Frequently Asked Questions

What is Eco-Counter?

Eco-Counter is a company that designs a variety of products and solutions providing accurate, reliable, and robust bicycle and pedestrian counts. These products include small, battery powered boxes, urban and nature posts, below-ground counters, mobile bike counters, and real-time displays, among others. Eco-Counter is currently the City of Austin’s provider of bike and ped counters.

What’s the story behind the counters?

The City of Austin is committed to expanding and improving its bicycle, sidewalk, and urban trails networks to meet the goals outlined in the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan – including the City’s ambitious 50/50 mode share goal, which aims for 50% of trips to be made using non-single-occupancy vehicle modes. To help achieve this, the City needs reliable data on how people move around—especially those walking, biking, and using trails. That’s where Austin’s bicycle and pedestrian counter network comes in. Austin installed its first permanent, continuous counter in 2010 on the Lance Armstrong Bikeway. Today, the network includes around 30 permanent and automated counting sites across the city—capturing usage on bikeways, sidewalks, and urban trails.

Why do we need counters?

Collecting accurate, consistent data is essential for:

Tracking how people currently use active transportation routes

Planning future improvements and investments

Making sure the system continues to meet the community’s needs

Additionally, the counter network allows the City to:

Apply for competitive grant funding

Measure the effects of new infrastructure

Identify areas where upgrades are needed

Understand long-term walking and biking trends

Analyze how well different parts of the network are performing

How do the counters count cyclists and pedestrians?

Different technologies are used depending on the user type and location:*

Induction loops detect cyclists by sensing metal in bike frames

Infrared pyroelectric sensors detect pedestrians by sensing body heat

Cameras with AI distinguish between multiple user types (e.g., bikes, scooters, pedestrians)

Privacy first: The system is designed to protect your privacy. No images are stored—image processing happens in real-time. The data is anonymous, secure, and compliant with GDPR.**

Who pays for the counters?

The counter network is funded through a mix of state and federal grants, voter-approved bonds, and City operating funds. The public page also shows counters purchased by partner agencies, such as the Texas Transportation Institute. These are labeled TTI.

Where can I see the data?

All counters are supplied by Eco-Counter and the data is available to the public via:

Eco-Counter Public Page

City of Austin Open Data Portal (coming soon)

Why is the City sharing this data?

City Council passed Resolution 20111208-074 in 2011 affirming the City’s commitment to Open Government and the principles of transparency, efficiency, and collaboration. Providing timely access to city data will improve transparency, public access to information, and coordination between city entities and the private sector.

Why doesn’t the data always look consistent or show steady growth?

The data presented here comes directly from Eco-Counter’s automatic counting systems. While these systems are designed to provide consistent and reliable data, it’s important to recognize that data is not always perfect or pretty—and it won’t always show smooth or continuous growth.

There may be gaps, anomalies, or unusually high or low values in the dataset. These irregularities can occur for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:

Battery depletion or power issues

Construction or maintenance activities near the counter

Technical malfunctions or software glitches

Physical obstructions blocking sensors (e.g., debris, vehicles, or vegetation)

Extreme weather conditions (e.g., snow, flooding, or high winds)

In following Resolution 20111208-074 and Open Data Principles, the City strives to publish data that is only minimally processed, “in primary forms, as collected at the source”.

What is the difference between IN and OUT?

Counter data labeled “IN” refers to cyclist and/or pedestrian traffic heading towards the Texas Capitol. Counter data labeled “OUT” refers to cyclist and/or pedestrian traffic heading away from the Capitol.

Can I share the data?

Yes. Please review the City of Austin’s Open Data Terms of Use prior to sharing the data.

How can I suggest a new location?

If you have an idea for a new counter location, please share it with us here. Submit your suggestion here and include why you think the location is important. While we can’t guarantee installation, all submissions are reviewed.

Questions?

Reach out to getthereatx@austintexas.gov .

Glossary

Key Figures - Provide key metrics for the network as a whole and for individual counting sites.

Total: The total traffic volume over the selected time period for the selected user types.

Daily Average: The total volume for the selected time period, divided by the number of days with available data in that period. Days with no data are excluded.

Yesterday: Traffic volume for the previous day. Available only when the selected period includes the current day.

Week day Average: Daily average traffic of the week days of the selected time period (From Monday to Friday).

Weekend Average: Daily average traffic of the weekend days of the selected time period (Saturday and Sunday).

Highest Day: Day with the highest traffic volume for the selected time period. Includes count for the highest day.

Highest Week: Week with the highest traffic volume for the selected time period. Includes count for the highest week.

Highest Month: Month with the highest traffic volume for the selected time period. Includes count for the highest month.

Installation Date: The date the counting system became operational.

Last Data: The last date the system transmitted data.

Charts and Visuals- Display traffic distribution and trends across time and user types.

User-types distribution (ranked by volume)

Time series charts

Traffic counts by user type

Directional traffic counts

Counts combined with weather data (sourced from worldweatheronline.com)

Average temperature

Rainfall

Snow (note: not available at daily resolution)

References:

* https://www.eco-counter.com/blog/7-tips-for-for-effective-pedestrian-bicycle-count-data-analysis

** https://www.eco-counter.com/solutions/counting-solutions/citix-ai-evo