Volunteers sought for annual bike and pedestrian tally

One of the greatest challenges facing the bicycle and pedestrian field is the lack of documentation on usage and demand.

For the third year in a row, Metro is coordinating a regional effort to count the number of people biking and walking on the Portland metropolitan area's trails. The count is part of the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project's ongoing undertaking to gather accurate trail use data to help local governments and regional planners decide where and when to place new trails and respond to the needs of trail users region-wide.

Volunteers are critical to the project's success. Those interested in helping out can take part in an hour-long training session where they will learn how to use nationally standardized methods for surveying and data recording in order to ensure consistent responses and more accurate national data.  Training dates/locations are available on Metro's website.

The National County/Survey days for 2010 are during the week of September 13, 2010.

There are numerous count locations throughout the Portland Metropolitan area, including Clark County.  [For the first time, the count includes a point at the south entrance to the Gateway Green site.]

Along with determining total trail use, volunteers will survey select users to help develop a better understanding of why people use trails, what types of trails users prefer and total trip distance. By understanding the reasons why people use trails, Metro and other agencies can make more strategic and informed decisions about new trail locations, expansion of existing trails and how to best link current trail systems.