April 22, 2021

30,000 Cars Per Day! City Planning Commission Acknowledges 2020 Traffic Volume Counts Report

This stretch of road from Jackson Boulevard to Cross Street is one of the busiest traffic segments in Rapid City with more than 30,000 vehicles per day This stretch of road from Jackson Boulevard to Cross Street is one of the busiest traffic segments in Rapid City with more than 30,000 vehicles per day (City File Photo/Darrell Shoemaker)

CITY PLANNING COMMISSION ACKNOWLEDGES

2020 TRAFFIC VOLUME COUNTS REPORT

**Four road segments have 30,000+ vehicles per day;

**21 segments with 20,000+ vehicles on a daily basis;

**COVID-19 impacted 2020 overall traffic

RAPID CITY, SD—At its meeting Thursday morning, the Rapid City Planning Commission acknowledged the 2020 Traffic Volume Counts Report.

            The report is issued annually by the Rapid City Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).  It provides the public, business community and MPO communities and counties with traffic count data to help make informed decisions.

            Among the findings in the 2020 Report:

**Four street segments in Rapid City continue to have volumes of more than 30,000 vehicles per day: West Main Street from Jackson Boulevard to Cross Street, I-90 from I-190 to Haines Avenue, West Main Street from Cross Street to West Street, and Cambell Street from Omaha Street to East North Street.

**There are 21 street segments with more than 20,000 vehicles per day, adjusted for seasonal variation

**The 2020 traffic counts revealed a larger amount of negative percent changes from 2019.  Many factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, construction, weather and land use changes can influence daily traffic counts.

**Historically, Rapid City traffic counts are growing overall, with yearly fluctuations

            “The annual traffic volume counts are a snapshot in time,” said Kelly Brennan, long-range planner for the City of Rapid City. “The information can be helpful to City planners as they review traffic patterns and trends in volume in various areas of the community.  The data can be helpful to developers and contractors as they look at particular areas of the community and area for potential development.  It can be helpful to our public works staff when making decisions on adjustments or enhancements to traffic and road signals and signage.”

            The counts are conducted over a two to three-day period and are adjusted to account for seasonal variations.  The data is collected by the City’s Engineering Services Division using portable traffic counters, and from the South Dakota Department of Transportation using permanent count stations.  The traffic counts are conducted on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

            The report will be available for discussion by the City Council at next week’s working session and at the Council’s May 3 meeting.

            Links to the MPO 2020 Traffic Volume Counts Report and Report Map are below:

 pdf21TP003 Rapid City Area Metropolitan Planning Organization 2020 Traffic Volume Counts Report (1.42 MB)

 pdf21TP003 Rapid City Area Metropolitan Planning Organization 2020 Traffic Volume Counts Report Map (868 KB)

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