How to do a manual traffic count with your phone.

To do a manual traffic count with your phone, choose an observation point, a direction and a time period. Make a counter for each vehicle category, then add one when a vehicle crosses your observation line. Keep each interval separate so the final number still tells you what passed and when.

The awkward part is the second thing to remember. You have counted 24 cars, but was that bicycle in this quarter-hour or the last one? A little preparation gives every tap a category and a time period you can check afterwards.

This guide uses Tally Counter, the app behind this blog, for a short, low-volume count by one person. You identify and record the vehicles yourself. The phone does not detect them.

Decide what crosses the line

Choose one direction at one point. Write down the location, date, observation times and direction of travel, such as travelling north. Pick a fixed landmark as your observation line and count each vehicle once as it passes. Observe from a safe, stationary place with a clear view.

Keep the first count small. For this example, use three mutually exclusive categories:

• Cars: passenger cars only.
• Bicycles: one count per bicycle, not per rider.
• Other vehicles: vans, trucks, buses, motorcycles and any remaining vehicle types.

These are simple example categories, not an official classification standard. If a study gives you categories or instructions, follow those instead. Record weather and any interruption alongside the count so another person can understand its conditions.

The FHWA traffic monitoring guide describes manual counting with tally sheets and mechanical or electronic counters. Your phone holds the tally; you still decide what belongs in it.

Prepare two interval folders

Use two 15-minute intervals for the example: 08:00–08:15 and 08:15–08:30. Interval lengths depend on the study; Calgary’s reporting documentation is one example of reports organized into 15-minute periods.

Before you start, create two folders with names that identify the count:

• Oak Road · 23 Oct · northbound · 08:00–08:15
• Oak Road · 23 Oct · northbound · 08:15–08:30

Create Cars, Bicycles and Other vehicles in each folder. Set every counter’s initial and current values to 0, its step to 1, and leave the goal off. Keep the counters unlocked while counting. You now have six counters, three for each interval, with no resets needed between them.

Keep the category order the same in both folders. Try a few taps and a folder switch before the observation, then return all six values to zero. Check that the category controls are easy to reach in the list or card layout you use.

Count once, in the right category

At 08:00, start in the first folder. Add one to the appropriate counter whenever a vehicle crosses your line in the chosen direction. A car travelling the other way is outside this example’s count. A bus belongs in Other vehicles; do not also add it to Cars.

Correct an extra tap straight away. If Cars should read 24 but shows 25, subtract one from Cars in that interval. If you tapped Cars instead of Other vehicles, subtract one from Cars and add one to Other vehicles.

At 08:15, switch manually to the prepared second folder and leave the first folder’s values intact. A crossing at exactly 08:15 belongs to the second interval. Use a clock or timer to mark the boundary; the folders do not switch themselves.

If you miss part of the observation while switching or answering someone, record the gap. Do not guess the missing vehicles or label an incomplete interval as complete. If the practice run shows you cannot keep up, reduce the scope or use a different counting arrangement.

Put the results in a traffic count sheet

Here is a hypothetical example, not a real survey. Each row contains only that interval’s counts.

The first folder contributes 33 observations, the second 40: 73 altogether. A folder’s running sum is useful here because each vehicle belongs to one category. Do not add a separate total counter to the same folder; that would count the vehicles twice in the sum.

Copy this blank sheet into a document or spreadsheet. Add the location, date, direction, observer, category definitions and any gaps above or below it. Fill a completed interval with zeros if nothing passed; an empty cell means the result has not been entered.

Export the totals and keep the original

In Tally Counter’s settings, choose the counter export and CSV format. This summary CSV has one row per counter, including its name, folder and current value. Open it in a spreadsheet, find the six rows from your two folders and transfer their values into the sheet above. You assemble the interval table yourself.

A counter’s history CSV serves a different purpose: it records action times, action types, changes and resulting totals. Use it to review a correction. Do not add the resulting-total column down the file; those values are running totals, not separate vehicles. The Android app checklist explains the two export types.

Counting, folders, history and CSV export are free. This setup does not require Premium’s counter copying, history notes or PDF export. Keep your original CSV before resetting or reusing the counters. A CSV is a readable record; use the app’s backup if you also need restorable counters and settings.

When this setup is too small

A busy junction with several directions and turning movements is a larger task than this example. More observers or dedicated counting equipment may suit it better. Tally Counter does not combine a live total across phones or automatically classify vehicles, switch intervals or create a traffic analysis report.

A short count describes the period you observed. It does not establish a daily or annual traffic total. For a commissioned study, use the required collection method and reporting format. If you want to count people entering and leaving a room, the door-counting guide covers that different setup.

Common questions

Can I do a manual traffic count with a phone? Yes. Create a counter per category, define one observation line and direction, and record each passing vehicle once. Try a short practice count to check that you can keep up.

What should a traffic count sheet include? Include location, date, direction, observation times, category definitions, counts per interval, observer and any gaps or interruptions. Keep interval counts separate from session totals.

How do I separate 15-minute intervals? Prepare a folder with its own category counters for each interval. Start at zero and switch folders manually at the boundary. Leave completed counts intact and record any gap during the switch.

Does Tally Counter count vehicles automatically? No. You identify the vehicle and make each tap yourself. Counting, folders and CSV export work offline without an account; automatic vehicle detection is not part of this setup.

Try a short practice count

Create the two folders, make a few sample taps and open the CSV. Check that each category and interval reaches the sheet with the right value before starting a real observation.

Traffic surveys are one of fifteen tally counter uses. Get Tally Counter for iPhone, iPad or Android, or see the features before you begin.