Photologging

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) has released Synthesis 94: Photologging. Equipment and techniques used in photologging (taking photographs of a highway and its environment and, at the same time, recording specific data about the highway) are described. Photologging is used in highway safety studies, studies of traffic control devices, legal studies, and in studies for determinign the location and type of existing guardrails and inspecting potential detour routes. This study concluded that photologging can be used by all organizational units within a state highway agency and has significant application for traffic engineering, design and planning personnel. The factors that affect the degree of use are (a) level of management support, (b) location of the equipment with a unit not identified with any one specific function, (c) and the availability of a complete, updated photolog of an entire highway system. Problem areas relating to equipment, communications, computerized inventories, film costs, and dimensions from photologs were identified. Research needs were also identified.