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PORT NECHES — The city of Port Neches is finalizing the scope of work for a traffic study hoping to shed light on possible areas of concern for now and the future.

City Manager Andre Wimer said the first company the city was going to work with did not have enough staff for the task, so municipal leaders are now in talks with TEDSI Infrastructure Group out of Houston.

“At this point we are still working to finalize the exact scope of the work and time frame in which to perform the analysis,” Wimer said.

The Port Neches Police Department is collecting data with the equipment it owns that will be shared with the firm.

Police Chief Paul Lemoine said his department began collecting data a few weeks before RiverFest using a stealth device. The device is believed to give a more accurate measurement than the display trailers, where the speed a vehicle is traveling shows upon a display.

“It’s hidden so there is an actual count of speed, direction of travel, volume, times of the day when most speeding occurs,” Lemoine said, adding volume and flow of traffic are major areas to note.

The PNPD’s data collection also took in a portion of the end of the school year, and Wimer said the time period might be extended to capture the beginning of the new school year.

Areas to be recorded are bounded by Port Neches Avenue, Merriman Street, the Neches River and Block Street, as well as a small section near the high school.

Lemoine said some of the peak times for traffic are between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m.

Once completed, the study will provide much information for the city, such as where traffic signals are needed and the volume and flow of traffic in preparation for a 99-home subdivision underway off Lee Avenue and for the riverfront development.

The city already is home to the successful Neches River Wheelhouse restaurant and will be home to Iguana Joe’s and several other eateries and shops.