Turning movement count

A turning movement count or TMC is a type of traffic count that counts the flows of people and vehicles through an intersection^[1]. As with other traffic counts, they may be conducted on either a temporary or permanent basis and may use a variety of different technologies such as recorded video processed with image recognition algorithms or manual field collection assisted by tools like turning movement counters^[2].

TMCs often classify different types of vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, and record their movements separately^[3].

TMC's may be used to determine whether the intersection needs a traffic light. Formulas are used to decide whether the volume of the traffic determines that a light is needed. This equation is based on the road classification, entering speed and pedestrian/bicyclist movement through the intersection. A total of eight hours of turning movement is generally mandated for this type of assessment.