Urban Trails Research Articles

The effect of a trail use intervention on urban trail use in Southern Nevada

Objective. Communities are building or improving trail networks for biking and walking to encourage physical activity, but the relationship between trail environments and physical activity is not well understood. We examined the effect of a trail use intervention in Southern Nevada.Methods. We monitored the usage of urban trails (n=10) in Southern Nevada before, during, and after an intervention which included a marketing campaign promoting trail use and the addition of way-finding and incremental distance signage to selected trails (October 2011–October 2012). Data were collected with infrared monitors placed on the trails for three periods of 7days. We compared pre-, mid-, and post-intervention usage rates on the 6 trails where signage was added to usage rates on the 4 control trails.Results. The groups of trails experienced different patterns of increases and decreases over the 1-year study period. Mean users per hour increased 31% for the study trails and 35% for the control trails (p<0.001), but the total increase did not vary between the groups.Conclusion. Trail use increased about 33% during the 1-year study period for the intervention. Adding wayfinding and incremental distance signage appeared to support the increase in usage which followed the marketing campaign.

Happy trails: the effect of a media campaign on urban trail use in southern Nevada.

Many Americans do not meet recommendations for physical activity (PA). Communities are building trail networks to encourage PA, but the relationship between trails and PA is not well understood. We monitored usage of urban trails (N = 10) in Las Vegas, NV, before and after a promotional marketing campaign (October 2011 and April 2012). The media campaign featured print, online, and radio ads, as well as billboards and signage on gas pumps. Data were collected with infrared monitors that were placed on the trails for periods of 7 days. We compared preintervention and postintervention usage rates. Mean usage increased (P < .001) from 3.91 to 5.95 users per hour (52.17%) after the promotional campaign. We observed significant increases at 7 individual trails, significant declines at 2 trails, and no change at 1 trail. Promotional campaigns may be an effective way to increase trail usage and encourage PA.

Estimating Mixed-Mode Urban Trail Traffic Using Negative Binomial Regression Models

Data and models of non-motorized traffic on multiuse urban trails are needed to improve planning and management of urban transportation systems. Negative binomial regression models are appropriate and useful when dependent variables are non-negative integers with over-dispersion like traffic counts. This paper presents eight negative binomial models for estimating urban trail traffic using 1,898 daily mixed-mode traffic counts from active infrared monitors at six locations in Minneapolis, MN. Our models include up to 10 independent variables that represent socio-demographic, built environment, weather, and temporal characteristics. A general model can be used to estimate traffic at locations where traffic has not been monitored. A six-location model with dummy variables for each monitoring site rather than neighborhood specific variables can be used to estimate traffic at existing locations when counts from monitors are not available. Six trail-specific models are appropriate for estimating variation in traffic in response to variations in weather and day of week. Validation results indicate negative binomial models outperform models estimated by ordinary least squares regression. These new models estimate traffic within approximately 16.3% error, on average, which is reasonable for planning and management purposes.

Abstract P267: New Urbanism and Its Impact on Active Living among Inner City Children/Youth

Introduction: Although it is known that urban design and land use at the community level contributes to active living, there remains a paucity of such information among low income and diverse populations affected by such infrastructure. Reconstruction of an inner city community in Chattanooga, Tennessee afforded the opportunity to assess the impact of new urbanist construction on active living among African-American children/youth living in the inner city. Hypothesis: Transportation and recreational physical activity levels among children/youth residing in a new urbanist community was hypothesized to be higher compared to demographically similar children/youth who reside in a more traditional inner city community. Methods: Using the System for Observing Physical Activity and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) we examined an urban trail and recreational park areas of two distinct communities to assess physical activity, sports, and recreational of children/youth. SOPARC data were collected in each of 4 settings in each community (East, a traditional and South, a new urbanist) during four 1-h observation periods during 7 days of clement weather. Observations were made during each day of the week in each setting (i.e., Sunday through Saturday). Results: The SOPARC assessments of the urban trail and pedestrian/bicycle routes in the South and East yielded a total of 672 and 436 children/youth observations, respectively. South children/youth were over three times more likely to engage in vigorous physical activity compared to their East counterparts (Mantel-Haenszel Chi Square = 19.67; P&lt; 0.00001). Conclusions: The present findings support the hypothesis that enhanced environmental supports, such as those found within the South community, increase the likelihood of greater levels of activity among children/youth compared to children/youth that were not exposed to these environmental enhancements. This comparative difference was most remarkable when examining the SOPARC assessment differences along the transport path/sidewalk routes, with South children/youth being significantly more likely than the East children/youth to engage in more vigorous forms of physical activity along this transport/recreational corridor, providing evidence that access to these types of ‘urban’ trails appears to translate into increased opportunities for physical activity among children/youth.

