GAP Received an Estimated 1.4 Million Visits in 2021

Bicyclists, walkers, runners, and explorers made an estimated 1.4 million visits to the Great Allegheny Passage in 2021, according to a just-released analysis by Dr. Andrew Herr of St. Vincent College. This estimate represents a 4.8 percent decrease from 2020 levels, but is still well above estimates from pre-pandemic years, which indicated about a million visits annually. To prepare for this analysis, the Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy tallied the number of travelers passing by infrared counters (not cameras) installed at 12 locations between Cumberland and Downtown Pittsburgh, and deployed volunteers several times during the year to perform manual counts at the same locations as a way to calibrate the infrared equipment. Additionally, volunteers estimated the proportion of travelers who appeared to be bicyclists on overnight or long-distance trips, and Herr applied that proportion to weekend and weekday travel patterns, resulting in an estimated 198,000 such travelers over the year. You can access the full report here, along with past analyses.