Survey Says.…
Nov 24, 2008 9:27 pm
Earlier this summer, we conducted a survey of Island visitors. Most New Yorkers avoid eye contact when approached by a stranger with a clip board. We were amazed at all the visitors who were kind enough to help us, and were very enthusiastic in the process. We interrupted your Scrabble game, your boat-watching, your miniature golf game — a big “Thank You” to the 472 people who took the time to fill out our survey and then go back to their fun.
These survey responses, along with all the other feedback we’ve received, are helping to shape the park master plan. We wanted to find out how people use the Island now and to gauge their interest in a variety of potential activities in the future park.
Here’s what you told us…
“Percent of respondents who are very likely or likely to participate in potential future activities in a new 40-acre park”
“Percent of respondents who are very likely or likely to participate in potential future activities along the new 2.2‑mile waterfront promenade”
“Percent of respondents who report that these potential improvements are very important or important”
Some of the interesting findings from the survey were:
- While 1 in 4 current visitors ride a bicycle during their visit, 80% of those surveyed said they would be likely or very likely to bike in the future
- Favorite activities included walking along the waterfront and riding a rental bike
- People are interested in passive and active recreation (league sports, pick-up sports, lawn activities, kayaking, and boat-watching)
- Among suggested improvements to Governors Island, diverse natural areas, places to get up high for views, and more places to eat were the most popular
- People requested more open-air concerts, public art, places to enjoy the views, interpretation of history, and kid-friendly activities