PIGEON CREEK GREENWAY USAGE STUDY the Evansville Parks
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PIGEON CREEK GREENWAY USAGE STUDY December 2016 Prepared for: The Evansville Parks Department USI Research Team: Mary Hallock Morris, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Political Science Director, University Core Curriculum Glenna G. Bower, Ph.D. Professor of Kinesiology and Sport Chair, Kinesiology and Sport Department Associate Dean of the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education Prepared under the auspices of the USI Center for Applied Research USI.edu/car TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. 4 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Study Purpose and Methods ................................................................................................................... 7 Scope .......................................................................................................................................... 7 Study Methods ........................................................................................................................... 7 Climatological Data ................................................................................................................................. 8 Greenway Census Counts ........................................................................................................................ 9 Comparative Data, 2012 to 2016 ............................................................................................... 9 Users by Gender ......................................................................................................................... 9 Users by Activity ....................................................................................................................... 10 Averages and Peak Hours .......................................................................................................... 10 The User Intercept Survey ..................................................................................................................... 12 Demographics ........................................................................................................................... 12 Trail Usage ................................................................................................................................ 14 Safety and Satisfaction ............................................................................................................. 18 Signage ..................................................................................................................................... 20 Shirley James Gateway and Marchand Bridge ......................................................................... 20 Suggestions for Improvement .................................................................................................. 23 Recommendations ................................................................................................................................ 24 Appendices ............................................................................................................................................ 25 Appendix A. Manual Counting Form ........................................................................................ 26 Appendix B. User Intercept Survey Questions ......................................................................... 27 Appendix C. Climate Data Comparison, 2012 and 2016 ........................................................... 34 Appendix D. Comparative Census Counts by Location, 2006 through 2016 ............................ 35 Appendix E. Hourly Census Counts, 2016 ................................................................................. 36 Appendix F. User Intercept Survey, Comparative Data ............................................................ 37 1 | 2016 PIGEON CREEK GREENWAY USAGE STUDY TABLES Table 1. Preliminary Local Climatological Data for Study Period ............................................................. 8 Table 2. Percentage Increase in Pigeon Creek Greenway Users .............................................................. 9 Table 3. Greenway Users by Gender, 2012 and 2016 ............................................................................ 10 Table 4. User Activities, 2012 and 2016 ................................................................................................. 11 Table 5. Respondents by Age ................................................................................................................. 12 Table 6. Respondents’ Educational Attainment ..................................................................................... 12 Table 7. Respondents’ Employment Status ............................................................................................ 13 Table 8. Respondents’ Family Income, 2015 .......................................................................................... 13 Table 9. Popular Greenway Activities ..................................................................................................... 17 Table 10. Safety Responses by Gender .................................................................................................. 19 Table D1. Hourly Census Counts, All Locations Combined ..................................................................... 36 Table D2. Average Hourly Census Counts .............................................................................................. 36 2 | 2016 PIGEON CREEK GREENWAY USAGE STUDY CHARTS AND MAPS Map 1. Intercept Points for User Survey ................................................................................................. 6 Chart 1. Mode of Transportation Used to Travel to the Greenway ...................................................... 14 Chart 2. Respondents’ Originating Location .......................................................................................... 15 Chart 3. How Often Respondents Use the Greenway ........................................................................... 16 Chart 4. Time Spend on Greenway during a Single Visit ....................................................................... 16 Chart 5. Activity Done Most Often on Greenway .................................................................................. 17 Chart 6. Responses Regarding Greenway Safety ................................................................................... 18 Chart 7. Respondents’ Satisfaction Levels ............................................................................................. 20 Chart 8. Respondents’ Satisfaction Levels with Greenway Signage ...................................................... 21 3 | 2016 PIGEON CREEK GREENWAY USAGE STUDY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY § USI students counted 8,406 Greenway users and administered 281 surveys during the seven-day period running from Monday, September 26, to Sunday, October 2, 2016. The counts and surveys were taken at three intercept points along the Pigeon Creek Greenway: The Pagoda Trailhead, the Shirley James Memorial Gateway Plaza, and the Garvin Park Trailhead. As in 2006 and 2012, the Riverfront section of the Greenway is the most used segment with over 4,000 users during the week-long study. § From 2012 to 2016, the number of Greenway users increased approximately 93 percent. When analyzed separately, Garvin Park experienced close to a 256 percent increase in traffic, while the Riverfront experienced a 64 percent increase and the Shirley James Gateway experience a 17 percent increase. Some of this growth may be attributed to the Evansville Half-Marathon on Saturday, October 1, and the Walk to Defeat ALS on Sunday, October 2. § An overwhelming majority of 2016’s survey respondents – 97 percent – indicated that they were “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with the Pigeon Creek Greenway. This is comparable to the 2012 survey results. § Overall, approximately 96 percent of respondents stated they felt “very safe” or “somewhat safe” when using the Greenway. More male respondents (69 percent) stated that they felt “very safe” on the trail compared to female respondents (49 percent). Again, this is comparable to the 2012 survey results. § Based on the census counts, the most popular Greenway activities were walking (41 percent) and running (41 percent), followed by cycling (16 percent). This is a shift from the 2012 study where cycling was ranked higher than running; this change, however, can be attributed to the large number of runners in the Evansville Half-Marathon on October 1. Data from the user intercept surveys support this: walking was the most popular activity (60 percent) followed by cycling (21 percent) and running (16 percent). These survey responses mirror the responses on the 2012 survey. § More than two-thirds (69 percent) of respondents use the Greenway at least once per week. This finding is comparable to the 2012 survey responses. However, the percentage of individuals who use the trail three or more times per week has dropped from 46 percent in 2012 to 38 percent in 2016. § Once on the trail, a little over one-third (36 percent) of respondents will use the trail for more than 60 minutes. Another 22 percent will use the trail for 50 minutes to an hour. While the latter percentage is comparable to 2012’s results, the percentage of individuals using