Many people traveling on the Custis Trail in Rosslyn pass the Bikeometer on a regular basis. Installed in 2014, this neighborhood landmark steadily counts passing cyclists in real time, displaying daily, monthly, and year-to-date totals.
More than a fun attraction, the Bikeometer (pictured above) is a reminder that biking is a popular transportation choice in Arlington and an integral part of many people’s lives. By prominently emphasizing the place of bicycling at the Rosslyn gateway to the County, the Bikeometer encourages more cycling, and helps with evaluating the state of active transportation. It is just one component of Arlington’s robust program of continuous, automated bicycle and pedestrian counters stationed throughout the County.
Arlington has 32 permanently installed counters managed by planners from the Department of Environmental Services’ Division of Transportation. Twenty of the devices are located on bridges and busy trails, and count and classify bicyclists and pedestrians separately. The Washington and Old Dominion Trail, Bluemont Connector Trail, Four Mile Run Trail, the Mt. Vernon Trail, and the major Potomac River crossings are all actively monitored. Twelve more counters are installed in bike lanes and count only bicyclists. (If you see the trace of a diamond shape in the bike lane pavement, chances are there’s a buried copper wire loop counting your trip). Arlington also has six portable devices that count both bicyclists and pedestrians. They are used on sidewalks and for special studies.
The bicycle and pedestrian counter program provides planners with information on active transportation commuting and recreational patterns. Through counter data, planners can identify peak travel times for different facilities, prioritize the most heavily used locations, and inform decision making, such as the need for maintenance and safety improvements.
To view the Bicycle and Pedestrian Counter Dashboard and explore bicycle and pedestrian data for Arlington, click here.
Data from Arlington County’s bicycle and pedestrian counters is also available on a web dashboard serving the National Park Service’s National Capital Region Trail Monitoring and Analysis Program. Arlington has been a partner in this project since 2022. Researchers seeking substantial amounts of data from Arlington County’s bicycle and pedestrian counters should contact the team associated with this project. They are best equipped to conduct a more complex data search and can be reached at bikepedportal@pdx.edu.