Every four years since 2009, MVRPC has coordinated multiple trail-managing agencies across the Miami Valley to conduct a regional trail user survey. Efforts in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2021have fulfilled objectives in the Comprehensive Local-Regional Bikeways Plan and the Miami Valley Bike Plan Update 2015. The surveys, counts, and reports represent the combined efforts and commitments of multiple trail managing agencies and the countless volunteer hours they are able to bring to bear for this project.
With each iteration of the survey, the effort has evolved to include more communities, expanded questions, and new technologies. These changes reflect the increased reach and connectivity of the Miami Valley Trails themselves, as well as the growing partnership and collaboration of the many agencies that manage parts of the system. Despite the development of the survey project, the core findings of the surveys are comparable from year to year and serve as a baseline for understanding how, when, and by whom our Miami Valley Trails are being experienced.
The 2021 survey was the most extensive survey undertaken to date. Survey locations were stationed in nine counties along the Miami Valley Trails (see map). From Middletown to Cedarville, from Greenville to Bellefontaine project volunteers collected 1,715 surveys and counted over 12,000 trail users. Additional data from the 2021 survey is available upon request. Contact Matt Lindsay, Manager of Environmental Planning, regarding this and past trail user survey projects.
The following agencies and organizations provided volunteers and person-hours to the Miami Valley Trail User Survey project for 2021:
- Centerville-Washington Park District
- Clark County Park District
- Darke County Park District
- Five Rivers MetroParks
- Greene County Parks & Trails
- Metroparks of Butler County
- Miami County Park District
- Miami Conservancy District
- Simon Kenton Pathfinders
- Bike Miami Valley
- Bike Piqua
The following Miami Valley Trail User Survey Reports are available for review:
| Reports | Appendices | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 Report | ||
| 2017 Report | 2017 Appendices | |
| 2013 Report | 2013 Appendices | |
| 2009 Report | 2009 Appendices |
A complementary effort at MVRPC is the Bicycle Counting Program. Also in coordination with many trail-managing agencies, this program seeks to aggregate automated trail user counts and short-term bike counts to measure the use of bicycling across the Region.