Pedestrian and Bicyclist Counts

Pedestrian and Bicyclist Counts

Pedestrian and bicycle counts are often required for transportation models, to determine capacity and to assess the attractiveness of a streetscape to non-motorized users. By counting them, it is possible to demonstrate their significance as road users in allocating resources for improvements. Counts can also serve as benchmarks for evaluations of safety enhancements.

Counts also allow us to fully understand crash data, because they help us better visualize how common crashes are in our research area. Below, you'll find resources on counts for specific regions in California, guides and reports on how to conduct your own counts, and national pedestrian and bicycle count databases and reports.

Have a resource to share with us? Please contact us at safetrec@berkeley.edu.

California 

  • Alameda CTC Bicycle/Pedestrian Count Program - Alameda CTC, along with several regional agencies and educational institutions, has been collecting data in some form on the number of bicyclists and pedestrians throughout the county since 2002. Alameda CTC now collects manual count data at 150 locations across Alameda County and it is  counted biennially between September and October using the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project methodology.
  • ATRC Automated Counter Loan Program - The Active Transportation Resource Center (ATRC) supports the collection of and maintenance of pedestrian and bicycle-related data. The goal of the Automated Counter Loan Program Pilot is to make available automated pedestrian and bicycle counters for agencies to borrow so they may meet the minimum expectations for conducting user counts. 
  • The Bicycle Data Clearinghouse - UCLA's Luskin School of Public Policy is a one-stop repository for bicycle count data throughout LA County and beyond. This tool allows users to easily view, query, and download bicycle count volumes. Bicycle count data collected in Los Angeles County prior to December 2012 is already loaded into the clearinghouse. Going forward, local agencies throughout the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) region and beyond can upload their count data to the clearinghouse website.
  • City of Long Beach Annual Bike and Pedestrian Counts - One of the longest-running bike and pedestrian counts nationally, the Long Beach Bicycle and Pedestrian Count takes place every October in dozens of locations across the City. Each year, volunteers manually count bicyclists and pedestrians and record travel behavior.
  • City of San Francisco 2009 Pedestrian Count Report - In September 2009, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Pedestrian Program conducted its first annual Citywide Pedestrian Count. In San Francisco, data about the number of people walking could be used to measure the progress of City policies and sustainability goals, determine the effect of pedestrian infrastructure improvements, measure the mode split between the City’s transportation options, forecast future pedestrian demand, and determine pedestrian crash exposure rates.
  • LADOT Walk and Bike Counts - In 2019 LADOT coordinated its first comprehensive count of people walking and biking on Los Angeles streets. Through the help of city staff, contractors, and citizen volunteers, the Walk & Bike Count captured travel at 63 locations throughout the city.

  • Manual Pedestrian and Bicycle Count Report for Alameda County (2002 to 2012) - The report consists of comprehensive data of pedestrian and bicycle count data from several citywide sources across Alameda County from 2002 to 2012. The number of sites in this report include 44 pedestrian count sites and 28 bicycle count sites. While some count reports analyze short terms (one to three years), the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) wanted to analyze longer term trends to provide insight into how future data collection can improve.

  • Methodology for Counting Pedestrians at Intersections: Use of Automated Counters to Extrapolate Weekly Volumes from Short Manual Counts - Study conducted by UCB SafeTREC to demonstrate how to estimate weekly intersection pedestrian volumes from 2-h pedestrian counts. Extrapolating such pedestrian counts to weekly volumes requires accounting for differences in time of day, surrounding land use characteristics, and weather. The methodological approach, tested in Alameda County, California, provides guidance on how to incorporate pedestrian volume estimates into local and state roadway databases. See our study: A Pilot Model for Estimating Pedestrian Intersection Crossing Volumes.

  • Metropolitan Transportation Commission (June 2005): Overview of Bay Area Pedestrian Planning - This report, an overview of pedestrian planning efforts in the Bay Area, is part of a larger study commissioned by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) to encourage and improve pedestrian planning in the Bay Area. The purpose of this report, the first of several work products resulting from the Pedestrian Districts Study, is to provide a summary of the types of pedestrian planning occurring in the Bay Area.

  • MTC Pedestrian and Bicycle Count Program for the San Francisco Bay Region: Recommendations Booklet - The booklet serves as a resource for MTC staff and representatives from public agencies and members of community organizations interested in the collection, analysis and storage of pedestrian and bicycle counts. 
  • National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) 2014 Guidebook on Pedestrian and Bicycle Volume Data Collection -  is directed to practitioners involved in collecting non-motorized count data. The Guidebook (1) describes methods and technologies for counting pedestrians and bicyclists, (2) offers guidance on developing a non-motorized count program, (3) gives suggestions on selecting appropriate counting methods and technologies, and (4) provides examples of how organizations have used non-motorized count data to better fulfill their missions.

  • The San Diego Regional Bike and Pedestrian Counter Network - One of the largest bike and pedestrian counter networks in the country. The network was initially funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is a collaborative effort between SANDAG, San Diego State University, and the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency. View the counter locations and data on the San Diego Regional Bike and Pedestrian Counter Network website.

  • The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) - Conducting Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts - A Manual for Jurisdictions in Los Angeles County and Beyond (June, 2013) presents a bicycle count protocol for the Southern California region that provides consistency and direction for bicycle and pedestrian counts as well as guidance for choosing count technologies. Currently, the differing time periods, choice of methodology, and other variables make it difficult to compare existing count data sets. This manual is intended to establish a standardized bicycle count methodology across the SCAG region so that counts are reliable and comparable across jurisdictions. It also directs agencies to enter their count data into the Bicycle Data Clearinghouse.
  • SCAG Active Transportation Database - The Active Transportation Database (ATDB) was developed to collect and store bicycle, pedestrian, wheelchair, and scooter/skateboard volume counts from infrastructure and planning projects across Southern California.
  • State Highway Pedestrian Exposure Estimates - Caltrans' annual pedestrian exposure (or volume) estimates for 2016 for intersections on the California state highway system. These estimates were developed for Caltrans as part of the Pedestrian Safety Improvement Program by the UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC).

  • Statewide Count Guidance and Database Project - Caltrans ATRC is working with UC Berkeley SafeTREC to develop a consistent, statewide active transportation count methodology and to transfer, expand and enhance the existing Southern California Association of Governments' regional active transportation database to include a user base of the entire State of California.

National

  • Bicycle-Pedestrian Count Technology Pilot Project - The Bicycle-Pedestrian Count Technology Pilot Project is a research and technology deployment effort to identify organizational and technical capacity needs at MPOs, develop resources for addressing these needs, and transfer lessons learned across the country. The end result will increase the capacity of Metropolitan Planning Organizations to establish and operate bicycle and pedestrian counting programs. 

  • Counting and Estimating Volumes Resource Page - The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center has put together a resource page for anyone interested in collecting count, or volume, data for non-motorized travel and monitoring trends of a facility or network.

  • National Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Data Clearinghouse - The purpose of the Collaborative Science Center for Road Safety (CSCRS) National Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Data Clearinghouse is to help connect researchers to the data they need to conduct robust studies of pedestrian and bicyclist safety. The goal is to greatly increase the quality and quantity of pedestrian and bicyclist safety research in the U.S.

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