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Management and Maintenance:
Trail User Surveys
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The completion of a user survey and economic impact analysis the can provide a number of valuable benefits to trail organizations, local municipalities and state agencies. A complete picture of trail-user characteristics can be developed – who uses the trial, where they come from, what they do on the trail, how long they are on the trail, and which sections of the trail are most popular. The survey can document how users perceive the current condition of the trail and help to identify maintenance issues. The survey outcomes can help to identify if additional amenities would improve the trail-user experience.
Collecting current data on users, usage patterns and economic impact can serve as a powerful tool to support the development of additional trails. Having current facts and figures can help other trail projects gain support from local municipalities, businesses and adjacent property owners.
Data from a user study and economic impact analysis can also prove a powerful aid when submitting funding requests or applying for grants to support the development of new trails or the maintenance and upgrading of existing trails.
Objectives
For any research project it is important at the outset to establish a set of objectives. Know why the information is being collected and what will be done with it when the study has been completed. A trail-user study that sits on the author's desk isn't going to accomplish much. A typical set of objectives might include:
- Determine the characteristics of users of the trail. These would include where trail users come from, their demographics, usage patterns (type of activity, length of activity, frequency of activity), and trail user perceptions in terms of safety, cleanliness and maintenance;
- Determine which sections of the trail are used most frequently, amenities that are desired by trail users, and primary reasons for utilizing the trail (recreation, exercise, nature study, fishing);
- Determine the spending patterns of trail users, how much do they spend on equipment, meals, lodging and snacks in conjunction with their trail activities, and where do overnight visitors stay.
Sample
The next step is to determine how the survey will be conducted. In most cases Information will be gathered from people who are actually using the trail. However, there may also be an interest in gathering information from adjacent property owners, businesses adjacent to the trail, or businesses that provide products and services for trail users (bike shops, bed-and-breakfasts, motels, restaurants). Who information is gathered from is referred to as the "target group."
Now that the target group has been defined, the next question is how many targets should be contacted. This is referred to as the "sample size." The larger the sample, the more accurately the results will reflect the target group. A decision about sample size should be based on such factors as project timeline, budget and necessary degree of precision. Consider 300 completed surveys to be a minimum number for a sample size.
When to conduct the survey will be dependent on the objectives that have been set. Most trail-user surveys are conducted from May to October; this is when many trails see the heaviest usage. However, in southern states, trail usage may be higher in the cooler months and even during the winter. If you are interested in winter activities on the trail, the survey may be conducted over 12 months.
Data Collection
There are a number of different ways that the information can be collected from trail users. The following are brief descriptions of methods that have been successfully used to collect trail-user data.
- Personal intercept: This method requires that an "interviewer" stop trail users and ask a series of questions. This is usually best for short surveys. In one example the only questions was "what is your zip code" as trail users walked or rode by. This method is labor intensive and usually requires a lot of volunteer hours.
- Self-Selecting - Drop Box: In this method, survey forms are available to be picked up at trailheads and trailside businesses. Completed forms are deposited in a drop box at the trailhead or business. The labor required here is to have someone make sure the supply of survey forms are maintained and that the drop boxes are emptied periodically.
- Self-Selecting - Mail-Back: This is similar to the method described above except that the completed survey forms are mailed back to the trail organization's address. The mail-back can be either a self-addressed stamped envelope or business reply mail.
Direct mail, e-mail and Web-based survey methods are not recommended for trail-user surveys because they require a previously existing database of trial users and professional assistance is advised.
Survey Form
The most important consideration when designing a survey is to select those questions that will best help achieve the objectives established for the project. Review the objectives and stick to them.
Keep the number of questions in the survey to a minimum. Generally it is better to keep the survey form to one side of one page. For each question, ask, "What will I do with the information gathered in response to this question?" and, "Will this information help me to achieve the objectives of the survey?" Because there will be hundreds of completed survey forms, make the questions "closed-ended." That is, provide the respondent with a number of predetermined responses from which to choose. Open-ended questions, where the respondent can provide any answer that comes into their head, are generally too difficult to analyze. Also, keep the following in mind: Place difficult or sensitive questions near the end of the survey, and group questions together in a logical sequence.
Recording the Data
There are number of excellent statistical analysis programs available for personal computers. However, you can probably do all of the analysis you'll need with a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The responses to questions are in columns and the individual survey forms make up the rows.
When entering the data, there are two points that must be kept in mind. First, enter exactly what the respondent provided. If the question asked the respondent to "circle one" and they circled three responses, record all three responses. Second, be aware of the possibility of "outliers." These are surveys or survey responses that are abnormal when compared to the type of response that would normally be anticipated, e.g., a four-digit Zip Code. Such responses are more apt to occur when a "self-service" methodology was used to conduct the survey. In some instances surveys are completed in a malicious manner and contain obvious fabrications. It is best to set surveys with questionable responses aside for review by the project manager.
Reporting and Analysis
To complete the project, a report should be written that presents the results of the research. At a minimum, the report should include: an executive summary and tables or graphs containing the responses to each individual question.
Don't keep the results of the survey a secret. Contact a local newspaper and talk with a reporter about the results. Send copies to local municipal officials and state representatives and agencies that provide trail funding. Offer to present the results at a Chamber of Commerce meeting.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has worked with a number of trail organizations to develop and implement trail-user surveys, resulting in the Trail User Survey Workbook ( 2.1M). The workbook contains more detailed information on how to conduct a trail-user survey. Also there are survey form templates    for conducting research on urban, suburban and rural trails. Data collection spreadsheets with all of the calculations already formulated are also available.
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