Traffic entering Sturgis during this year’s motorcycle rally ran below historical averages, according to the South Dakota Department of Transportation.
The department recorded more than 448,000 vehicles entering Sturgis between August 7th and August 16th. That’s about 10 percent below the five-year average for the same period.
Traffic started slightly above average during the rally’s opening two days but declined for the remainder of the event. The largest drop came on August 12th, when vehicle counts were nearly 24 percent below the historical average for that day.
Traffic also remained below average during the rally’s final weekend.
Transportation officials note that traffic counts are one tool used to measure rally activity, but they do not represent an official attendance estimate.