Comment adapter l'environnement pour favoriser la marche des seniors ? Une étude qualitative

Population ageing is a major public health issue. While physical activity can slow the ageing process and help maintain independence, the lack of suitable infrastructures is a major obstacle to exercise. The ?Saint-Roch: Sport, Health and Senior Citizens' (4S) project, aimed at renovating an urban area of Nice, was developed based on consultation with elderly residents. The aim of the project was to adapt the construction and implementation of an urban walking trail to users' expectations. The qualitative research method of focus groups was used on a sample of autonomous elderly residents living in the area. Transcripts of conversations with participants were coded and analyzed using N'Vivo© software. Three focus groups reflecting the profiles of senior residents living in the area were conducted to achieve idea saturation. As an important activity for both physical and mental health, walking involves a range of obstacles such as health problems, loneliness and lack of purpose, in addition to a number of environmental urban obstacles. A preliminary walking route was developed based on thirty-two practical suggestions. The main purpose of this study is to adapt urban reconstruction to the specific needs of the elderly, including their social relationships, in order to encourage long-term use. This study also highlights the interaction between the environment and key aspects of health at an urban level in terms of physical, social and mental well-being, i.e. the major factors influencing quality of life.

Evolution of San Francisco Bay Area Urban Trails

The Family and Child Guidance Clinic of the Native American Health Center (NAHC) has developed strong working relationships with San Francisco Bay Area system partners in order to serve the mental health needs of American Indian/Alaska Native children and families. NAHC worked relentlessly with stakeholders to pave the Urban Trails that urban Indigenous community members utilize to access culturally competent care. These Urban Trails have been grounded in a community-based system of care model and cultural framework that links substance abuse and mental health through a holistic approach congruent with Indigenous values and traditions. This article describes how NAHC has partnered with community members and organizational stakeholders to develop and sustain an effective holistic system for serving urban Indigenous people.

Woody Invasions of Urban Trails and the Changing Face of Urban Forests in the Great Plains, USA

Corridors such as roads and trails can facilitate invasions by non-native plant species. The open, disturbed habitat associated with corridors provides favorable growing conditions for many non-native plant species. Bike trails are a corridor system common to many urban areas that have not been studied for their potential role in plant invasions. We sampled five linear segments of urban forest along bike trails in Lincoln, Nebraska to assess the invasion of woody non-native species relative to corridors and to assess the composition of these urban forests. The most abundant plant species were generally native species, but five non-native species were also present: white mulberry (Morus alba), common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima), honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) and elm (Ulmus spp.). The distribution of two of the woody species sampled, common buckthorn and honeysuckle, significantly decreased with increasing distance from a source patch of vegetation (P = 0.031 and 0.030). These linear habitats are being invaded by non-native tree and shrub species, which may change the structure of these urban forest corridors. If non-native woody plant species become abundant in the future, they may homogenize the plant community and reduce native biodiversity in these areas.

