Bicyclists and pedestrians on the Monon Greenway may be wondering about a new display near the “First Ride” sculpture, located just south of Main Street. The City of Carmel has installed a bicycle and pedestrian counter with a real-time display tracking the number of bikes and pedestrians crossing its path.
The counter will keep track and display daily counts along with a running total for the year, which is a great way to show visitors and trail users how many people are enjoying Carmel’s new and expanded section of the Monon Greenway. The City also hope it encourages more people to experience positive benefits of joining their friends and neighbors in taking advantage of investments in trails.
“We have invested a great deal in creating routes for pedestrians and bicyclists to safely travel around Carmel and we appreciate the enthusiasm for our more than 200 miles of paths and trails in the city. It is rewarding to see how many are using the trails in the heart of our community,” said Mayor Jim Brainard.
City Councilman Ron Carter, an early advocate for bicycling in Carmel, added, “It is great seeing this increase in the use of the Monon Greenway since its opening in October of 2001. It has grown into one of our city’s finest assets and has more than 300,000 users each year. It has clearly become a travel route for many accessing our shops, restaurants and entertainment venues, as well as commuters to work.”
This display is one of four counters along the Monon to help the City better understand how and when the Monon is being used. The data produced by these counters is also used to determine future actions to help alleviate congestion and plan for future improvements. While the other counters are not equipped with displays, they also supply the City with this valuable information to track the Monon’s use throughout the year.