RTC TrailBlog : user surveys

New Round of Transportation Grants a Great Investment in Illinois

Jake Lynch — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:11:00 GMT

There was some wonderful news for rail-trail advocates and planners in Illinois last week, with Governor Pat Quinn announcing tens of millions of dollars would be invested in trails throughout the state.

The grant funding was provided by the federal Transportation Enhancements (TE) program, now known as Transportation Alternatives (TA), and was part of a package of nearly $50 million for active transportation works throughout Illinois, that is expected to support more than 400 jobs across 54 projects.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy's Director of Policy Outreach, Dan Persky, who spent many years working on active transportation projects in Illinois, said that the strong focus on trails in this round of grant funding represents a significant shift in the state's transportation focus.

"In recent years, Illinois has often dedicated a majority of TE funds to streetscape projects," Dan said. "To see the governor's office directing such significant support for projects like the Calumet-Sag Trail and the Grand Illinois Trail is recognition that these facilities are vitally important transportation and recreational assets, and that they represent a smart investment in the state."

In addition to the Calumet-Sag Trail (a regional trail southwest of Chicago), and the Grand Illinois Trail (a planned loop of more than 500 miles between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River), other noteworthy projects to receive funding include the Millennium Trail, the North Shore Channel Trail, the DeKalb-Sycamore Bikeways, and the Historic Route 66 Bikeway.

Local groups such as Trails for Illinois and the League of Illinois Bicyclists deserve a lot of credit for many years of advocating for appropriate investment in trails and active transportation infrastructure.

That job is about the get a little easier. A new partnership between RTC and Trails for Illinois will soon produce the first ever comprehensive study of trail usage in that state.

Late last year, I spent a week visiting a wide variety of trails across Illinois, including the Tunnel Hill Trail, the Rock Island Trail and the Old Plank Road Trail, retrieving automated trail counter equipment which had been tracking user activity over the previous months. At the same time, teams of local volunteers were distributing and collecting trail user surveys, which included questions about spending patterns.

It's part of Trails for Illinois' 'Make Trails Count' push. "We want to show Illinois and its communities the triple bottom line benefits-economic growth, improved health and environmental stewardship-that trails are creating," says Executive Director Steve Buchtel. "We want to put a number on those benefits so decision makers take them seriously."

The results of those surveys are now being analyzed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the University of Illinois. In terms of trail development and trail use, so much has happened in Illinois over the past few years, but we really know very little about it. This survey is the first of its kind for the state, and will go a long way to demonstrating the significance of these trails to the people and businesses of Illinois.

That report on trail-usage patterns and the economic impact of trails tourism in Illinois comes out in the spring. Stay tuned.

Photo courtesy Trails for Illinois

Adirondack Community Rallies Around Rail-Trail Potential

Jake Lynch — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 16:07:00 GMT

Crucial to the success of any new trail project is the formation of an energetic and motivated group of local advocates and volunteers.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is always eager to provide planning expertise, assist with securing state and local government support, and mobilize our national network of members and supporters. But unless a strong local organization is in place, it can often be very difficult to get a new project off the ground.

By that measure, the future looks pretty bright for the proposed Adirondack Recreational Trail.

In the Tri-Lakes region of upper New York State, the Adirondack Scenic Railroad corridor between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake currently carries a seasonal sightseeing excursion train, which many residents say has not delivered significant economic benefits to a picturesque region bursting with potential for recreational tourism.

The newly created Adirondack Recreational Trail Advocates (ARTA) hope to see that track converted into a 34-mile recreational trail, following the lead of many communities like theirs which have converted their natural resources and historical rail lines into sustainable local economies. They are spreading word of their cause and hope to recruit 500 members in order to persuade local politicians and planners that this project is a development that residents and business people want.

In August, Carl Knoch, manager of trail development for RTC's Northeast Regional Office, met with area residents to present a message that has sparked the development of similar projects in his native Pennsylvania: Trails are good business for small towns.

