Skip to main content

Non-Trunkline Federal Aid Road Program (NTFA)

The Non-Trunkline Federal Aid Road Program (NTFA) is part of Michigan's Traffic Monitoring Program. It was established in 2010 and is a cross-agency traffic data collection program. This program was an expansion of existing requirements set forth by the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS). MDOT coordinates cross-agency traffic data collection programs with individual agencies (cities, villages, counties, metropolitan planning organizations, regional planning organizations, and other areas of MDOT) throughout the state to meet these requirements. In addition, agencies work closely with MDOT to ensure their count programs are meeting the FHWA's requirements and the proper data is being collected.

A main component of this requirement is to provide an annual average daily traffic (AADT) for the entire NTFA network. It is not only a vital data element for planning and design purposes, but it is important for AADTs to accurately reflect traffic conditions. AADTs are required for every road within the NTFA program; however, other specific routes are required to provide additional traffic metrics, such as, commercial annual average daily traffic (CAADT), K-factors, and D-factors. These additional traffic metrics are only applied to specific routes that meet one of the following criteria:

  • HPMS random sample location.
  • A route that falls on the National Highway System (NHS). 

The NTFA program utilizes an array of technologies and software for its data collection and data processing needs. Currently, MDOT is working with ESRI's Roads & Highways platform for many of our traffic data and analysis needs as well as a proprietary software, Traffic Database Management System (TDMS), developed by MS2. These programs provide MDOT the ability to review and process all of the necessary traffic metrics required by HPMS.

Using geographic information systems (GIS) routes were broken up to reflect homogenous traffic patterns on any given route. The NTFA program has over 16,000 segments based on traffic patterns. A crucial part of the NTFA program is agency feedback on traffic volumes and traffic patterns. Using an interactive web map MDOT provides agencies a method to provide insightful feedback on their perspective jurisdictions. The traffic feedback map allows agencies to navigate to their jurisdictions and provide AADT or segment corrections to MDOT. This process allows for increased accuracy and greater communication between MDOT and agencies throughout the state.

Sign up for NTFA e-mail updates GovDelivery red envelope icon.