The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is getting technical with traffic, deploying devices across the state to count cars, trucks, and perhaps even the occasional rogue cyclist. If you're traveling through Caddo, Sabine, St. John, St. Martin, and Red River parishes, in some places not given the once-over in a generation, expect to spot some new gadgetry beside road signs or snug in the grassy shoulders.
As seemingly benign as a roadside squirrel, these counters are non-invasive. DOTD insists they're harmless to public and vehicle alike, but warns against tampering—to preserve the sanctity of their data collection. According to a statement obtained by the DOTD official announcement, the data collected will support crucial decisions in transportation planning, infrastructure improvements, and where the state's maintenance crew will next roll out their hardhats.
This isn't just a whimsical exercise in counting cars for the DOTD; it's part of their annual traffic monitoring program. The agency is plugging these numbers into the Federal Highway Administration's HPMS—essentially a big calculator that helps the state figure out how many miles we're all driving, what kinds of roads are taking a beating, and where engineers should scribble their blueprints next.
