Fifty percent more people are using Vancouver and Clark County’s 65 miles of trails than last year, according to a user study released this week.
The study, conducted by 30 volunteers on six selected trails over two days in September, counted more than 1,500 cyclists, pedestrians and other nonmotorized travelers as part of a nationwide trail user count, said Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Department Trail Program Coordinator Lisa Goorjian.
A 50 percent bump in one year is a “tremendous increase,” she said, attributing the change to the trails’ draw as nearby hubs for fitness and recreation.
Volunteers interviewed about 150 people for the user survey.
Ninety percent of those surveyed said they were using the trails as a scenic spot for fitness or fun, the study found.
“With the emphasis on health, people are wanting to walk more as a way to be healthy,” Goorjian said.
The survey also gave users a chance to chime in on what could be better about their off-road byways.
People said the top three possibilities for improvement were better signage, more restrooms and more drinking fountains.
Based on last year’s survey, the parks department is already working to improve directional and other signs, Goorjian said. The mention of drinking fountains and restrooms “may inform how we proceed with development,” she said.
The study — which was held on one weekday evening and one weekend afternoon — was taken along six trails that are at some point going to be expanded, she said.
Those trails were: Waterfront; Frenchman’s Bar; Salmon Creek; Burnt Bridge Creek; Lacamas Lake; and Padden Parkway.
The most-frequented path was the Waterfront, with more than 600 people tallied over the two two-hour-long counts. Just under 350 people were counted over the same time span last year.
All paths except Lacamas Lake saw more users in 2009 than 2008.
More than 50 percent of responders said they use the trails year-round.
Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation does not have a way to count how many people use its paths, so Goorjian said she hopes to expand the user survey and count to a quarterly event.
“This is why this is so important — we don’t have a means to understand how many people are using the trails,” she said.
“It was interesting for us how people said they were using paths because they were accessible and close,” Goorjian said. “People valuing recreational opportunities close to home is really relevant right now.”
Andrea Damewood: 360-735-4542 or andrea.damewood@columbian.com.
