Browsing by Author "Lindsey, Greg"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Challenges in Monitoring Regional Trail
    (Sage, 2019) Lindsey, Greg; Singer-Berk, Lila; Wilson, Jeffrey S.; Oberg, Eric; Hadden-Loh, Tracy; Geography, School of Liberal Arts
    This study reports traffic monitoring results at 30 locations on a 972-mi shared-use trail network across the east-central United States. We illustrate challenges in adapting the principles in the Federal Highway Administration’s Traffic Monitoring Guide to a regional trail network. We make four contributions: 1) we use factor analysis and k-means clustering to implement a stratified random process for selecting monitoring sites; 2) we illustrate quality assurance procedures and the challenges of obtaining valid results from a multi-state monitoring system; 3) we describe variation in trail traffic volumes across five land use classes in response to daily weather and seasons; and 4) we report two performance measures for the network: annual average daily trail traffic and trail miles traveled. The Rails to Trails Conservancy deployed passive infrared traffic monitors in 2015 through 2017. Site-specific regression models were used to impute missing daily traffic volumes. The effects of weather were consistent across land use classes but the effects of temporal variables, including weekend and season of year, varied. A plan for short-duration monitoring is presented. Results confirm the FHWA monitoring principles and the difficulties of implementing them regionally.
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    Strategies for Monitoring Multiuse Trail Networks: Implications for Practice
    (Sage, 2017-01) Lindsey, Greg; Wilson, Jeffrey S.; Wang, Jueyu; Hadden-Loh, Tracy; Geography, School of Liberal Arts
    Many municipalities, park districts, and nonprofit organizations have begun monitoring nonmotorized traffic on multiuse trails as the need for information about the use of facilities has grown and relatively low-cost sensors for automated monitoring have become available. As they have gained experience, they have begun to move from site-specific monitoring on individual trails to a more comprehensive monitoring of trail networks. This case study review compares strategies developed by 10 organizations for monitoring traffic on multiuse trails, including local, multicounty, statewide, and multistate trail networks. The focus is on approaches to the design of monitoring networks, particularly the rationales or objectives for monitoring and the selection of monitoring sites. It is shown that jurisdictions are following principles of monitoring established by FHWA and that the design of monitoring networks is evolving to meet new challenges, including monitoring large-scale networks. Relevant outcomes and implications for practice are summarized. The researchers concluded that FHWA guidelines can be adapted to many circumstances and can increase information for decision making. Trail monitoring is informing decisions related to facility planning, investment, and safety.
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    Valuing the Benefits of the Urban Forest: A Spatial Hedonic Approach
    (2008-11) Payton, Seth; Lindsey, Greg; Wilson, Jeffrey S.; Ottensmann, John R.; Man, Joyce
    This paper measures the benefits of the urban forest by examining its effect on housing prices. A Geographic Information System is used to develop a measure of the urban forest, the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, from satellite imagery and to construct other variables from a variety of sources. Spatial hedonic housing price models for the Indianapolis/Marion County area are estimated. The models indicate that greener vegetation around a property has a positive, significant effect on housing price, holding everything else constant. This effect is dominated by measures at the neighborhood level. These findings indicate that property owners value the urban forest, at least in part, by the premium they pay to live in neighborhoods with greener, denser vegetation. These findings also indicate that public action to maintain and enhance the urban forest may be warranted. Planners and urban foresters can use these findings to inform public and policy debates over urban forestry programs and proposals.