Analysis of Traffic Congestion at a Local Intersection Using Simple Traffic Counts

Traffic congestion is a significant issue in urban environments, particularly at intersections where multiple traffic streams converge. Congestion leads to increased travel time, fuel consumption, environmental pollution, and reduced road safety. This research analyses traffic congestion at a local intersection using simple traffic counting techniques to evaluate traffic flow patterns and identify congestion levels. The study employs manual traffic counting, peak-hour analysis, and traffic volume classification to assess congestion conditions. Data were collected during morning and evening peak hours at a selected urban intersection. The analysis includes traffic volume estimation, vehicle classification, delay analysis, and intersection performance evaluation. The findings reveal that peak-hour traffic volumes significantly exceed the designed capacity of the intersection, leading to substantial delays and queue formation. The research highlights the effectiveness of simple traffic counting methods for congestion assessment and proposes practical solutions such as signal timing optimization, lane management, and traffic regulation improvements. This study provides a low-cost methodology that can be applied by municipalities and transportation planners for local traffic analysis and congestion mitigation.