Why do simple traffic studies cost the taxpayers millions

[roadman65]

Just recently Trader Joes opened a store in the Dr. Phillips section of unicorporated Orange County, FL near Orlando.  Now with this store adding more traffic to the already busy Sand Lake along with another store soon to open in one of the many new strip malls that occupy Sand Lake Road between I-4 and Apopka- Vineland Road, it is causing FDOT now to have to take action.

Such action that a study for feasible improvements needs to be made ASAP.  However, just to get things off the ground they want to charge 1.4 million dollars just to do the initial study to see what options are available!  This now is just to have a look and basically what we all do here on the forum each day and some of us have come up with solutions already.

Why does it cost that much?  Even many road projects do not even cost that much.  What is it that costs that much money just to do a simple thing?  Even NE 2 here, I am sure already has a solution to the whole problem and he did it with no money at all (no pun intended this time)!

Edit: The source of this is Bob Opsal on WFTV Eyewitness News report of Friday April 10, 2015.

[nexus73]

The three groups I would ask about a locale's traffic flow would be cops, cab drivers and truckers.  They see traffic all the time and should have a fairly united POV about problems and solutions.  Detail a few interns to conduct interviews, hand the information off to the engineers and then let them get on with the job of designing the answer to the situation.

Rick 

[Brian556]

Why do they need to hire a company to do a study? Why not have their traffic engineer observe the problem area, and come up with a solution? If we are capable of doing this, shouldn't a traffic engineer with a degree be able to do it?

[NE2]

I call bullshit. That part of Sand Lake is a county road.

[roadman65]

I call bullshit. That part of Sand Lake is a county road.

That is another question too!  Why is FDOT even involved as NE 2 just pointed out?  It is county maintained west of Turkey Lake Road which is the complete area of study. 

[vdeane]

Probably because they already collect traffic counts on those roads?  In the past couple decades, the amount of data the states are required to collect has vastly expanded.  While the states used to only need to submit data on principal arterials, now they are required to submit AADT data for all roadways except local roads and urban minor collectors, as well as all bridges and railroad crossings.  In addition, the number of HPMS (Highway Performance Monitoring System) samples used to determine the state of a state's roads has increased.  The FHWA also requires the states to submit pavement data on all state roadways and an inventory of all public roads in the state.  This expanded workload, combined with reduced staffing, has led states to use contractors for work the used to be conducted in-house.

[NE2]

Probably because they already collect traffic counts on those roads?

The county and FDOT both do their own traffic counts (often in different locations along the same roads): http://www.orangecountyfl.net/TrafficTransportation/OrangeCountyTrafficCounts.aspx http://www2.dot.state.fl.us/FloridaTrafficOnline/viewer.html

[vdeane]

Sounds like the same situation that currently exists with NYSDOT and Albany County.

[roadfro]

In this particular case, maybe they are looking at a greater picture–such as a longer corridor or arterial improvement project–and not just a spot improvement. Those kinds of studies may involve greater analysis of flow patterns, simulations, etc. which might justify the greater cost. (Still seems like a lot though.)

[vdeane]

If doing an entire corridor, they'd probably be doing 7 day volume/class/speed counts at various points along the main road, side streets, and maybe even parallel corridors (using either tubes or cameras... the cameras cost more, and class/speed cost more than volume, and 7 day counts cost more than 3 day counts, etc.), as well as turning movement counts at the major intersections (either manual or with a camera).  Ideally, all of this would be done at once, which further increases the cost.  This would likely be accompanied by forecasts and maybe even simulations.

[jakeroot]

Wouldn't the NIMBYs have a court case if the DOT doesn't provide sound reason for a project? Often, that comes in the form of a study.