The City of Alexandria just concluded a survey of 915 residents concerning NOVA Parks. While it is odd that the City Parks and Recreation Department would pay for a survey of parks that they do not operate, the results reaffirm how important NOVA Parks are to Alexandria residents.
55% of City Residents enjoy Cameron Run/Great Waves regularly. Out of those that use Cameron Run, 60% use the water park several times a year. Before this survey was done, NOVA Parks had shared with the City that over 30,000 City residents a year were using the Great Waves water park at Cameron Run. This survey just serves to confirm the high rate of use by City residents that was already documented.
It is encouraging to see hard numbers to support how much City residents use the NOVA Parks that are not located in the City. 31% of people from Alexandria are using the W&OD Trail. 19-20% of Alexandrians are using Pohick Bay Regional Park as well as Bull Run Regional Parks. Both of these parks are very large parks with a great deal of nature, trails, access to the water, camping and much more.
We all are part of the larger Northern Virginia Region and our lives do not begin or end at a City/County line. If you live in Alexandria and want an outdoor experience that includes hiking, camping, kayaking or other ways to connect to nature, you can have those experiences at a Regional Park that is not very far away. This was why the Regional Park system was set up 55 years ago. There are amenities that can not be easily replicated in each jurisdiction. But as a member of NOVA Parks, City residents have all be benefits of a wide variety of parks and amenities.
This survey confirms the high value the citizens of Alexandria place on NOVA Parks.
No comments:
Post a Comment