Learn from industry experts, advocates, and practitioners about how to get the most out of data on trail use and how these data can be leveraged to support trail maintenance and development in your community.
Presented by:
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Wednesday, November 10, 2021
10:00 AM to 11:30 AM (Pacific Time) {more time zones}
Cost (RECORDING):
FREE for membersNote:
Closed Captioning is available for this webinar.
Learning Credits are available for this webinar.
This webinar is free. Would you consider a donation to support this webinar?
This webinar is free to the public, thanks to a generous sponsorship from Eco-Counter, Inc.
Data collection on trail use is an essential tool to capture usage trends, support funding efforts, communicate with local stakeholders and so much more. From automated counters to GPS traces, surveys to economic impact studies, today data on trail use is more available than ever. Analyzing, applying and getting the most out of that data, however, can often feel like a minefield and many organizations struggle to put all of that data to good use.
What are the best practices for applying trail use data? What do different sources of data tell us about how and when trails are used? What are some quick-wins? How can trail count data be communicated with local stakeholders and the public?
During this panel webinar, learn from industry experts, advocates, and practitioners about how to get the most out of data on trail use and how these data can be leveraged to support trail maintenance and development in your community.
This webinar qualifies as a Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) course (via LA CES).
International Mountain Bicycling Association:
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Resources:
Eco-Counter Article (August 2021):
Headwaters Economics:
Megan Lawson, PhD, Economist, Headwaters Economics
Bozeman, Montana
Megan leads Headwaters Economics' research in outdoor recreation, public lands, economic development, and demographic change. She is an economist, and uses economic and demographic analysis to better understand the issues communities face. She holds a Ph.D. and Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Colorado and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Williams College.
Joe Jacobs, Manager of Marketing and Revenue, Arkansas State Parks
Little Rock, Arkansas
Since 2005, Joe Jacobs has served as the manager of Marketing and Revenue for the State Parks Division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism. In this role, he manages the division’s marketing program, including the Division’s $1.5 million annual advertising program, and oversees the revenue producing operations ($29 million annually) for Arkansas State Parks.
He coordinates Arkansas State Parks’ promotional efforts in print, broadcast, outdoor, and online media. These include turnkey projects developed and implemented by Division staff plus those done by the department’s advertising agency, CJRW of Little Rock, and Web designer, Aristotle Internet of Little Rock.
Bicycling has became more than a hobby for Jacobs, he provided technical assistance in the creation of the Bicycling in Arkansas brochure. He wrote the Arkansas Bicycle Safety Manual. Jacobs was also the first guest editor for the Arkansas Times publication, Bike Arkansas and has contributed articles for subsequent issues. He represents the department as the chairperson of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Cycling, a group with the goal of improving the bicycle friendliness of Arkansas through state agency and private sector cooperation.
Trails are a passion for Jacobs, he has served as president of the Central Arkansas Trail Alliance. He has also been instrumental in the design and creation of mountain bike trails at Pinnacle Mountain State Park, Woolly Hollow State Park and Boyle Park in Little Rock.
Prior to joining the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, Jacobs was employed in the private sector at several major retail organizations in the U.S. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the University of South Carolina.
After living in 15 different states and traveling all over the world in the Navy, Jacobs settled down in Little Rock, Arkansas with his wife, two daughters and son.
Torsha Bhattacharya, Director of Research, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC)
Washington, DC
Torsha joined the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy team in 2017 and is responsible for the organization’s data collection and analysis efforts as the Director of Research. In her current role she oversees the national effort to quantify the numerous benefits of trails to communities- including economic, environmental, equity and health impacts of trails. She was an assistant professor of transportation management at the University of Hawaii at Manoa prior to joining RTC. Her research interests include active transportation infrastructure planning, transportation accessibility, healthy cities/resilient communities planning, sustainability, and equity in transportation planning.
Andrea Shillolo, Client Consultant, Eco-Counter, Inc.
Montreal, Canada
Andrea Shillolo is a Client Consultant with Eco-Counter. Since 2019 she has worked with public, private, and nonprofit organizations across North America to improve cycling and walking in their communities. She helps trail organizations design, implement, and maintain count programs to quantify traffic on their trails. As a trained urban planner, she has a knack for helping clients leverage their data to make informed planning decisions and advocate for trail improvements. Outside of work, she can be found exploring Montreal and surrounding regions by foot and by bike.
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