Counter suppliers TDC and metrocount say their counters with two sensor strips can count (and calculate speed and direction of) cyles in clusters/side by side and exclude non-cycling activity. Maybe they could be confused with long-wheelbases, unicyclists, tricyclists, etc, but they say their counters couldn't be tricked like this one?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Progress! (MMW COUNTER WORKING!)
(185 posts)-
Posted 10 years ago #
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There is an older induction loop counter further down the path. I wonder if it is Sustrans or cooncil? Would be useful to try and corellate the data between the 2 counters to see what effect the pesky chiddlers are having on it.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Over 1000 at 8.40 this morning.
Posted 10 years ago # -
It wasn't far off 1000 at 8:20 which makes me wonder how true a reading it is. Still, it will hit 66,666 today...
Posted 10 years ago # -
On the way to the pub on Saturday, I tried something.
My friend jumped on the two loops in the ground, but he's rather light and nothing happened. I did the same and didn't manage to get it to go up either.
I then turned perpendicular to the path, one foot over each loop, and then ran down the loop using short, deliberately heavy steps. The counter went up by about 10.
I was able to repeat this a couple of times before we got bored and moved on.
I don't think there's any induction part to the mechanism, as there's no metal in my feet or shoes. I think it's a rather gullible pressure operated system which you can fool into counting bikes by rapidly pressure on the alternate loops as if a bike was passing over.
I believe most of Edinburgh's school children have discovered this too.
I'm now rather dissapointed in the rather weak design.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Yesterday at half eight the counter was over 1000. This morning at the same time it was in the 400s.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Indeed, the weather was much nicer today as well, which makes me that much more suspicious of yesterday's count.
Posted 10 years ago # -
I suspect the novelty will wear off for the schoolkids after a while.
Is it the same counting mechanism as that used by the ones in Copenhagen?
Posted 10 years ago # -
I sat at Peter's Yard this morning for a bit....
- I saw 2 cyclists separated by about 2s pass over the counter and only 1 was counted.
- I saw a cyclist on their own not be counted.
- I saw several children on scooters on the "bike" side accompanied by parents on the "pedestrian" side and in every case the scooter was counted.Very mysterious!
Posted 10 years ago # -
Still not seen the one in Coatbridge. I should go right past it twice a day.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Found the one in Glasgow. It's at the western end of the newly opened bridge.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/aedan/sets/72157644821917766/
Not turned on yet. It has Glasgow council and government branding on it.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Unless I read it wrong on my blast to work today, the MMW counter will tick over to 100,000 cyclists quite soon.
I was no. 440 today at 9am; yesterday teatime I was no. 1450 or thereabouts.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Indeed. I reckon it'll probably roll over tomorrow at some point since there seemed to be far fewer cyclists than usual out this morning, maybe put off by the rain last night, although today's weather's actually not bad.
Posted 10 years ago # -
The counter was well over 100,000 this morning which, given that it was still around 800 short when I passed by around 19:30 last night, makes me suspect that some non-cyclists thought they would roll it over for a laugh.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Today's figure was 1168 at 8:03am. Did the World Naked Bike Ride run very late?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Well I have been away for a week and noticed a fairly large increase in the number of cyclists on the way to work this morning than I had been aware of in the weeks prior to being away, although I suspect that that might not fully account for such a high count so early on...
Posted 10 years ago # -
It was 1070 this morning around 07:50. I don't think it's plausible that there were roughly 165 cyclists per hour before 7am and then it dropped to 80 per hour after that.
The problem with the overnight false readings is they could discredit the usage statistics and lead people to claim that figures are deliberately manipulated to promote spending on cycling :-(.
Posted 10 years ago # -
TBH this is one route of MANY MANY routes that would have to be monitored in order to get even a basic understanding of how many people are cycling in Edinburgh, It's a bit of fun, it'd be great if it was accurate but it's not the end of the world.
Posted 10 years ago # -
"
Goldsmiths' Row cycle counter approaches half a million trips.
"
http://www.hackney-cyclists.org.uk/updates14.html#2014-01-07_500000
Posted 10 years ago # -
Should I start a new thread ?
Another cycling counter (Sustrans) has been physically installed on the canal. Currently it is not working as it still needs to be connected to power.
Unimpressed with the location. It is between Leamington Bridge and the end of the canal at Cargo. Only cyclists who continue along the canal on the north side after reaching Leamington Bridge will be counted. If you turn north(towards Haymarket), south (towards Bruntsfield) or cross the canal to access Lochrin Terrace (via Lower Gilmore Place) you will not be counted
Posted 10 years ago # -
"Unimpressed with the location."
Perfectly placed for post-pub play.
Posted 10 years ago # -
That's just plain daft. It's not even part of an NCN route, as far as I can see. Most cyclists avoid that section due to the horrendous cobbles. It'll only catch a small proportion of bikes - oh hang on...now I understand...
Posted 10 years ago # -
It is a daft location. Who chose it I wonder? Surely it'll fail to count (pulls figure out of air) 95% of the people who cycle along the canal, because most of them will turn towards Bruntsfield or Haymarket or (if desperate to go straight ahead) go along the _south_ side of the canal.
Perhaps we could get it moved?Posted 10 years ago # -
Talking of post-pub play, the Meadows counter was over 2000 this morning before 8am.
Posted 10 years ago # -
Foxes?
Posted 10 years ago # -
Posted 10 years ago #
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Spoke too soon.
By the time I posted it's existence the Canal counter had already become active. Went live 10 cyclists before midnight on the 17th. Daily count approaching midnight 18th was approx 460. The counter can be tricked like MMW but I found it much more difficult to fool.
Posted 10 years ago # -
There was a bloke working on it yesterday lunchtime.
When I went over it last night it didn't count me.
Posted 10 years ago # -
MMW counter: Seems to load on 2,000 extra cyclists per day during the night! A Conspiracy!
Posted 10 years ago # -
Rabid, can you find out what type of sensor has been installed for these cycle counters? I'd be amazed if it really was pressure activated.
Posted 10 years ago #
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