Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

July 03, 2012

Elijah Yearick, (518) 434-1583

Statewide trail user count to occur in August
Project seeking 15 trails to be included in the count

Parks & Trails New York, the New York State Trails Council, and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation are launching the 2012 New York State Trail User Count and are seeking 15 of the state's multi-use greenway trails to be included in an August count.

New York boasts hundreds of miles of multi-use trails that offer opportunities for walking, jogging, and bicycling. Most trails are popular with residents and visitors alike but in terms of actual numbers, little data exists.

"Our goal is to build a body of data on the nature and volume of trail usage on a variety of the state's multi-use trails," said Parks & Trails New York Executive Director Robin Dropkin. "I think everyone will be surprised at the numbers when we tabulate the results."

"Trails are building blocks of healthy, livable communities and are integral to our quality of life," said Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Commissioner Rose Harvey. "This statewide trail user count is one of many ways the state is working to enhance New York's incredible network of trails."

"The State Trails Council is very supportive of this effort as these numbers can help define the benefits of having trails in our communities," said Anne O'Dell Chair of the New York State Trails Council. "We hope to expand trail user counts to other types of trails in the future."

The count will begin with a small number of trails the first year and expand to more trails in subsequent years. The effort will follow a protocol established by the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project (NBPD) and employed previously by Parks & Trails New York for the annual Erie Canalway Trail user count. Data collected will be used to calculate an estimate of annual trail traffic volume for each trail.

Parks & Trails New York is the leading statewide advocate for parks and trails, dedicated since 1985 to improving the health and quality of life of all New Yorkers by working with community organizations and municipalities to envision, create, promote, and protect a growing network of parks, greenways and trails throughout the state for all to use and enjoy. For more information about Parks & Trails New York visit www.ptny.org.

The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation oversees 178 state parks and 35 historic sites. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connecting on Facebook, or following us on Twitter.

The New York State Trails Council was established in October 1981 to ensure citizen participation in trail planning and management. The Council advocates trail interests to all levels of government and to the public; provides a reliable source of information on trail based recreation; coordinates efforts to develop, construct and maintain recreational trails; fosters trail user ethics; and provides a forum for mediating differences among trail-user groups. For more information, visit http://nysparks.com/recreation/trails/trails-council.aspx.

To be included in the trail count, contact Eli Yearick at Parks & Trails New York at 518-434-1583 x 208 or eyearick@ptny.org by July 13.