This article was originally published in Catalyst, November 2021.

As gyms and indoor sanitation facilities closed when the pandemic began, people flocked to trails and parks, creating opportunities and concerns for public health and land managers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a distance of 6 feet between people (even outdoors), but little is known about compliance with these recommendations.

Now, a study led by researchers at the University of Michigan found that during this period, more than half of pandemic tracking users are at risk of exposure to COVID-19. The researchers used a novel method in the study that combined personal observation of the trail group with automatic monitoring of trail traffic.

"Although relatively low-cost sensors can be used and there is a call for increased monitoring of trail use, automated facility monitoring is not standard practice," said Ingrid Schneider, a professor in the Department of Forest Resources and the study's lead researcher. "The COVID-19 pandemic emphasizes the importance of such surveillance."

The results of the study were published in the "Journal of Transportation and Health."

In the spring of 2020, the project team collected data on Sather Trail in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, a common trail that connects a larger regional trail system and is fixed by two beach areas. Well-trained observers are stationed at a safe distance to monitor nearly 1,500 trail user groups as they move in the observation area to determine whether users comply with physical distance guidelines; trail traffic is calculated using automatic monitoring. Traffic volume estimates and observed distance data are integrated and used to estimate the risk of exposure to COVID-19 on trails.

Data analysis showed that the lack of physical distance between more than half of the observation groups led to the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Of the nearly 1,500 groups tracked, about 70% had one or more contacts with the other party. Further analysis revealed that the 600 to 3,800 unique individuals who visited Sather Trail during this period did not maintain social distance in all interactions and may be at risk.

Humphrey School of Public Affairs Professor Greg Lindsey said: “Our data also shows that compliance rates decrease with the size of group users and hourly traffic flow. Therefore, urban trails with similar widths but with more usage may have higher compliance rates. Low." and co-author of the study. "For disadvantaged groups, this contact is more important than the general population."

According to the research team, this study illustrates the value of monitoring trails and other public facilities in order to provide better data for planning and policy decisions. "As more and more institutions successfully implement automated monitoring procedures, our ability to assess the impact of major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic will increase," Schneider said.

The study does not include mask use or exposure time. Schneider pointed out that future research could collect this information through video recording sites.

The temporary automatic counter used on Sather Trail is provided by MnDOT. The agency's pedestrian and cyclist data program manages dozens of permanently automated personnel counters scattered across Minnesota, said Michael Petesch, MnDOT pedestrian and cyclist data coordinator and co-author of the paper.

Permanent counters are also used to improve statewide understanding of how active traffic activity changes during the pandemic. After analyzing the data of previous years, Petesch and his team developed a GIS story map-a unique spring 2020: changes in the number of pedestrians and cyclists-it provides more information about "what people do with historical walking The opposite trend of cycling," Petesch said.

"Since the installation of the first automatic counter in 2013, different walking and cycling travel patterns have been observed-such as increased traffic in the morning and evening rush hours-year after year, until the emergence of COVID-19 in March 2020 , Prompting Governor Tim Walz to issue an order restricting travel and contact," Petesch said. "This has led to a new reality where people changed their work and life schedules, reduced their commutes, and took more trips at noon."

Petesch added that providing barrier-free outdoor recreation opportunities that improve well-being while protecting people from COVID-19 and future epidemics will continue to be a balancing act. "Using new data collection methods and strengthening inter-agency relationships will help to better understand the compliance and risk exposure of protective health measures."

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Crossroads is a collaborative project between the MnDOT Office of Research and Innovation, the University of Minnesota Transportation Research Center, and the Minnesota Local Road Research Council. This co-produced blog is dedicated to highlighting the latest news and events in Minnesota transportation research and innovation.