Ask HN: What is the use of a pedestrian couting system?

I came across this dataset for Melbourne city on data is plural http://www.pedestrian.melbourne.vic.gov.au/

What purpose does this serve? Some of the objectives are listed on the website but continuous monitoring doesn't make much sense to me - to assess and respond to current needs and forecast future demands to improve walking in the city - to assess and address risks associated with walking - to better understand the environmental impacts and benefits of walking - to inform emergency response planning

Are there any other major cities that are doing this?