for busy locations.
Consider recording age groups, gender, direction of travel, or group size depending on your research question.
Conduct counts at different times of day and on different days of the week to capture variations.
A group of GCSE students conducted pedestrian counts at three locations along a high street in Bristol. They counted for 10 minutes every hour between 9am and 5pm on both a weekday and a Saturday. Their results showed peak pedestrian flow at lunchtime (12-2pm) on weekdays and mid-afternoon (2-4pm) on Saturdays. The data helped local businesses understand the best times for promotions and helped the council plan for pedestrian crossing improvements.
A cordon survey involves setting up counting points at all entry and exit routes around an area (like a town centre). This gives a comprehensive picture of movement patterns.
For example, if studying a town centre, you might position counters at all roads leading into and out of the central area. This helps identify the busiest access routes and peak flow times.
While manual counting is most common for GCSE fieldwork, it's worth knowing about technological approaches used by professionals:
After collecting traffic or pedestrian count data, you need to present it effectively:
Bar charts are excellent for comparing counts at different times or locations. Line graphs can show changes throughout the day. Pie charts can display the proportion of different vehicle types.
Flow line maps use lines of different thicknesses to show the volume of movement along different routes. Proportional arrows can indicate direction and volume of movement. Choropleth maps can show pedestrian density in different areas.
When analysing traffic and pedestrian count data, consider these questions:
Traffic and pedestrian counts can help answer important geographical questions such as:
By mastering these fieldwork techniques, you'll develop valuable skills in data collection, presentation and analysis that are essential for your GCSE Geography assessment and beyond!
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