The City of Asheville is currently seeking volunteers to help count bicyclists and pedestrians around town. These counts will provide the data the City needs to prioritize multimodal transportation investments. You can help!
So how does collecting data help? Let's use your neighborhood greenway as an example. You see a few people biking, walking or running when you use it, but it never seems like
a lot.
Now think about how many users that same greenway sees throughout the day. These people could be using the greenway to safely get to work, as a pleasant place to walk their dog, or as a jogging path. While it may not be realistic to count the shear number of users and
how
they're utilizing the path, the overall data is insightful. Are people using this space? Could more people benefit from this space? These data points will steer greenway, sidewalk, and bike lane investments in the future and demonstrate the need for their maintenance and prioritization.
Implementing a counting program will provide City staff with needed information to defend spending for an existing greenway/sidewalk/bike lane program or aid in applications for grant funding. The usage counts can provide ready answers when elected officials and advocates need to know the benefits of a multimodal transportation network. Moreover, usage counts can inform City engineering staff about the types of crossings needed and other safety improvements.
Collecting this data is helpful to your municipality and your community and, as a volunteer, it is a great way to get out, meet new people, and make a difference!
This year, in coordination with the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project, we will count non-motorized users of our streets at a number of specific sites from 5-7 p.m. on
one
of the following dates:
- Tuesday, September 10th, OR
- Wednesday, September 11th, OR
- Thursday, September 12th.
There are also a few sites available from 7-9 a.m. on those days, and a few sites that are counted on Saturday, September 15th from 9-11 a.m. Volunteer hours are extremely valuable in this effort. If you have questions, you can email Barb Mee:
[email protected]
.