These maps show the 10-year traffic trends from 2003 to 2013 at MnDOT’s automatic traffic recorders (or ATR’s). The ATR’s, also called Continuous Traffic Recorders, are permanently installed at select locations on Minnesota highways (a mix of interstate, state highway, county highway, and local roads) and continuously measure traffic volumes 24/7. There are 91 locations statewide as of 2013, an increase from 79 in 2007. About 40% of these locations are within the Twin Cities Metro.
2003-13 ADT change at Metro ATR locations. Map from MnDOT’s 2013 ATR annual report.
This map shows the 10-year change in Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) volumes at the ATR locations in the Twin Cities Metro. Notice that all five locations inside the 494/694 beltway show a net reduction over those 10 years. Eight of the 20 locations on or outside the beltway also showed net reductions, with clusters of reduction in both Dakota County and northern Washington County. Meanwhile, the biggest net increases were in central Anoka County.
2003-13 ADT change at Outstate ATR locations. Map from MnDOT’s 2013 ATR annual report.
This map shows 10-year AADT change at Outstate ATR locations. Only 8 of the 31 locations showed a net increase between 2003 and 2013, with all but one of those being within a Rochester-Windom-Morris-Little Falls box. The biggest decreases were all in northern Minnesota, though there is an interesting datapoint on US 52 northwest of Rochester. I suspect that this reduction is an anomaly that’s related to the ongoing reconstruction projects on 52 between Rochester and Oronoco over the past decade.