2020 journal article
Research note: Shout-out survey for quantifying reasons for trail use
JOURNAL OF OUTDOOR RECREATION AND TOURISM-RESEARCH PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT, 29.
Gathering data about why people use greenway trails (e.g., health, recreation, transportation) requires interaction with trail users who typically do not want to stop for a survey; runners and bicyclists are particularly challenging. We placed a series of signs along trails asking users to shout out their answer to a simple question as they passed a surveyor, who also recorded observational data. In a feasibility study along greenway trails in Raleigh, NC, USA, we counted 541 users, 66% of whom shouted out whether they were using the trail for recreation or transportation. Of all users who passed, 45% were on bicycles and 55% on foot. Of those who responded, 11% were using the trail for transportation and 89% for recreation; 86% of transportation users were bicyclists. This method is generalizable and offers a way to collect additional information as individuals pass surveyors who might otherwise collect only observational data.