Trail Use Counters

Trails play a crucial role in enhancing the quality of life in the City of Sammamish. They provide critical links in Sammamish’s active transportation network – connecting people to parks, schools, and other key destinations and creating opportunities for active lifestyles. As part of the 2024 Parks, Recreation & Open Space (PROS) Plan community engagement process, walking was identified as the top recreational activity for Sammamish residents and completing and expanding trail connections was one of the highest priorities.

To gain insight into how existing trails are being used and to identify areas for potential trail expansion, the Parks Department has installed 12 infrared trail counters across the City.  These counters are focused on counting people, such as walkers, hikers, joggers, horseback riders, and cyclists.  They do not take photographs or record sound.

On a monthly basis, the recorded data is manually downloaded by Parks staff using electronic data readers. The data results include user counts by day, hour, and minute, and work in any type of weather. 

The trail counters are not perfect, but they give us useful general information. Sometimes recorded counts may underestimate the actual usage due to the counter setup and the walking patterns of people in larger groups. For instance, multiple people walking side-by-side may be counted as a single user.  Discrepancies can also arise from power loss, weather-related conditions such as icing over, and other factors inherent to outdoor environments that can contribute to occasional gaps in the data.

This trail monitoring initiative commenced in early 2024, and we intend to share the data here on a regular basis. Check back soon for more information!