• Download Making Trails Count in Illinois
Trails for Illinois is making trails count in Illinois…literally!
We want to show Illinois and its communities the Triple Bottom Line benefits—economic growth, improved health, environmental stewardship—that trails are creating. We want to put a number on those benefits so decision makers take them seriously.
In a political and business environment that relies so heavily on numbers for decisions, we want to build arguments for connecting trails that will resonate with politicians, business leaders, our neighbors and friends.
So we’ve partnered with Rails to Trails Conservancy, the University of Illinois Office of Recreation and Park Resources, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to go get the numbers that will make trails count.
From mid-July, 2012 to mid-October, 2012, we used electronic trail user counters and volunteer survey teams to find out:
- How many people enjoy Illinois trails, and how often
- Where do they come from
- Where are they going
- How much time are the spending on the trail
- How much money are they spending
- What’s the Triple Bottom Line potential of getting more people on the trail, from further away, more often?
Making Trails Count in Illinois is proud to use Trafx infrared trail counters for reliable and accurate trail use counts.
Our research will be published March 30, 2013. The report shows the value trails are creating for business, for health, for the environment, along with recommendations to get even more return from our trails.
Download Making Trails Count in Illinois
Download a one page summary
Download the March 30, 2013 Media Release
Download the survey instrument
Watch the “Numbers” video to see why we need to make trails count in Illinois
Get the Making Trails Count project summary
Get the July 10, 2012 media release
If you donate to Trails for Illinois, you will help us spread the message about the measurable impact of trails on an Illinois Triple Bottom Line. And you will help us measure the impact of MORE Illinois trails in 2013. You can help us move Illinois communities toward embracing trail connections.
Got questions?
E-mail, text or call executive director Steve Buchtel, steve@trailsforillinois.org or 708/365-9365.
