If You Build It, Will They Come? Measuring Greenway Usage in Cary, N.C.

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Creator
  • Bush, Robert
    • Other Affiliation: HDR Engineering, Inc.; Chair, Greenway Committee, Cary, NC
Abstract
  • A decade ago, the Town of Cary, N.C. implemented a greenway program but had no information available on the facilities’ usage. To address this shortcoming, the Town’s volunteer Greenway Committee initiated a program in 2007 to measure weekend greenway use. Study results showed that overall median usage for any segment on weekends is 11.35 users per hour. User counts were much higher on metro segments than on neighborhood segments. In addition, locating facilities alongside certain amenities, such as a lake or trailhead parking, may increase usage. Overall, walking was the most prevalent mode of travel. Temperature was found to have a definite impact on usage, with the highest usage occurring when temperatures were in the 60°Fs. There is little variation by time period or day; the notable exception is Sunday evening, when the median usage level increases to 15.28 users per hour. These results should provide a good guide for comparable suburban cities in similar climates regarding the potential weekend usage of their greenways.
Date of publication
DOI
Resource type
  • Article
Rights statement
  • In Copyright
Journal title
  • Carolina Planning Journal
Journal volume
  • 35
Page start
  • 23
Page end
  • 30
Language
  • English
Digital collection
  • Carolina Planning Journal

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