Black cable layed out on streets?

[Sykes]

I've noticed these cables that are layed out on various major roads in the NE. They're black cables that stretch across the length on the street (usually 2 lanes). There's one "setup" just as you come off 68st merging onto 16ave, and there's another set (connected to some sort of box) on 68st just before Coral Springs Blvd (by the Esso/Macs).

I'm sure it's a sensor of some sort. Does anybody know?

[dj_honda]

they count cars so the city knows where traffic is heavy etc i am pretty sure

[thich]

yup.
they do it like every so often.
if you take a quick look you'll notice the computer box connected to the wires on the side of the road

[nickopolis]

yup i think they do it on roads that ave high volumes of traffic(to see if they need work ie expansion) i saw them all the time on 16th when it was just rumors of them expandingit andi've seen them quite often now that they've begun the construction.

[3G]

yeah it counts everycar that drives by, the computer is often chained to something on the side of the road..once there was one on 37th Street SW, i just moving back and forth on it

[Fluidic]

I see these lines cut up all the time. I think people who have a problem with the city drive over them... stop... attempt to perform a "burn-out" on the offending "strip" and tear them up.

People these days.

Peter

[Alpine Autowerks]

it's Bill Gates further control of your world.

The grey boxes are called Traf-O-data units which used to be made by the evil 1 before he started Micro Soft.

[Heep]

Do they check traffic speed as well as traffic volume? If it does measure speed and everybody drives over the thing at 25 over the limit, wouldn't they start patrolling there more?

[davidI]

Sometimes I wonder why they have 2 layed out one after the other because it is possible that with 2 of them they can determine your speed.

[buh_buh]

Originally posted by davidI
Sometimes I wonder why they have 2 layed out one after the other because it is possible that with 2 of them they can determine your speed.

They can't really determine a speed since every car's wheelbase is different.

[rx7_turbo2]

Originally posted by buh_buh
They can't really determine a speed since every car's wheelbase is different.

Wheelbase doesnt matter. If there are two lines (which there usually is) speed COULD be determined. However I highly doubt that's what these devices are being used for. Most likely it's what everyone thinks, counting cars.

[James]

Some of them ARE used to take records of the speed of traffic.......and using these numbers the police will be able to make desicions on when they patrol these areas with radar traps.

[James]

www.calgary.ca/trandata .....they just so happen to be all over my 'hood.....meh

[Volvord 784VC]

If there is a single line (hose) across the road it is counting the number of cars. When you see two lines (hoses) across the road it is counting the number of cars and recording their speed. The speed is calculated by a time factor of the front wheel hitting the first line and then the time to hit the second line. The police do use this information for enforcement.

Have worked on some projects and committees with the Calgary Police traffic division

[freeeked]

You guys got it right. There are actually two types of installations. Single tube installations count axles and from the data you can make an estimate of the amount of traffic. Two tubes about 2 feet apart can determine speed and classification(vehicle tupe). They determine the speed of a single axle. Usually they are set up so the can measure each lane(using multiple tubes).

The city uses that data for several purposes such as roadway planning, short cutting studies, pavement design among others. Sometime these tubes are used for informaing the police service where to target enforcement. They are NOT directly used by the police to enforce.

There are also several underpavement devices that count cars, and there is some experimentation into the using loops that are used by the traffic lights to collect traffic data.

[Heep]

Yeah I guess that makes sense. I've always slowed down for the things (I don't drive real fast anyways, just the regular margin over) but I guess when it's just one cable I don't really have to.

[/////AMG]

Originally posted by Sykes
I've noticed these cables that are layed out on various major roads in the NE. They're black cables that stretch across the length on the street (usually 2 lanes). There's one "setup" just as you come off 68st merging onto 16ave, and there's another set (connected to some sort of box) on 68st just before Coral Springs Blvd (by the Esso/Macs).

I'm sure it's a sensor of some sort. Does anybody know?

Theres like 3 there I think.