Part of Smart parks & recreational centers
Park and trail visitor counting
Varidx counts the people and bicycles using trails and park facilities and brings the counts into the Varidx Smart City Platform alongside a town's other park data. Staff see real-time visitor counts, trends and reports on one dashboard and receive alerts when something needs attention. Visitors can check conditions on their phones.
Key highlights
- Plan maintenance and staffingUsage data informs schedules for trash collection, restroom maintenance and staffing.
- Show which trails are usedUsage trends show decision-makers how popular each trail is. Grant providers and city leaders often want to see this data before approving more budget.
- Keep visitors informedAdministrators can monitor trails remotely and notify users promptly of unexpected conditions.
Choosing a counting sensor
The right counter depends on the trail, the environment and what the department wants to learn.
- Infrared — Detects body heat. Works in all weather, under thick tree cover and at night.
- Ultrasonic — Uses sound waves to detect movement. Suits wider paths and is not affected by changing light.
- Camera-based — Distinguishes types of users, such as bicycles, strollers and horses, for the most detailed picture of use.
- Pressure-sensing — Suits narrow trails and is nearly invisible to visitors, but needs regular checks to stay accurate.
- Inductive loops — Installed in the trail surface to detect people, bicycles and strollers. Requires construction to install.
Power and connectivity
Counters can run on batteries, solar panels or grid power, and send data over Wi-Fi, cellular networks or LoRaWAN. Weather protection and easy maintenance access are part of choosing each location.
Parking and facilities
The same approach counts cars entering and leaving parking lots to show available spaces, and measures occupancy and popular times at recreation and fitness centers.
See how this works in Morrisville, NC
Morrisville Aquatics & Fitness Center
Morrisville, North Carolina
At Morrisville Aquatics & Fitness Center, Varidx connects occupancy sensors with industrial controls and IT automation to share live facility information.
Morrisville Community Park
Morrisville, North Carolina
At Morrisville Community Park, Varidx connects soil moisture and occupancy sensors so staff and residents can monitor and manage park conditions.