Traveler perspectives of greenway quality in Northern New England

Pettengill, Peter; Lee, Brian; Manning, Robert

From Official Abstract: “Greenways exist across a range of landscapes from urban to natural and serve society as transportation corridors as well as recreational pathways. Due to these dual functions, they warrant an interdisciplinary approach to planning and management that incorporates frameworks from both the fields of transportation and outdoor recreation. The intent of this research was therefore to: (1) investigate the relationship between transportation and recreation from a greenway user’s perspective; (2) consider and integrate transportation and recreation frameworks that measure quality of greenway travel; and (3) determine the significance of settings in users’ perceptions of quality. On-site surveys of users across three greenways in northern New England (n=841) were administered to solicit knowledge of how travelers use and perceive the quality of these facilities. Findings suggest greenways are used primarily for recreation, but often incorporate varying elements of transportation. Furthermore, travelers’ perceptions of quality differ across settings. This paper also illustrates that transportation and recreation planning frameworks may be integrated to provide a more holistic approach to greenway planning and management.”