Development, Reliability, and Validity of an Urban Trail Use Survey

To evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the Research on Urban Trail Environments (ROUTES) Trail Use Questionnaire. Test-retest reliability was assessed by repeated measures (study 1); validity was assessed by comparing reported trail use to self-reported and objectively measured physical activity (PA) levels (study 2). Study 1: a religious institution situated near a Los Angeles trail. Study 2: 1-mile buffer zones surrounding three urban trails (Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles). Thirty-four adults between 40 and 60 years of age (10 men and 24 women) completed the ROUTES questionnaire twice (study 1). Study 2 participants were 490 adults (48% female and 73% white), mean age 48 years. Trail use for recreation and transportation purposes, time and distance spent on trails, and characteristics of the trail and other trail users. PA was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and accelerometry. Pearson correlation coefficients and kappa statistics were used for test-retest reliability for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Generalized linear models were used to evaluate hypotheses on PA comparing trail users and nonusers. Test-retest statistics were acceptable (kappa = .57, r = .66). Validity was supported by correlations between indices of trail use with self-reported PA and accelerometry, and significant group differences between trail users and nonusers in PA levels. The ROUTES Trail Use Questionnaire demonstrated good reliability and validity.

Urban Trails and Physical Activity: A Natural Experiment

The built environment in which a person lives and works is thought to have a strong influence on his or her level of physical activity. However, this belief is largely based on cross-sectional studies underlining the need for prospective studies using natural experiments. This study adopted a quasi-experimental research design with multiple control neighborhoods and was conducted between 2005 and 2007. Data were analyzed in 2008. The subjects were children, adolescents, and adults in free-living conditions within one experimental and two control neighborhoods. An urban greenway/trail was retrofitted in a neighborhood that lacked connectivity of the residential pedestrian infrastructure to nonresidential destinations. The main outcomes were 2-hour counts of directly observed physical activity in the general neighborhood and, at the school level, active transport to school. At the neighborhood level, the 2-hour counts of physical activity significantly increased between 2005 and 2007 (p=0.000) in the intervention neighborhood, with a median increase of 8.0 counts. The control neighborhoods had a significant decrease in counts (p=0.000). The pre- and post-intervention changes between experimental and control neighborhoods were significantly different for total physical activity (p=0.001); walking (p=0.001); and cycling (p=0.038). There was no noted change over time for active transport to school in either the intervention or control neighborhoods. Changes to the pedestrian connectivity of the built environment infrastructure may lead to greater levels of physical activity. However, this positive effect was limited to physical activity at the neighborhood level and not to active transport to school.

Modelling visitor groups' intentions to displace from an urban trail: a combined stated preference and video monitoring approach

Depending on gender and activity, overcrowding and safety concerns may detract from urban green space use. Differences in use displacement intentions from a recreational trail in a forest in Vienna were investigated for male and female walkers as well as male and female dog-walkers (N = 425) using an image-based stated preference model. The trail scenarios were depicted as digitally calibrated images that systematically displayed combinations of levels of crowding with different mixes of user types and visitor behaviour. Visitors were asked whether the presented recreation scenario was so unacceptable that they would shift their use away from the presented trail. Hours and days of stated non-use of the recreation trail by various user groups are estimated by integrating the results of the behavioural model with annual visitation data. Use displacement intentions differed by gender and activity. High use levels were a greater concern for all respondents than very low use levels, particularly for female dog-walkers. However, only a small proportion of the recorded hours were heavily used. Safety concerns about very low use levels reduced the potential times of forest use for female walkers without a dog.

