Rain postpones pedestrian, bike counts until Thursday

A volunteer effort to count the number of pedestrians and cyclists using sidewalks and streets in Lawrence is being postponed until Thursday, because of rainy weather.

The project had been scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. today, but persistent rains would have skewed the count to the point that results would not have been reliable, said Bart Rudolph, a city/county transportation planner coordinating the effort.

Most the 40 volunteers who had been lined up to cover 11 locations in Lawrence will be able to do so Thursday, he said. It’s possible that a single location may be dropped, because of a potential decline in qualified volunteers.

By counting pedestrians and cyclists during anticipated “peak hours,” planners anticipate being able to tap into a growing national database of such data to help enhance transportation planning in the Lawrence area. Such data would allow planners to make recommendations for transportation projects, both now and in the future.

The data also could be used to support applications for financial assistance from state and federal sources, Rudolph said.