Report: Central Iowa trails busiest in May – Bike Month

The month of May – Bike Month – was the busiest month of the year in 2016 for the paved trails of Central Iowa, according to the Trails Count 2016 report.

More than 1.3 million uses were counted at 38 locations throughout the region in 2016 as part of the Central Iowa Trail Count Program of the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. Brown’s Trail Head was the most frequented location of a trail counter, with an average of more than 400 uses per day. The High Trestle Trail in Ankeny, the Raccoon River Park Loop in West Des Moines, and the Clive Greenbelt at Chautauqua Grounds were also highly used, each of them averaging more than 200 uses daily.

“The trails are a significant attraction for people in Central Iowa – and an important asset for the region,” MPO Executive Director Todd Ashby said. “Trails contribute to public health, economic development, and workforce attraction.”

The program targeted trail locations outside the city of Des Moines, which counts trail uses separately. The city estimated more than 5.5 million additional uses on trails within its city limits in 2016.

The full report is at www.dmampo.org/reports. For more information, call or email 515-334-0075 or info@dmampo.org.