This Saturday, volunteers will wrap up a survey on the 25-mile-long Greenbelt in Boise. The survey will help Boise Parks and Recreation prioritize places that need improvements.
Earlier in the week, Rick Jakious took a few minutes out of his workout to answer the questions.
“How long did it take you to get from your home to the Greenbelt today?” asks a survey volunteer.
“Twenty minutes,” says Jakious.
Jakious – who lives in Eagle – has good reason to care about the quality of the Greenbelt. He’s out here five days a week. On this day, he’s got his dog Bessie in his backpack and he’s on a 12-mile rollerblading excursion. Jakious says doing the survey is an easy way for people to make the popular path better.
“I would like to give back a little bit to the Greenbelt because it’s so important,” Jakious says.
Jane DeChambeau agrees. She’s with Boise Parks and Rec which is partnering with Boise State’s community and regional planning department to do the survey. DeChambeau says the survey will help them prioritize places on the path that need fixed – and there are some themes that have already emerged.
“We’ve gotten a lot of positive comments that they like the Greenbelt," says DeChambeau. "I think everyone’s concerned about following proper etiquette and being safe on the Greenbelt so everyone has a good experience. And there’s also been questions about continuing to maintain the surfacing so that it’s in good shape.”
The questionnaire asks people to pinpoint places on the map that need maintenance. So far, about 900 people have taken the survey.
If you want to take the survey but are unable to make a trip to the Greenbelt on Saturday, here's the online version.
