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Pedestrian and Bicycle Traffic Count Program

The City of Jacksonville's Non-Motorized User Counts Strategy Report outlines a comprehensive plan to collect, analyze, and utilize bicycle and pedestrian count data to enhance active transportation planning, prioritize safety improvements, and justify infrastructure investments.

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Text-only version below:

City of Jacksonville Non-Motorized User Counts Strategy Report

Prepared by: City of Jacksonville Planning Department, Transportation Planning Division
Last Updated: May 7, 2025

Executive Summary

This Non-Motorized User Counts Strategy Report outlines a comprehensive plan for the City of Jacksonville to collect, analyze, and utilize bicycle and pedestrian count data to enhance active transportation planning, prioritize safety improvements, and justify infrastructure investments. The strategy integrates best practices from NACTO’s Making Bikes Count, Eco-Counter’s 7 Tips for Effective Pedestrian and Bicycle Count Data Analysis, and TREC’s Guide to Bicycle & Pedestrian Count Programs.

It emphasizes standardized data collection, collaboration with the Florida Department of Transportation’s (FDOT) Statewide Non-Motorized Traffic Monitoring Program, and the use of count data to demonstrate demand for non-motorized infrastructure. Jacksonville’s partnership with FDOT has led to permanent counters at high-traffic locations like the Fuller Warren Pedestrian Bridge, Baldwin Trail, and S-Line Trail, based on substantial temporary count data, with many of these counters monitored through FDOT’s interactive, public-facing Nonmotorized User Counts Dashboard, a valuable clearinghouse for data.

The report includes an inventory of current counting hardware. Implementing a strategic non-motorized user count program is critical to demonstrate demand for bicycle and pedestrian facilities, as Jacksonville has historically underinvested in such infrastructure, contributing to significant sidewalk gaps on both locally and state-owned routes. This underinvestment likely plays a role in Jacksonville’s ranking as the 15th most dangerous metropolitan area in the United States for pedestrians and the third most dangerous for cyclists.

Introduction
1.1 Goals of the Strategy
Non-Motorized Count Program Framework
2.1 Site Selection
2.2 Data Collection Methods
2.2.1 Special Use Cases for Temporary Counters
2.3 Data Collection Schedule
2.4 Equipment and Budget
2.5 Current Hardware Inventory
Data Analysis and Quality Control
3.1 Analysis Methods
3.2 Quality Control
3.3 Data Storage and Sharing
Using Data to Demonstrate Demand and Justify Investment
4.1 Demonstrating Demand
4.2 Safety Improvements
4.3 Funding and Policy Advocacy
4.4 Equity and Accessibility
Implementation Plan
Challenges and Mitigation Strategies
Conclusion
References
Appendix B: Official Eco-Counter Guidance Documents

1. Introduction

Non-motorized transportation, including walking and bicycling, is vital to Jacksonville’s multimodal transportation system. As the largest metropolitan area by land area in the United States, Jacksonville faces challenges in allocating sufficient funding for non-motorized infrastructure, often resulting in sidewalk gaps on both locally owned/maintained and state-owned routes.

Accurate bicycle and pedestrian count data are essential for understanding usage patterns, evaluating infrastructure performance, and justifying investments in safety and connectivity. These funding challenges likely contribute to the city’s ranking as the 15th most dangerous metropolitan area for pedestrians and the third most dangerous for cyclists (Dangerous by Design, 2022).

A strategic non-motorized user count program is critical to demonstrate demand for bicycle and pedestrian facilities, advocate for expanded infrastructure, and address safety and equity concerns. The City of Jacksonville collaborates closely with FDOT’s Statewide Non-Motorized Traffic Monitoring Program, which reviews temporary count data and, when warranted, installs permanent counters to support long-term monitoring.

Data from many of these permanent counters are accessible through FDOT’s Nonmotorized User Counts Dashboard: https://www.fdot.gov/planning/statistics/nonmotorized

1.1 Goals of the Strategy

Establish a consistent, scalable non-motorized count program to demonstrate demand
Collect high-quality data to inform planning, design, and policy decisions
Justify investments in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to address historical underinvestment
Enhance safety by identifying high-risk areas and prioritizing improvements
Promote equity by capturing data on underrepresented user groups

2. Non-Motorized Count Program Framework

The count program combines manual and automated methods, aligning with national best practices and FDOT protocols. It includes site selection, equipment choices, data collection protocols, and analysis methods to address the city’s safety and infrastructure gaps.

