Exploring Your Own Backyard: Measurement of Greenway Use in Cary, North Carolina

Many cities in the United States are providing opportunities for non-motorized travel by constructing greenways. Little substantial information exists, however, about their use. This paper presents a methodology and the results of an ongoing program to count greenway users within Cary, North Carolina. The intent is to provide a methodological approach that can be reproduced by other jurisdictions that wish to determine their use throughout the year and to add to the body of data on potential usage levels. A walking-count methodology was used: counters walked the length of a designated segment, counted users as they went, and recorded the travel mode and demographic information. This methodology provided a more complete picture of use along the entire length of the segment than a stationary count could provide. During the program's 3 years of existence, 947 checks were made on randomly selected weekends. Because volunteer labor was used, no weekday counts were available. The median number of users per daylight hour was 11.76. Statistically significant differences existed between the median use on segments classified as metro segments, which served the entire community, with 46.42 users per hour, and neighborhood segments, which served the immediate vicinity, with 8.40 users per hour. For the entire system, the plurality of users was walkers (38%), followed by bicyclists (25%), runners (16%), and dog walkers (15%). Metro segments showed greater use by bicyclists and runners, and neighborhood segments showed greater use by walkers with or without a pet. Temperature was found to have a significant effect on use, whereas the time period did not.