Physical Activity Patterns Along An Urban Trail: Site-specific Comparisons

There is a growing body of evidence confirming that access to trails is effective in increasing physical activity among community residents, whether used for recreational physical activity or transport. However, there is a paucity of research addressing the demographic characteristics of urban trail users and the type of activity and site-specific trail use. PURPOSE: We sought to examine demographic factors and physical activity patterns among trail users at a central site and at a linear site on an urban trail using observational survey methods. METHODS: Trained student researchers were used to collect observational survey data on an urban trail with both central city and linear segments. Proportions were derived by type of activity, gender, age range, and race by trail site. Chi-Square analyses were performed and Odds Ratios were calculated in examining these relationships as well as trail use for transport versus recreation among trail users from the two sites. RESULTS: A total of 12,756 observational counts were recorded on this urban trail. The proportion of walkers observed on the central trail vs. linear trail were 66% and 33.5% respectively (OR=3.9; 95% CI 2.1, 6.9). When examining cycling, the proportion of bicyclists observed was 49% along the linear trail compared to 18.9% along the central trail (OR= 4.1; 95% CI 2.2, 7.8). Proportions were similar on both trail sites for age, with adults between 18-64 years the most prevalent age range represented. African-American and other non-whites represented only 10.5% of persons observed on either trail segment. Males were more likely than females to be observed using the linear trail compared with the central trail (OR = 1.2; 95% CI 1.12, 1.29). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that further promotional efforts for trail use need to be directed towards the African-American and non-white communities and that use of the linear trail needs to be promoted more among women. These data will contribute to current community policy and infrastructural efforts to increase bicycle and pedestrian transport and recreational physical activity.

Proximity and Usage of the Tennessee Riverpark Urban Trail

Proximity and Usage of the Tennessee Riverpark Urban Trail

Proximity and Perceived Safety as Determinants of Urban Trail Use: Findings from a Three-City Study

In this study we focus on individual and environmental determinants of urban trail use in three diverse urban settings: Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles. Explanatory factors include individual psychosocial and health characteristics, distance between home and trail, and land-use and social characteristics of trailside neighborhoods. Model results suggest that intrinsic motivation, general health status, perceived trail safety, perceived miles between home and trail, and neighborhood connectivity were significantly related to probability of trail use and extent of trail use, while working-class status, commuting distance, and physical barriers to the trail were negatively related. Efforts to increase perceived trail safety, accessibility, and awareness about trails thus may result in a higher rate of trail use and more time spent on urban trails.

Ambient Air Conditions and Variation in Urban Trail Use

This study examines the effect of air quality and administrative policies on use of urban trails in Indianapolis, IN. Attention is focused on two policy variables: (1) issuance of air pollution advisories and (2) the adoption of Daylight Savings Time. Results suggest that while trail use varies with air quality, current public advisories regarding air pollution may be of limited effectiveness in reducing trail users' exposures to hazardous pollutants. In contrast, the adoption of Daylight Savings Time was associated with a statistically significant increase in traffic levels.

Reasons for Urban Trail Use Predict Levels of Trail-Related Physical Activity

Efforts to increase community levels of physical activity through the development of multiuse urban trails could be strengthened by information about factors predicting trail use. This study examined whether reasons for trail use predict levels of physical activity on urban trails. Adults (N = 335) living within a 1-mile buffer zone of urban trails in Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles completed a self-report measure assessing demographics, reason for trail use, and physical activity on the trail. Accelerometers measured total daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Environmental features of the urban trail were assessed with the Systematic Pedestrian and Cyclist Environmental Scan for trails measure. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted that accounted for clustering of individuals within trail segments. After controlling for demographic and environmental factors and total daily MVPA, reasons for trail use significantly predicted recreational but not transportation activity. Recreational trail activity was greater for participants who reported exercise and health reasons for trail use as compared with other reasons (ie, social interaction, enjoying nature, walking pets) for recreational trail use. To increase the use of urban trails, it may be useful to promote the health and exercise benefits of recreational trail use.

A Use-Based Measure of Accessibility to Linear Features to Predict Urban Trail Use

The standard Hansen measure of accessibility is extended to provide a use-based measure of accessibility reflecting the elasticity of use with respect to the level of provision of facilities. This is further extended to provide a measure of accessibility to linear features, such as trails (as opposed to features at point locations such as parks and libraries). Results from a survey on the use of urban trails in Indianapolis, Indiana are used to test the ability of this accessibility measure to predict trail use. The use-based measure of accessibility to linear features provides better predictions of use and more consistent estimates of the effects of distance and level of facility provision on trail use.

