Watching all the cars go by: They sit in lawn chairs at large intersections in Naperville, peering at passing vehicles and pressing buttons on a hand-held contraption. They’re official traffic counters, employed for the summer by Naperville’s Department of Public Works.
Explained Susan Cozard of the Traffic Safety and Engineering Division: “They monitor turning movements,” something the human eye can do more efficiently than mechanized devices. The information is used to determine the need for new stop signs or traffic signals, to assess traffic when contemplating future land use, and to design future road improvements. Most traffic counters, Cozard said, are college students.
“They make it as fun as they can,” she said. “Some bring coolers or little grills.”
It sure sounds like there could be worse summer jobs.
“It’s not labor intensive, that’s for sure,” Cozard said.
