Update on Island Crest Park Trail Counts

The City began conducting trail counts in Island Crest Park (ICP) in April to better understand trail usage before the opening of the new Bike Skills Area. This post summarizes the counting methodology and presents general findings from counts conducted through the end of October 2023.

Trail Counting Process

Weekdays

City staff and volunteers conducted ICP trail counts on six weekdays in 2023: April 13, May 17 and 18, August 17, September 21, and October 19. Shifts were scheduled 10-11am, 3:30-4:30pm, and 5:30-6:30pm. (Note: One August weekday shift was canceled due to excessive heat, and some September and October shifts were not filled due to low volunteer/staff availability.)

Weekday counters were stationed at the trail entrance next to the ICP tennis courts (Trail Entrance) and at the bottom of the hill where several trail sections intersect (Trail Intersection).

They recorded five data points on their counting sheets:

• Weather conditions
• Type of trail user: Bike, Pedestrian, Other (scooters, wheelchairs, etc.)
• Age: Under 5, 5-18, Above 18 (counter’s best guess)
• Dogs: Off-leash, Leashed
• At the trail entrance ONLY: Whether users entered the trail system or exited the trail system via that trailhead.

Weekends

Staff also collected trail usage on Saturday, September 23, and Saturday, October 21. Shifts were scheduled 9-10am, 12-1pm, and 3-4pm (only the 9am count on September 21 took place due to excessive rain). Since only one person counted for each weekend shift, the counter was stationed at the Trail Intersection and recorded five data points on their counting sheets:

• Weather conditions
• Type of trail user: Bike, Pedestrian, Other (scooters, wheelchairs, etc.)
• Age: Under 5, 5-18, Above 18 (counter’s best guess)
• Dogs: Off-leash, Leashed
• Hill /No Hill: This data point refers to whether the trail user was observed using the hill (walking up or down) that leads to the Trail Entrance.

Counting Methodology

On weekdays and weekends, each trail user was counted whenever they passed by a counting location. For example, if a pedestrian entered and exited through the Trail Entrance during a counting shift, that pedestrian was counted as 1 entered / 1 exited for that shift. This approach is consistent with approaches for manual trail counting used by American Trails, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and other national trail management and advocacy organizations.

Trail Usage Observations

• Pedestrian usage of the trails has exceeded bicycle usage of the trails during every count collected. The highest number of pedestrians using the trails was 28, observed at the Trail Intersection during the 5:30pm shift on May 18. During the same shift, 3 bicycles were counted at the Trail Intersection and 0 bicycles were counted at the Trail Entrance.
• On weekdays, bicycles have most frequently been counted at the Trail Intersection. The highest number of bicycles using the trails was 12, observed at the Trail Intersection during the 3:30pm shift on October 19. During the same shift, 17 pedestrians were counted at the Trail Intersection and 12 pedestrians were counted at the Trail Entrance.
• Weekend trail counts have also shown high trail usage by pedestrians but low usage by bicycles. The highest number of pedestrians using the trail was 23, observed at 9am on September 23 and 5:30pm on October 21.

Totals for counts of all trail users observed during each day are available here.

What next?

The Bike Skills Area (BSA) opened to the public on November 15, and the City plans to continue conducting periodic trail counts throughout 2024 to quantify trail usage and evaluate changes in trail use patterns. Opportunities to volunteer for this data collection effort will be shared on the City’s website at www.mercerisland.gov/bikeskillsarea. In addition, maintenance staff will monitor trails for significant impacts to trail tread and perform repairs as needed. Park users are encouraged to report issues to the City via service request at www.mercerisland.gov/servicerequest.