That's not just a gut feeling. Knoch's office is a national leader in compiling trail user data to assess the economic stimulus of trails to the towns and villages they pass through. This commercial impact--for hotels, campsites, food outlets and outdoor retailers, and the multiplier effect of an injection into the local economy--has helped promote the development of several renowned trail systems in Pennsylvania, and secured the viability of towns once dying with the decline of industry.

Knoch says the Tri-Lakes is perfectly placed to reap the same rewards.

"The 60-mile Pine Creek Rail Trail has seen about $3.6 million annually in new spending since the trail was created, with 138,000 users on an annual basis," he says of a comparable trail in the neighboring state. "What could 138,000 new users do for Saranac Lake and Lake Placid and Tupper Lake? In talking to the folks that own businesses along the Pine Creek Rail Trail, they basically say the conversion of that railroad into a multi-season rail-trail is the salvation of the valley."

Knoch will continue to work with ARTA to recruit new supporters, seek grant opportunities and develop plans for the trail from the concept stage to a more concrete reality.

Support, spread the word, or keep tabs on this exciting rail-trail project, at www.thearta.org.

Photo of the Adirondack Scenic Railroad corridor by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Watch: Do You Count? Our Webinar on Measuring Trail Use

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 20:32:00 GMT

A few weeks back, we held a webinar with experts from around the country discussing various methods of measuring trail use.

As the adage goes, "You can't manage what you don't measure." This rule is especially true for trails, which host a wide variety of transportation and recreation users. Learn how nonprofits, governments and the private sector are using trail counts to better understand bicycle and pedestrian behavior, and how these resources can assist your pathway. We discuss counter technology, volunteer management, using trail counts to conduct economic impact studies and the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project.

Presenters:

Jennifer Donlon, Alta Planning + Design
Mel Huie, Oregon Metro Regional Government
Eric Oberg, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
David Patton, Arlington County, Va.

Read biographies of the webinar presenters (PDF). For more information on RTC's trail user surveys, please visit the Trail-Building Toolbox. Special thanks to Greg Billing of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association for editing assistance.

Did you watch the webinar? Let us know how we did by completing this survey. Thank you!

People Like to Use Trails, Twin Cities Edition

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:12:00 GMT

Back in February, Bike Walk Twin Cities -- part of the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program -- released its 2009 Count Report, which surveyed cyclists and pedestrians during September 2009 in Minneapolis, St. Paul and surrounding communities. The numbers are positive: bicycling was up 13 percent from 2007, and the report's details provide proof of the strong role trails play in a regional active transportation network. Of the 20 locations with the highest bicycle counts, 16 were on trails, including the Midtown Greenway, Cedar Lake Trail and the Southwest Regional LRT Trail.

With more trails and connections funded as part of Bike Walk Twin Cities, Minnesotans can look forward to an even better transportation network ahead.

RTC Surveys Rail-Trail Users in South Jersey

Carl Knoch (RTC) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:03:00 GMT

Over the course of the past several months, RTC conducted trail user surveys on three community trails in New Jersey: the one-mile Merchantville Bike Path, the 2.5-mile Blackwood Railroad Trail and the 6.5-mile Monroe Township Bikepath between Williamstown and Glassboro. A total of 644 completed survey forms were returned to RTC for analysis. Some of the more interesting findings from the study include:

About 70 percent of the survey respondents reported that they used the trail at least once a week.
For all three trails, 59 percent of the survey respondents were 46 years of age or older.
While typically RTC has found that more men use trails than women, in this case on the two shorter community trails (Merchantville and Blackwood) female respondents outnumbered male respondents.
The majority of users of the shorter trails reported average usage times of less than an hour, while users of the longer Monroe Township trail reported usages of longer than an hour.
For all three trails, the primary reason for using the trail was health and fitness.
In the case of the Blackwood and Monroe Township respondents, more than 80 percent reported that the trail had influenced the type and frequency of the activity they participated in. This figure was 64 percent for the Merchantville respondents.
Asked if they would like to see their trails extended, 83 to 99 percent of respondents reported yes.
Asked if they would like to have their community trail be part of a trail network reaching across the region, 68 to 99 percent responded yes.

