New Way to Track Bike/Ped Trips May Foster Greater Support For Trail Projects

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A new initiative led by the Rails-to-Trail Conservancy (RTC) may soon provide a better way to track bike and pedestrian trips. With more concrete data available, bike and pedestrian supporters might be able to make a stronger case before policymakers for funding alternative transportation projects.

According to a Streetsblog USA article, current data on how often people bike and walk is limited. In May 2014, the U.S. Census Bureau released data showing that walking and biking to work increased 60% over the last decade. While this helps paint part of the picture, planners often need more specific data on how people use trails.

That’s why Tracy Hadden Loh, Ph. D., Director of Research at Rails-to-Trails, is spearheading the Trail Modeling and Assessment Platform (T-MAP) project—an initiative which will track trail usage in twelve cities across the U.S. for one year, by using high-tech passive infrared sensors. These sensors are capable of identifying whether a bicyclist or pedestrian is using the trail. 

The twelve cities participating in the pilot project include:  Albuquerque, Arlington, Billings, Colorado Springs, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Miami, Minneapolis, New Orleans, Portland (Maine), San Diego, and Seattle.

In addition to tracking trail usage as part of the T-MAP project, investigators will conduct intercept surveys to determine whether the trails are being used for transportation or recreational purposes. If the T-MAP model proves successful, similar methods may be applied to tracking trail usage across the country and ultimately this may help bring more funding to bike & ped projects nationwide.

Learn more about this change in progress here.