Viewshed characteristics of urban pedestrian trails, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

Please click here to download the map associated with this article. The map accompanying this brief report depicts spatial variation in viewshed characteristics of urban pedestrian trails in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Visual openness and visual magnitude were modeled for approximately 50 kilometers of the Indianapolis Greenway Trail System using geographic information system and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technologies. Viewshed data also were integrated with high resolution satellite imagery to estimate greenness perceived by trail users. The primary map was designed at scale of 1:32,000 and shows visual magnitude overlaid on aerial photography and LiDAR surface height layers. Inset maps illustrate viewshed integration with high resolution satellite imagery to estimate perception of greenness. We have reported statistically signi-cant relationships between pedestrian trail tra-c and viewshed characteristics along trail segments as estimated with multivariate regression models that control for other variables, including weather variation, month, day of week, and social and physical attributes of surrounding neighborhoods. In previous studies we also found higher satellite-based estimates of greenness were associated with improved self-reported perception of neighborhood walking environments by children and their families. We note here both current limitations of existing technologies and potential for emerging technologies to improve measurement of pedestrian viewshed characteristics.

A detailed analysis of how an urban trail system affects cyclists’ travel

Transportation specialists, urban planners, and public health officials have been steadfast in encouraging active modes of transportation over the past decades. Conventional thinking, however, suggests that providing infrastructure for cycling and walking in the form of off-street trails is critically important. An outstanding question in the literature is how one's travel is affected by the use of such facilities and specifically, the role of distance to the trail in using such facilities. This research describes a highly detailed analysis of use along an off-street facility in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The core questions addressed in this investigation aim to understand relationships between: (1) the propensity of using the trail based on distance from the trip origin and destination, and (2) how far out of their way trail users travel for the benefit of using the trail and explanatory factors for doing so. The data used in the analysis for this research was collected as a human intercept survey along a section of an off-street facility. The analysis demonstrates that a cogent distance decay pattern exists and that the decay function varies by trip purpose. Furthermore, we find that bicyclists travel, on average, 67% longer in order to include the trail facility on their route. The paper concludes by explaining how the distance decay and shortest path versus taken path analysis can aid in the planning and analysis of new trail systems.

Estimating urban trail traffic: Methods for existing and proposed trails

The paper presents findings from the most comprehensive, continuous trail monitoring system in the United States, a network of 30 infrared monitors on five multiuse trails in Indianapolis, Indiana operating for periods of one to more than four years. We describe variation in traffic across different trails and segments of individual trails and present traffic ratios that describe variations in traffic by month, day of week, and time of day. We also present regression models for estimating traffic from temporal, weather, socio-demographic, and urban form variables. We propose and validate procedures for use of traffic ratios to extrapolate hourly counts to annual estimates and use of regression models to estimate traffic. Our procedures provide estimates within 20–30% of actual counts. Limitations of the models are noted. Potential applications range from forecasting traffic on proposed new trails to assessing the need for safety improvements such as stop lights at intersections.

Trail Characteristics as Correlates of Urban Trail Use

The purpose of this study was to identify the environmental correlates of urban trail use. Three multiuse urban trails at least 15 miles in length were selected. Trails were divided into one-half-mile segments (N = 102 total segments) and marked in the field. An audit of each trail was completed identifying built environmental features. A cross-sectional count of trail users was completed at each segment estimating the type of use, age, gender. Data collection occurred on urban trails in Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles. Trained observers counted 17,338 users across the three trails. The SPACES for Trails instrument was used, and a trail count data collection sheet was developed. Univariate and multivariate Poisson regressions controlling for location of trail and density of the population within 1 mile of the trail. Positive associations with trail use were observed for mixed views (beta = .33, p < .0001), streetlights (beta = .30, p < .0001), good trail condition (beta = .28, p < .0001), and the presence of cafés (beta = .38, p < .0001) and other trailside facilities (beta =.08, p < .0001). Negative associations were observed for litter (beta = -.22, p < .0001), noise (beta = -.41, p < .0001), higher vegetation density (beta = -. 10, p < .001), drainage features (beta = -.67, p < .0003), natural areas adjacent to the trail (beta = -.39, p < .0001), and tunnel present (beta = -.20, p < .04). These correlates should be confirmed in other studies and if supported should be considered in the promotion and design of urban trails.