This research was conducted as part of RTC's Urban Pathways Initative in the greater Camden area to envision a network of trails stretching across Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties. The final report, with complete results from these surveys, is forthcoming. When it's complete, we will link to it from this post.

Photo of Monroe Township Bikepath by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

San Jose's Annual Trail Count Sees Usage Increase 10 percent

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:27:00 GMT

For the past three years, the Department of Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services of the city of San Jose, Calif., has conducted an extensive user count and survey of its major trails and greenways. This year's count, which was conducted on September 23, has resulted in some encouraging statistics:

Usage is up: The overall number of trail users was 9.6 percent higher than a year ago
Most use the trails for transportation: 53 percent of trail users reported their primary use of the trail was to commute or run errands
They're using the trails more often: 68 percent reported that their usage of the trail system has increased "significantly" or "a little" in the past two years
Trail users feel safe: 99.4 percent reported feeling "very safe" or "somewhat safe" on the city's trail system

There are even more numbers that quantify the good things happening on San Jose's trails–you can read all the details in the city's press release, fact sheet, summary report and survey questions and findings. You can also review survey results from 2007 and 2008 on the department's trail count website, as well. The city notes on its trail survey page that reliable statistics about trail usage have helped the city secure more than $1 million in trail funding.

Photo of Guadalupe River Trail by Yves Zsutty, City of San Jose Department of Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Services.

Post edited from original version to include new photo and fixed links.

Understanding Trail-Use Patterns on Cleveland's Morgana Run Trail

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:24:00 GMT

Photo and story by Eric Oberg/Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

As part of our Urban Pathways Initiative, RTC is working with project partner Slavic Village Development Corporation (SVD) to encourage trail use on the Morgana Run Trail in Cleveland, Ohio. RTC and SVD decided that the effort would be greatly enhanced if we were able to gain some baseline information about the trail. We were able to use three Trafx infrared trail counters from the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) office in Cuyahoga National Park. On September 1, SVD's Jacob VanSickle joined Eric Oberg, manager of trail development in RTC’s Midwest Regional Office, for a day building secure boxes for the counters and then deployed them at strategic points along the trail. We are now seeing more than 40 days of comprehensive data from all three counters.

Along with the trail counters, a community survey was developed to both determine existing trail use patterns and gain insight into why some members of the community are not using the trail. These surveys were distributed along the trail by SVD staff and local youth service crews, and 250 copies were also sent out with the Friends of Morgana Run Trail mailing in September. With the ability to quantify existing trail use with the automated counters and understand barriers to use identified in survey responses, RTC and SVD are laying a solid foundation upon which we can build programs and improvements that engage more community members and improve physical activity rates in the neighborhood.

What do Residents Want to Make a Better Neighborhood Trail?

Stephen Miller (RTC) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:33:00 GMT

In May, RTC's Florida State Director Ken Bryan ran a helmet giveaway sponsored by The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida at an event hosted by the MaliVali Washington Kids Foundation along the S-Line Urban Greenway in Jacksonville. In order for youth to receive a helmet, an accompanying adult had to fill out a one-page questionnaire about their family's current level of trail use and desired improvements to the trail. Some highlights from the survey results:

More than 65 percent of respondents reside in the Springfield and Durkeeville neighborhoods, which are adjacent to the S-Line Urban Greenway.
About one-third of respondents reported that either they or the youth currently use the trail, of which 40 percent reported weekly use.
71 percent of respondents reported that their walking or bicycling would increase if better conditions existed. Suggestions for improved conditions included more sidewalks, bike routes, and trails. A few respondents also cited personal improvements, like helmets and new bicycles.
More than one-third of the respondents offered their preferences for trail amenities. The most popular: shade structures and benches, fitness equipment, space for community gardening, and more lighting.
More than 80 percent of respondents expressed interest in the promotion of a Walk/Bike to School Day at local schools; almost half thought that training for safe walking and/or bicycling would be helpful.

A complete tally of the survey results and a copy of the survey itself can be found in our Library.

Photo: A parent fills out a survey along the S-Line Urban Greenway in Jacksonville, Fla. Photo by Ken Bryan/Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.