About us

Case Studies

FAQs

TRAFx Library

Vehicle Counter | Infrared Trail Counter | Mountain Bike Counter
Pressure Pad Trail Counter | OHV Counter | TRAFx Reporter Software

Location: Utah, USA
Organization: US Forest Service, Dixie National Forest
Setting: Forest to desert; trails and roads
TRAFx counters used: Vehicle Counter, OHV Counter, Infrared Trail Counter

The US Forest Service manages its system of National Forests for various public “benefits”, including certain recreational uses (e.g., hiking and hunting) and industrial uses (e.g., logging). The two million acre Dixie National Forest is located in southern Utah. It is the largest National Forest in Utah. The Forest is divided into four geographic areas, and includes desert-like landscape at 854 metres (2,800 ft.) and snow-capped peaks at 3452 metres (11,323 ft). Dixie National Forest’s diverse geography hosts a wide range of recreational activities including camping, hunting, snowmobiling, hiking, canoeing, water skiing, etc.
Dixie National Forest began using TRAFx Counters in the summer of 2004 to gather quantitative data regarding visitor use levels in specific areas of interest.

"We use our TRAFx Counters in both summer and winter. They have performed well all year round, and have allowed us to gather important dispersed recreation data for our National Forest."
Nicholas G., Recreation Specialist, Dixie National Forest

Location: Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Organization: Parks Canada
Setting: Mountainous landscape; extensive system of winter and summer trails; roads
TRAFx counters used: Infrared Trail Counter, Vehicle Counter, Pressure Pad Trail Counter, Mountain Bike Counter

Banff National Park, Canada’s first national park (founded in 1885), encompasses 6,641 square km (2,564 square miles) of valleys, mountains, forests, glaciers, meadows and rivers. With easy motor access, Banff NP is one of the most visited in the world: approx. 8 million vehicles enter the park annually.
Applications for the TRAFx counting system in Banff NP include: the quantification of visitor numbers on roads and trails (hiking, biking and ski trails), the monitoring of trails in wildlife-sensitive areas, and the monitoring of people and wildlife in wildlife underpasses.

“TRAFx equipment has helped us tremendously to get a better handle on visitation patterns in our park. It has become a valuable tool for monitoring and managing many areas within the national park.”
Michael d.O., Social Scientist, Parks Canada

Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
Organization: Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Setting: Inland and coastal parks and protected areas
TRAFx counters used: Infrared Trail Counter, Vehicle Counter

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) administers national parks, conservation parks and Forest reserves in the state of Queensland, Australia. These parks protect diverse environments such as sub tropical rainforest, open woodland, swamp, heath, mountainous terrain, beaches, and rivers. QPWS has used TRAFx Infrared Trail Counters to quantify visitation on walking trails in the high usage National Parks. QPWS is currently expanding their programme. TRAFx Vehicle Counters will be also used to gather road data, and when not being used on roads, the TRAFx Vehicle Counters will be converted to the TRAFx Infrared Trail Counter with the TRAFx Infrared Conversion Kit, and used on walking tracks, horse trails and mountain bike tracks. The ability to switch between counter types is cost effective and versatile. It also gives QPWS scope to collect usage data on a variety of diverse user groups. This data will be used to aid in management decisions and also to project future useage of areas.

"Our TRAFx counters have been very useful in determining user numbers on trails so that we can make informed management decisions. Our experience with TRAFx equipment has been very positive - in fact, we just ordered some more so that we can expand our programme to include other user groups and more sites in our National Parks. The software associated with the counters is easy to use and virtually ranger proof once set up, and the after sales service is outstanding and only an email away."
Jamie S., Senior Ranger, QPWS

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 
Organization: Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD)
Setting: Multi-use urban and regional parks, campgrounds, beaches, trails, and bicycle paths
TRAFx counters used: Vehicle Counter, Infrared Trail Counter, Pressure Pad Trail Counter, Mountain Bike Counter

GVRD is a partnership of 21 municipalities and one electoral area that make up the metropolitan area of Greater Vancouver. Its purpose is to protect and enhance the quality of life in the region through the delivery of region-wide essential services. One of these services is the management of 26 regional parks and of about 300 km of trails, as well as riverfronts and beaches throughout the region. The counting devices provided by TRAFx helps GVRD Parks better understand visitor use patterns and use this information to improve the management of their park lands. TRAFx Vehicle Counters have been installed at most park entrances. TRAFx Infrared Trail Counters and Pressure Pad Trail Counters have also been utilized to gather trail use data.

