New pathway counter installed near East Village

(Numbers do not display properly in photos but do in person.)

Calgarians enjoy one of the most extensive pathway networks in North America and on Thursday May 4, it will get a little better. We've installed a new Eco-totem along River Walk on the south side of the Bow River, just west of the Reconciliation Bridge (previously the Langevin Bridge). This is the second to be installed downtown, the other being on 5 Street S.W. near the 9 Avenue underpass.

“Putting in these pedestrian counters is great for us as we can use the data they collect to make better decisions on future pathway projects,” says Ben Ference, senior pathways and trails technician. “They’re also popular with pathway users – it’s a great way for people to see how much the pathways are being used.”

What is an Eco-totem?

The six-foot high panel displays a live count of pedestrian and bicycle traffic passing by each day. The River Walk location already has an underground counter and with the addition of the totem, pathway users will see daily and yearly totals of foot and cycle traffic.

Why are we doing this?

The Eco-totem will help us understand how the pathway is being used and who exactly is using it over an extended period of time. The data collected will be used to plan possible pathway upgrades and to identify any multi-use improvements that are needed, while giving pathway users live information about how many people are using the pathway system.

All the information gathered from the new Eco-totem, as well as many others pedestrian counters around the city, are publically available on calgary.ca/cycletracks.