Counting people in the countryside

1. Counting people in the countryside

2. This session • Consider why we need to count people • Consider the techniques we have for counting people • Demonstrate hardware the department has for counting people • Discuss ways in which it could be used

3. Why count people? • Because we are sad cases • We want to find out how many people use a resource, when and where • To look at trends • To monitor the effects of policy and management changes • To help with funding bids • For political reasons

4. Problems with counting people • The countryside is a seriously big place • Even managed sites have many entrances • Countryside does not normally have boundaries • Need to count 24/7/12 • Concentration on managed sites • Issues with counting wider countryside

5. Techniques • Manual counts • Management data • Ad hoc counts • Systematic observation • Mechanical counts

6. Mechanical counters • Inductive loop – detects metal • Pneumatic tube – for vehicles • Pressure sensitive pads • Break beam counters • Passive infra-red – detects heat • Target reflection infra-red – bounces pulses of infra red off of moving targets • Magnetometers – detects metal • Micro-switches

7. Data loggers • All counters need to be connected to a data logger • Can record by minute / hour / day …… • Need to be reliable and have low power consumption • Biggest cost of count data is monitoring and maintenance of counters and data-loggers

8. Are they accurate? • No • Need to calibrate data – need to know how inaccurate • Compare how many people are observed passing a counter with actual count on data logger • Need to find how many people / car • How many axles • Ins and outs

9. What sort of data will it produce? • Yearly counts • Weekly counts • Daily counts • Hourly counts • Graphs • Comparative data

10. Linking count data to other surveys • Count data lives when linked to other data • Questionnaires at count locations • Economic data • Example Cleveland Way (1988) • Average spend by long distance walker £122.90 • Counters and questionnaires show 5,000 long distance walkers per year • £614,500 per year spent by long distance walkers

11. Hardware – from Linetop Ltd Slab counters

12. Stile counters

13. Pyro counter • Magnetometer detects metal in vehicles and bikes • Pyro counter – detects body heat

14. Locating counters • Need to be invisible • Single file • Easy to get to • Vandal proof • Weather proof • Consider sources of error • Link into radio transmission of data

15. Ideas for its use.