Recreational trail use in Lincoln is up over last year, but helmet use is about the same.

Those are some of the key findings of the seventh annual survey conducted July 9 by the Great Plains Trails Network along the city’s trails network.

The survey is a snapshot of trail use in Lincoln. Volunteers recorded information at 11 sites — the same locations they visited in 2005. They counted cyclists, runners, walkers, skaters, passengers (children carried in backpacks, bike trailers and strollers), pets, skateboarders, scooters and wheelchairs from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Overall, helmet use was 46 percent, virtually the same as last year, the survey showed. Bicyclists wore helmets 47 percent of the time, skaters 27 percent and passengers 36 percent of the time.

“It’s definitely improved, but it seems to be stagnating at about 46 percent or so for the past five years,” said David Scoby, a Great Plains Trail Network board member and co-chairman of a committee that conducted the annual survey.

Scoby said Lincoln’s helmet use is in line with the national average, but some areas, like Seattle, have higher use. He said his group would like to see more people wear helmets because it can prevent serious head injuries.

Overall, trail use was up by 16 percent at the 11 sites compared to last year. The only decrease in users this year was on the MoPac Trail at the 84th Street Trailhead. All other  trails showed an increase over last year’s numbers.

“I can believe that the trail use is up because we have heard that from a variety of different sources,” said Terry Genrich, natural resources and greenways manager for the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department. He believes the high price of gas is a major reason for the increase.

Trails in south-central Lincoln were used the most, Scoby said. For example, the Rock Island Trail had first and second highest number of users. Volunteers counted 1,515 users on the trail at Van Dorn Street and 1,032 at Old Cheney Road.

Lincoln has about 100 miles of trails within the city. Of those, 65 miles are commuter trails.

Reach Algis J. Laukaitis at 473-7243 or alaukaitis@journalstar.com.

Trail use by the numbers:

6,986 — Total trail users counted at 11 locations

4,533 — Bicyclists on the trails

1,515 — Highest number of trail users recorded at one location (the Rock Island Trail at Van Dorn Street)

1,443 — Walkers on the trails

648 — Runners on the trails

339 — Pets counted; 92 percent were on leashes

46 — Percent of people who wore helmets

Source: Great Plains Trails Network