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Traffic Count Data

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Source: Transport Infrastructure Ireland

Following the re-introduction of Level 5 restrictions on 27 December 2020, car traffic volumes dropped significantly, but have been growing slowly over the first months of this year, and more rapidly recently when intercounty travel restrictions were lifted on 10 May (week 19).

The data, which is illustrated in figures 1.1 and 1.2, shows the impact of COVID-19 on traffic volumes comparing 2019, 2020 and 2021 data. Last year in the weeks when restrictions were most stringent, between week 13 and week 19, the volume of cars on the roads in selected regional locations was more than 72.1% lower than between week 13 and week 19 in 2019.

Figure 1.1 and figure 1.2 illustrate how car traffic volumes have been increasing in 2021. Latest available data for week 21 (week beginning 24 May) show that car traffic volumes were 82.6% higher in Dublin and 95.6% higher in selected regional sites compared with week 1 of this year. The volume of private cars was 88.7% higher in Dublin sites than in week 21 of 2020, however, compared with the same week in 2019 car traffic volumes were still 17.7% lower. A similar trend is shown when looking at the selected regional sites. The volume of private cars in the regional locations was 87.2% higher in week 21 of 2021 than it was in week 21 of 2020, however volumes were still 17.0% lower than in week 21 of 2019. See table 1.1, figure 1.1 and figure 1.2.

Looking at weekly change, in the week commencing 24 May (week 21), there was a slight increase in car traffic volumes compared to the previous week for both Dublin and regional sites of 4.2% and 1.8% respectively. Most striking, however, was the weekly change between week 18 and 19 when volumes increased by 15.7% in Dublin and by 18.0% in the selected regional sites. This most likely reflects the change in travel restrictions. On 10 May (beginning of week 19) the country-wide travel restrictions changed from a 20 km radius or anywhere within own county to anywhere within Ireland. See figure 1.3.

The impact on HGV traffic of COVID-19 restrictions has not been as pronounced as for cars. In general, from June 2020 onwards HGV traffic volumes exceeded 2019 levels, particularly in the lead-up to Christmas. Since the beginning of the year HGV traffic volumes in both regional and Dublin locations have remained below January, February and beginning of March 2020 levels. However, this pattern has since changed. In April and May 2021 HGV traffic volumes in both regional and Dublin locations were above 2020 levels. The latest data available, for week beginning 24 May, shows HGV traffic volumes are 18.9% higher in Dublin and 20.8% higher in regional sites compared with the same week in 2020. See table 1.2, figure 1.4 and figure 1.5.

We recently added an additional table and graph (see table 1.3 and figure 1.6) on the articulated HGV traffic in and around Irish ports. At the start of the year there was a decline in the volume of HGV traffic around Dublin port, however, in April and May 2021 HGV traffic around Dublin port has been higher than in April and May 2020. Since the start of the year HGV traffic around Cork and Rosslare ports has mostly been higher when compared with its level in 2020. For the latest week commencing 23 May 2021, HGV traffic around Dublin, Cork and Rosslare ports increased by 19.4%, 39.4% and 40.3% respectively when compared with the same week in 2020. It’s important to note that this data does not correspond directly with container traffic through the ports nor with the volume of goods being transported on cargo ships.

X-axis label201920202021
Week 1463064459023272255
Week 2534609535401255928
Week 3549470546354258384
Week 4550892556012265613
Week 5543468563146274482
Week 6551850551737274363
Week 7567892547994292400
Week 8575255566784304825
Week 9569793560278319482
Week 10570752563919333343
Week 11546053483016302788
Week 12559722327382338888
Week 13592217248058327226
Week 14579543143557317690
Week 15583124134308398787
Week 16560245134401411255
Week 17564764155938414958
Week 18580301159169397630
Week 19569762169694460196
Week 20594815200968476938
Week 21603575263438497019
Week 22587534286726
Week 23572720289055
Week 24595508369887
Week 25593055397286
Week 26601581413348
Week 27590467449555
Week 28587003463106
Week 29584356471550
Week 30588741473671
Week 31579020476103
Week 32564465467430
Week 33588621463641
Week 34599607459846
Week 35591575468215
Week 36592419474557
Week 37588597477994
Week 38586374451770
Week 39588882420403
Week 40572375417913
Week 41587243388453
Week 42580936380446
Week 43583163338897
Week 44561316279363
Week 45577276334772
Week 46579190346055
Week 47572909354476
Week 48578130364810
Week 49579484427251
Week 50583247451974
Week 51585770491375
Week 52423282376254
Week 53235248
X-axis label201920202021
Week 115831115868783185
Week 217323217581480500
Week 318047217942482449
Week 418004718768085048
Week 517201518777489064
Week 618372318319588159
Week 718675118080195426
Week 819219119537798451
Week 9185374185090103837
Week 10184850190970108629
Week 1117999016018199825
Week 12186557101789110154
Week 1319492480749106975
Week 1419145747243106651
Week 1519118644648129277
Week 1618924043828131971
Week 1719247650869133817
Week 1819485152442128842
Week 1919125555070152039
Week 2019634965547159748
Week 2119607386890162685
Week 2219711892619
Week 2319144194805
Week 24196687118789
Week 25195671128712
Week 26198187135411
Week 27199642155568
Week 28199348162178
Week 29197061166790
Week 30202725169314
Week 31199496173011
Week 32197696172145
Week 33203866168549
Week 34206511165222
Week 35200630168301
Week 36199271165670
Week 37201263167122
Week 38199879167668
Week 39198275158986
Week 40190430153341
Week 41197228136574
Week 42192724130745
Week 43196678110762
Week 4419273889263
Week 45194668108262
Week 46195621112432
Week 47195203115487
Week 48197541119023
Week 49193350142709
Week 50194046149927
Week 51195796164733
Week 52140418126966
Week 5381881
X-axis labelDublinRegional
Week 2-6-3.2
Week 312.4
Week 42.83.2
Week 53.34.7
Week 60-1
Week 76.68.2
Week 84.23.2
Week 94.85.5
Week 104.34.6
Week 11-9.2-8.1
Week 1211.910.3
Week 13-3.4-2.9
Week 14-2.9-0.3
Week 1525.521.2
Week 163.12.1
Week 170.91.4
Week 18-4.2-3.7
Week 1915.718
Week 203.65.1
Week 214.21.8
Table 1.1 Average weekly volume of cars for selected traffic count sites, 2019 to 30 May 2021

