Like falling leaves and high school football, the annual bicycle and pedestrian count is a regular autumn event. Volunteers are needed in late September in cities across the state to create a snapshot of the number of people in Washington who walk or bike to their destinations.

For this fourth annual survey, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the Cascade Bicycle Club are enlisting volunteers and organizations like FeetFirst and the Bicycle Alliance of Washington to count the numbers of people bicycling and walking on paths, bike lanes, sidewalks, and other facilities on Sept. 27, 28 and 29.

“This annual count of bicyclists and pedestrians helps us more accurately measure demand, gauge the results of our investments and plan for future improvement projects,” said Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond. “The information volunteers collect helps ensure that we are investing transportation dollars on priority projects, in locations where they are needed most.”

WSDOT’s count is part of the National Documentation Project ( http://bikepeddocumentation.org/ ), an annual bicycle and pedestrian count and survey effort that is sponsored by the Institute of Transportation Engineers Pedestrian and Bicycle Council. The count will also help measure WSDOT’s progress toward the goal of increasing bicycling and walking while reducing the number of vehicle miles driven.

WSDOT and the Cascade Bicycle Club are asking volunteers from across the state to perform the counts in selected cities (Bainbridge Island, Bellevue, Bellingham, Bothell, Bremerton, Burien, Ellensburg, Everett, Issaquah, Kelso, Kent, Kirkland, Longview, Mercer Island, Mountlake Terrace, Olympia, Puyallup, Redmond, Richland, Seattle, Shoreline, Spokane, Tacoma, Tukwila, Vancouver, Walla Walla, Wenatchee and Yakima). Those interested in helping can learn more by visiting http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/bike/Count.htm , or by contacting Cascade Bicycle Club at tessa.greegor@cascadebicycleclub.org or (206) 204-0913.