Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Vehicle Detection • ATMS • Sight Distance

Traffic Volume

Term from Traffic Engineering industry explained for recruiters

Traffic Volume is a fundamental measure used in transportation and traffic engineering that counts how many vehicles pass through a specific point during a given time period. When reviewing resumes, this term often appears when candidates discuss their experience in planning roads, managing traffic flow, or conducting transportation studies. Think of it like counting customers entering a store, but for roads. Traffic engineers use this information to decide if roads need to be wider, if new traffic lights are needed, or if other changes should be made to improve traffic flow.

Examples in Resumes

Conducted Traffic Volume studies for 15 major intersections to improve signal timing

Analyzed Traffic Volume and Traffic Count data to recommend highway expansion projects

Led team in collecting and analyzing Daily Traffic Volume measurements for city planning

Typical job title: "Traffic Engineers"

Also try searching for:

Transportation Engineer Traffic Analyst Transportation Planner Traffic Planning Engineer Transportation Specialist Traffic Studies Engineer

Where to Find Traffic Engineers

Professional Organizations

Job Boards

Professional Networks

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you use traffic volume data to justify a major road improvement project?

Expected Answer: A senior candidate should explain how they would collect historical traffic data, analyze growth patterns, consider peak hours vs. normal flow, and create comprehensive reports that clearly show the need for improvements. They should mention cost-benefit analysis and how to present this information to non-technical stakeholders.

Q: How do you manage traffic volume studies for a large metropolitan area?

Expected Answer: Should discuss coordinating multiple study locations, managing teams, choosing appropriate counting methods, considering seasonal variations, and using modern technology like automated counters. Should also mention quality control measures and data validation.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What factors affect traffic volume measurements?

Expected Answer: Should mention time of day, day of week, weather conditions, seasonal changes, special events, construction work, and how these factors need to be considered when collecting and analyzing traffic data.

Q: How do you determine peak hour traffic volumes?

Expected Answer: Should explain the process of collecting data throughout the day, identifying rush hours, calculating hourly volumes, and how this information is used for road design and traffic signal timing.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What methods are used to count traffic volume?

Expected Answer: Should be able to describe basic counting methods like manual counting, automated counters, video detection, and explain when each method might be appropriate to use.

Q: What is the difference between ADT and AADT?

Expected Answer: Should explain that ADT (Average Daily Traffic) is the average volume for a typical day, while AADT (Annual Average Daily Traffic) takes into account seasonal variations throughout the year.