X-axis label201920202021
Week 1238382100737827
Week 2383534205435905
Week 3399734372736698
Week 4403144441537463
Week 5407094447938621
Week 6406824483938444
Week 7417784367239031
Week 8417834451639375
Week 9425884449741836
Week 10429794636241981
Week 11417854741137885
Week 12383134013743558
Week 13434404444741840
Week 14433102809937786
Week 15429982581245445
Week 16400962346046328
Week 17354292738946462
Week 18423662866840408
Week 19370602606546449
Week 20426443013946268
Week 21429463882846158
Week 224241941753
Week 233865138104
Week 244389143727
Week 254416043846
Week 264369544004
Week 274342245038
Week 284253444822
Week 294250744049
Week 304160444327
Week 314052743459
Week 323770638129
Week 334259243811
Week 344287843282
Week 354358643934
Week 364446144803
Week 374472745076
Week 384491746214
Week 394519746030
Week 404411846474
Week 414463245906
Week 424489946591
Week 434534246845
Week 443947841479
Week 454340246947
Week 464379646837
Week 474297147281
Week 484341948101
Week 494421748718
Week 504430249328
Week 514531150049
Week 521375725598
Week 5315878
X-axis label201920202021
Week 18869767613374
Week 2142821414813761
Week 3146461423613799
Week 4142511491814094
Week 5141711503814553
Week 6146171508414612
Week 7147561468614476
Week 8147271509014672
Week 9151251503215436
Week 10152601565115222
Week 11151701596613867
Week 12138121385415774
Week 13159021514715453
Week 14158181120213836
Week 15158271067416280
Week 1614946952316345
Week 17133811118716579
Week 18156851141414643
Week 19139751043016748
Week 20157411209216371
Week 21156051361716443
Week 221571114151
Week 231402213070
Week 241589115152
Week 251578315319
Week 261560515378
Week 271571615500
Week 281563015785
Week 291565115904
Week 301538215899
Week 311483715345
Week 321348713485
Week 331519615506
Week 341526515132
Week 351523415445
Week 361534315377
Week 371531115996
Week 381514315885
Week 391522815779
Week 401525115873
Week 411543316039
Week 421548116133
Week 431574316002
Week 441348813977
Week 451537316082
Week 461573016220
Week 471530616285
Week 481552015903
Week 491632016974
Week 501600017389
Week 511619517515
Week 5248829307
Week 535759
Table 1.2 Average weekly volume of heavy goods vehicles for selected traffic count sites, 2019 to 30 May 2021

X-axis labelDublinCorkRosslare
06-Sep-1.1-2.3-9.3
13-Sep-0.310.7-11.2
20-Sep-1.12.9-4.9
27-Sep0.215.7-11.7
04-Oct-114-7.8
11-Oct-0.210.5-12.6
18-Oct-1.99.3-7.4
25-Oct-2.719.7-12.5
01-Nov4.422-4
08-Nov5.323.5-0.4
15-Nov4.916.52.8
22-Nov6.620.76.1
29-Nov5.921.93.7
06-Dec8.920.517.4
13-Dec9.83119.9
20-Dec39.450.455
27-Dec-8.5-18.644.7
03-Jan-18.311.417.8
10-Jan-15.322.833.4
17-Jan-18.126.617.2
24-Jan-1226.34.8
31-Jan-7.315.222.5
07-Feb-2.612.339.7
14-Feb-3.7-0.635.2
21-Feb-0.734.742.8
28-Feb-5.239.628.4
07-Mar-8.323.14.8
14-Mar-12.92227.2
21-Mar-2.154.921.8
28-Mar15.749.745.9
04-Apr7.99.936.7
11-Apr50.358.592.3
18-Apr3653.752.4
25-Apr2997.360.7
02-May25.355.637.4
09-May24.853.751.3
16-May22.75034
26-May19.439.440.3
Table 1.3 Average weekly volume of heavy goods vehicles for selected traffic count sites near ports, 06 September 2020 to 30 May 2021

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