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An Origin-Destination (O-D) study in highway engineering serves to
determine travel patterns within a specific area or city. Let's explore the key
aspects of O-D surveys:
1. Purpose and Concept:
○ Objective: The primary aim of an O-D survey is to establish the
typical travel pattern within a study area.
○ Desire Lines: O-D studies utilize desire lines of varying
thicknesses. The letter "O" represents the origin (where travel
begins), and "D" stands for destination (where the travel ends) 2.
2. Applications of O-D Surveys:
○ Alternate Route Planning: O-D survey data is crucial for
planning alternate routes, such as bypass studies.
○ Traffic Management: It helps manage traffic at major activity
centers.
○ Interchange and Elevated Road Planning: O-D information
informs the design of interchanges and elevated roads.
3. Traffic Counts and Classification:
○ Traffic Counting: Traffic counts are conducted to record road
usage levels. They also classify vehicles by type.
○ Vehicle Occupancy: Vehicle occupancy counts estimate the
average number of passengers carried by each vehicle type.
○ Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs): Classification highlights the
presence of HGVs and informs design requirements and road
pavement damage assessment.
4. Manual vs. Automatic Surveys:
○ Manual Counts: Traffic counting can be done manually.
○ Automatic Traffic Counters: These devices record and store
information electronically. Modern counters can download data
directly into customized traffic analysis software. However, their
suitability for rural areas varies, and accuracy in vehicle
classification may be limited.
5. Output from Traffic Counts:
○ The main output is the Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT),
representing the average traffic flow over a 24-hour period in
both directions 1.
Remember, O-D surveys provide valuable insights for effective highway
planning and management. .

Source(s)
1. Origin and Desintation Study | Traffic Engineering - APSEd
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2. Session 7.1: Notes Traffic Counts, Origin-Destination Surveys and other ...
3. Road Surveying Essentials for Superior Road Construction
4. Engineering Surveys For Highway Alignment - Testbook.com
5. en.wikipedia.org