For years, CMPDD has collected automobile traffic counts across the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) planning area. Starting this month, we’re counting people on bikes and on foot, too.
The MPO recently purchased two bicycle and pedestrian counters from Eco-Counter. We’ll put them to work first on corridors where the MPO has funded construction, so we can see how those investments are being used.
How the counters work
The WAVIX-AI counters use smart radar and artificial intelligence to tell bicyclists and pedestrians apart, measure volume, and record direction of travel. They don’t interfere with anyone using the path. Each unit is mobile and solar-powered, processes its data on site, and sends it over a secure connection.
Eco-Counter’s web platform then turns the raw counts into usable results. Staff can look at daily, weekly, monthly or yearly patterns at a location, break results down by user type and direction, and produce charts and tables that are easy to share.
Automobile counts continue
Our regular traffic counting program is under way in Hinds County and should wrap up by the end of 2026. That data goes to the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) for analysis. Rankin County is next, in 2027.
You can explore existing counts in our traffic count viewer. For questions about the traffic count program or the new bicycle and pedestrian counters, contact Scott Burge at (601) 321-2150 or sburge@cmpdd.org.
This story first appeared in the October 2026 issue of Central Update, CMPDD’s quarterly newsletter. Find this issue and past editions on our Publications page.