Northern Wisconsin County Introduces Traffic Data Collection Devices

CHIPPEWA COUNTY — The Sheriff’s Office is deploying new traffic data collection devices in areas where residents have reported concerns about speeding and traffic volume, according to the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office.

PRESS RELEASE

The Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office has once again embraced a new form of technology, and in our interest of transparency with the public we serve, I wanted to share this information.

Our Office receives complaints from the public regarding speed near their homes. Our patrol division does a fantastic job addressing these complaints as they are available to do so. I recognize that our patrol division is unable to be everywhere, all the time.

In our pursuit of providing the highest level of public safety while utilizing technology, I decided to pursue field testing a product from Stalker Street Dynamics, called a Traffic Data Collector. These devices affix to a signpost or can be installed on their own post. They are a portable device that is powered through a solar panel, also affixed to the same post.

The Traffic Data Collector uploads the following information to a web-based portal, that is not shared with other agencies:

GPS Location of the device.
Vehicle count in a number form, reporting ascending and descending (towards and away) from the post location.
Date and time the vehicle activates the device.
Speed of the vehicle(s)

These devices do not collect vehicle identifying data. They simply report vehicle traffic count, and the speeds of those vehicles.

It is my hope these Traffic Data Collectors can assist our Office in proactively addressing issues of on-going traffic speed matters, as well as increased vehicle traffic areas. Currently our Office has two of these devices. We will be deploying these devices in areas that we have received complaints about.

We will be able to share the data collected with complainants, as well as community stakeholders. If these can assist us in proactively addressing these traffic matters, we may expand our inventory based on budgetary availability.