2.1 Site Selection

Sites are chosen to capture representative data across Jacksonville’s diverse environments, in coordination with FDOT, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), and the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (TPO).

Selection criteria include:

Facility Type: Urban bike lanes, shared-use paths, sidewalks, and trails
Geographic Diversity: Downtown, residential, commercial, and underserved areas
Project Relevance: Locations near proposed or completed projects for before-and-after analysis
Safety Analysis Needs: High-crash corridors identified in crash data, including Vision Zero High-Injury Networks (HINs)
Equity Considerations: Areas with historically underinvested infrastructure and sidewalk gaps

2.2 Data Collection Methods

The program uses manual, automated, and crowdsourced methods.

Manual Counts

Conducted during peak and off-peak periods
Follow National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project protocols
Capture user type, gender, age, helmet use, and direction
Minimum 8-hour counts, extended to a week when possible

Automated Counts

Permanent Counters installed by FDOT at high-traffic locations
Portable Counters deployed at rotating sites
Technologies include pneumatic tubes, pyroelectric sensors, and AI-based counters
Regular calibration ensures accuracy

Crowdsourced Data

Strava data adjusted with seasonal factors to estimate patterns

2.2.1 Special Use Cases for Temporary Counters

Temporary counters may be deployed to document before-and-after conditions for infrastructure projects, including projects funded through the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program.

2.3 Data Collection Schedule

Permanent Counts: Continuous at key locations
Short-Duration Counts: Quarterly at rotating sites
Manual Counts: Annual
Special Project Counts: Before-and-after evaluations

2.4 Equipment and Budget

Estimated Investment (2025–2030):

5 additional permanent counters: approximately $25,000
10 additional portable counters: approximately $15,000
Software (Eco-Visio): approximately $5,000 per year
Training and coordination: approximately $3,000
Total: approximately $48,000

Funding sources include FHWA, FDOT, TPO grants, local budgets, and SS4A funds.

2.5 Current Hardware Inventory (Updated 02/13/2023)

Data Retrieval Keys: 8
Portable Bike Counters: 4
Mobile Multi Counters: 4
Eco Display Classic Model: 1
Band-It Value Straps: 2 new boxes, 3–4 used
Tubing: 6–8 rolls
Miscellaneous Tools: 1 box

3. Data Analysis and Quality Control

3.1 Analysis Methods

Temporal trends
Spatial variations
Weather adjustments
Demographic insights
Exposure analysis

3.2 Quality Control

Regular calibration
Data formatting compatibility
Outlier checks

3.3 Data Storage and Sharing

Central repository
Public dashboards
State and national integration

4. Using Data to Demonstrate Demand and Justify Investment

4.1 Demonstrating Demand

High counts justify infrastructure expansion
Bicycle parking recommendations
Before-and-after studies
Identification of latent demand

4.2 Safety Improvements

Exposure analysis
High-risk corridor prioritization
Support for Complete Streets improvements

4.3 Funding and Policy Advocacy

Supports grant applications
Demonstrates economic and health benefits
Builds public support

4.4 Shared Access for All Communities

Supports investment in underserved areas
Informs accessible design

5. Implementation Plan

Year 1 (2025–2026):

Secure funding
Train staff
Install counters
Develop dashboards

Year 2 (2026–2027):

Expand network
Conduct before-and-after studies
Produce reports

Year 3 (2027–2028):

Scale program
Integrate into planning
Host public workshops

Year 4 and beyond (2028–2030):

Ongoing monitoring and investment

6. Challenges and Mitigation Strategies

Limited budget: leverage grants and partnerships
Data accuracy: calibration and validation
Community engagement: partnerships and outreach
Scaling program: use supplemental data

7. Conclusion

Jacksonville’s Non-Motorized User Counts Strategy provides a data-driven framework to enhance active transportation, demonstrate demand, address underinvestment, and improve safety.

8. References

Eco-Counter. 7 Tips for Effective Pedestrian and Bicycle Count Data Analysis
National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project
NACTO. Making Bikes Count
TREC. Guide to Bicycle & Pedestrian Count Programs
FHWA. Pedestrian and Bicycle Data Collection
TxDOT. Bicycle and Pedestrian Count Program
Florida Department of Transportation. Statewide Non-Motorized Traffic Monitoring Program
Florida Department of Transportation. Nonmotorized User Counts Dashboard
Dangerous by Design (2022)
North Central Texas Council of Governments (2017 Bicycle Opinion Survey)
U.S. Department of Transportation (2024 SS4A Awards)

Planning Department