Information for Traffic Observers Purpose Why We Count Cars Your Role Tasks Understand The Schedule Prepare Travel Collect Data Complete Your Shift Office Shifts Safety Personal Vehicle Accidents Citations Equipment Prepare The PDA Collect Data - Comments - Vehicle Types - Lane Numbers - Lane Types Synchronize Data Problems Data Collection Sites Where To Go Office Contacts Employment Forms Keys Pay PDAs Time Sheets Miscellaneous Shift Times Acronyms Revised June 5, 2012	trac \| UW \| WSDOT
Equipment: Palm m130 pDA Prepare The PDA In the office Turn the PDA on Press the button at the top center of the device. Check the Battery level Look at the battery icon on the screen. If it is not at least 1/2 full, replace it in the charger and select another PDA. Check the date and time Tap on CLOCK. Compare the information with the US OFFICIAL TIME website. Tap SET DATE AND TIME. Make whatever corrections are necessary. Tap DONE. Return to the HOME screen. In the field Open HOV Suite Use the stylus to tap HOV SUITE on the screen. The sign-in screen will appear. Sign on Enter your initials, and the lane you will be counting, in the designated areas. Tap on the line after OBSERVER. Tap on abc (in the lower left corner of the box that appears) to access a keyboard or use the graffiti alphabet to write your initials. Tap on 123 (in the lower right corner of the box that appears) to access a keyboard or use the graffiti alphabet to write the lane number that you will be counting. From the pull down menu, select the corridor and site you are working at. Tap CREATE SESSION. The comment window will appear. Enter a weather comment from the list or make a custome comment. Tap DONE The Data Collection screen will appear. Comments At the beginning of every session, make a comment about the weather and anything else that may affect traffic. Tap on the balloon icon. Select any standard comments from the menu list or make a custom comment. Review this list of possible situations to comment on. Tap OK. You may also make comments at any time during your session. Collect Data Standing at a 45 degree angle from the cars, enter the type of vehicle and the number of people in each vehicle, as they pass across your line of vision. Use this vehicle chart to help you identify the types of vehicles. Use this passenger diagram to help you understand where to get the best view of the passengers. Use this keyboard diagram to help you understand how the keyboard corresponds to the vehicles and number of passengers. Use this lane numbering diagram to help you understand how lanes are labelled for the purposes of this study. Use this diagram of the schedule to help you understand your lane assigment. End Session After 30 minutes the session will close automatically. You must repeat the process of opening a new file each time this happens. By the end of your shift you should have five sessions collected. There will be time to collect one more short session after the five, 30 minute sessions. Collect as much data as you can, then close the file and turn off the PDA and head back to the office. Synchronize Data When you return to the office, upload the data files from your PDA to the computer, so they can be validated and analyzed. To upload files: Place the PDA in the synchronizing base, connected to the computer. Verify that a connection has been made; a beep will sound. Push down gently on the PDA and hold in place to ensure a secure connection; continue to hold down slightly until uploading is complete (next step). Press the HOT SYNC button on the base. An animated HOT SYNC icon will appear on the computer screen to indicate that files are uploading. Remove the PDA from the base when it has finished uploading. Leave the PDA turned on, with the HOME screen visible. Place it in a charging base on the rack. Verify that a connection with the charger has been made; a beep will sound and the battery icon, at the top of the screen, will have a lightening graphic through it. Problems For a list of PDA problems and their solutions click here .	Remember: A dozen things to comment on... Washington State Transportation Center (TRAC) TRAC-UW 1107 NE 45th St Seattle, WA 98105 Phone: 206.543.8690 Fax: 206.685.0767 HOV Data Collection Program Observers' Email Observers' Voice Mail 206-221-2613 Supervisor Mary Marrah 206-543-3337 Scheduling Jane Lybecker 206-543-6535 Equipment Maintenance Ron Porter 206-543-3341 Principal Investigator Mark Hallenbeck 206-543-6261

Purpose

Tasks

Understand The Schedule
Prepare
Travel
Collect Data
Complete Your Shift
Office Shifts