"We have been using TRAFx counters for three years now. We are pleased with their performance and the high-level of service TRAFx has provided. Our TRAFx equipment has become an invaluable tool for Regional Parks in the Greater Vancouver Regional District."
David A., Research Officer, GVRD

Location: Centre Hills, Montserrat, West Indies
Organization: Centre Hills Project; Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing, and Environment; Montserrat National Trust; Montserrat Tourist Board
Setting: Walking trails in ecologically sensitive tropical forest
TRAFx counters used: Infrared Trail Counter

Montserrat is a small volcanic island in the Eastern Caribbean. Montserrat’s capital city of Plymouth was destroyed during volcanic eruptions that
began in 1995 and more than half of the island was evacuated. The population, now less than half of its former size, has relocated to the northern part of the island.
The Centre Hills Project aims to increase capacity for biodiversity and protected area management in Montserrat, particularly in the Centre Hills, a tropical forested area that escaped volcanic devastation, and is now one of the last remaining habitats for numerous threatened species, including rare tropical plants and animals.
TRAFx Infrared Trail Counters are being used on walking trails in the Centre Hills area to help determine trail use patterns, including some extrapolation of the type of trail users (e.g., hikers, farmers, etc.) based on basic tallies and analysis of timestamps using TRAFx Reporter software. The data collected by this type of people counter will help to inform the management of the area.
 
“The data collected by the TRAFx Infrared Trail Counters will help us to make management decisions regarding the Centre Hills area. We were able to well adapt the counters to the challenges posed by frequent volcanic activity and a hungry rat population on the island. For the first time, we now have a precise measurement of trail use, which I think will surprise people who didn’t believe that certain trails were getting so much use. These small counters are easy to install and to hide. We also like their long battery life.”
Carole M., Project Manager, Centre Hills Project (www.malhe.gov.ms/centrehills)

Location: Ontario, Canada
Organization: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Setting: Forested areas; public lands; roads and trails
TRAFx counters used: Vehicle/OHV counter

Ontario is Canada’s second largest province after Quebec. Ninety percent of the 70 million hectares of forested land in Ontario is publicly owned and it is managed by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
(OMNR). The area managed by OMNR is approximately twice the size of Poland. OMNR are using the TRAFx Vehicle/OHV counters to study patterns of motorized recreational use and to assess the effectiveness of controls such as signs at limiting motorized vehicle use on logging roads and trails in northern Ontario. Approximately 30 TRAFx counters were deployed at various sites in the study area in 2006. This number was expanded to nearly 50 units in 2007 through partnerships with Lakehead
University and Parks Canada. In 2008 the program will be further expanded.

"We are very pleased with our TRAFx counters and the service provided by the people at TRAFx. The devices have provided reliable information for automobiles and off highway vehicles. The counters are an important part of our ongoing study in northern Ontario."
Len H., Ph.D., Research Scientist, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

“The TRAFx counting system is working well for our agency. The reliability and data collection is much easier than the tube style counters used in the past."
Bryan N., Recreation Unit Forester

Location: Egnatia Highway and E65 highway construction area,
Pindos Mountain Range, north-central Greece
Organization: University of Aegean, Dept. of Environment
Setting: Highway project in ecologically important wildlife habitat
TRAFx counters used: Vehicle Counter

The Pindos mountain range in north-central Greece is the brown bear's (i.e., grizzly bear) southern most range in Europe. Here, a small population of bears (estimated at 115-145 individuals)  exists in an environment characterized by mixed oak, black pine and beech forest, interspersed with small-scale agriculture.  The brown bear is a protected species in Europe.
However, two major highways, currently
under construction, will cut through this ecologically important area.
The research project's main objectives are to monitor how bears use the landscape, how highway construction activities (especially noise and traffic
volume) affect their movements, and whether existing mitigation measures (such as tunnels) are effective or need to be changed.


"I first learned about the TRAFx Vehicle Counter through my field activities associated with the Copeland Highway Wildlife Monitoring Project in Idaho. I thought the vehicle counter would be an excellent tool for my PhD research project in Greece. The vehicle counter will provide important data to help us determine disturbance levels in the study area."
Alexios G., PhD. student, University of Aegean, Dept. of Environment

Location: Northwest Territories (Canadian Arctic) 
Organization: Govt. of the Northwest Territories, Dept. of Transportation, Planning and Policy Division
Setting: Winter roads in Canada’s Arctic
TRAFx counters used: Vehicle Counter