Safety

Personal
Vehicle
Accidents
Citations

Equipment

Prepare The PDA
Collect Data
- Comments
- Vehicle Types
- Lane Numbers
- Lane Types
Synchronize Data
Problems

Data Collection Sites

Where To Go

Office

Contacts
Employment
Forms
Keys
Pay
PDAs
Time Sheets

Miscellaneous

Shift Times
Acronyms

Revised June 5, 2012

trac | UW | WSDOT

Equipment: Palm m130 pDA

Prepare The PDA

In the office

Turn the PDA on

Press the button at the top center of the device.

Check the Battery level

Look at the battery icon on the screen. If it is not at least 1/2 full, replace it in the charger and select another PDA.

Check the date and time

Tap on CLOCK.

Compare the information with the US OFFICIAL TIME website.

Tap SET DATE AND TIME. Make whatever corrections are necessary.

Tap DONE.

Return to the HOME screen.

In the field

Open HOV Suite

Use the stylus to tap HOV SUITE on the screen. The sign-in screen will appear.

Sign on

Enter your initials, and the lane you will be counting, in the designated areas.

Tap on the line after OBSERVER.

Tap on abc (in the lower left corner of the box that appears) to access a keyboard or use the graffiti alphabet to write your initials.

Tap on 123 (in the lower right corner of the box that appears) to access a keyboard or use the graffiti alphabet to write the lane number that you will be counting.

From the pull down menu, select the corridor and site you are working at.

Tap CREATE SESSION.

The comment window will appear. Enter a weather comment from the list or make a custome comment. Tap DONE

The Data Collection screen will appear.

Comments

At the beginning of every session, make a comment about the weather and anything else that may affect traffic.

Tap on the balloon icon.

Select any standard comments from the menu list or make a custom comment.

Review this list of possible situations to comment on.

Tap OK.

You may also make comments at any time during your session.

Collect Data

Standing at a 45 degree angle from the cars, enter the type of vehicle and the number of people in each vehicle, as they pass across your line of vision.

Use this vehicle chart to help you identify the types of vehicles.

Use this passenger diagram to help you understand where to get the best view of the passengers.

Use this keyboard diagram to help you understand how the keyboard corresponds to the vehicles and number of passengers.

Use this lane numbering diagram to help you understand how lanes are labelled for the purposes of this study.

Use this diagram of the schedule to help you understand your lane assigment.

End Session

After 30 minutes the session will close automatically. You must repeat the process of opening a new file each time this happens. By the end of your shift you should have five sessions collected. There will be time to collect one more short session after the five, 30 minute sessions. Collect as much data as you can, then close the file and turn off the PDA and head back to the office.

Synchronize Data

When you return to the office, upload the data files from your PDA to the computer, so they can be validated and analyzed. To upload files:

Place the PDA in the synchronizing base, connected to the computer.

Verify that a connection has been made; a beep will sound.

Push down gently on the PDA and hold in place to ensure a secure connection; continue to hold down slightly until uploading is complete (next step).

Press the HOT SYNC button on the base. An animated HOT SYNC icon will appear on the computer screen to indicate that files are uploading.

Remove the PDA from the base when it has finished uploading.

Leave the PDA turned on, with the HOME screen visible. Place it in a charging base on the rack.

Verify that a connection with the charger has been made; a beep will sound and the battery icon, at the top of the screen, will have a lightening graphic through it.

Problems

For a list of PDA problems and their solutions click here .

Remember:
A dozen things to comment on...

Washington State
Transportation Center (TRAC)

TRAC-UW
1107 NE 45th St
Seattle, WA 98105
Phone: 206.543.8690
Fax: 206.685.0767

HOV Data Collection Program

Observers' Email
Observers' Voice Mail
206-221-2613

Supervisor
Mary Marrah
206-543-3337

Scheduling
Jane Lybecker
206-543-6535

Equipment Maintenance
Ron Porter
206-543-3341

Principal Investigator
Mark Hallenbeck
206-543-6261