Best questions for citizen survey about bike lanes and trails

Here are some of the best questions for a citizen survey about bike lanes and trails, plus tips for crafting them. We use Specific to build surveys like this in seconds, saving you time while ensuring depth and quality.

The best open-ended questions for a citizen survey about bike lanes and trails

Using open-ended questions lets people share detailed insights—insights that simple multiple-choice questions might miss. Open-ended prompts work best when you want personal stories, opinions, and reasons—not just checkboxes. They’re especially powerful up front, or as follow-ups when you want to dig deeper. Open-ended responses often illuminate citizens’ true concerns and aspirations, revealing the “why” behind their choices.

1. What would make biking or using trails in your area more appealing or accessible to you?

2. Can you describe any challenges you’ve faced while using bike lanes or trails in your community?

3. How do you think bike lanes or trails could improve your daily life or your community in general?

4. What specific locations or routes would benefit most from better bike lane or trail infrastructure?

5. Have you or someone you know had safety concerns when using local bike lanes or trails? Please explain.

6. What changes or amenities would make you or your family feel safer using bike paths or trails?

7. In your opinion, how do bike lanes and trails affect local traffic, businesses, or the environment?

8. Can you share a positive or negative experience about biking or walking on local trails?

9. How could the city encourage more people to use bike lanes and trails regularly?

10. What should city decision-makers know before investing in more bike lanes or trail networks?

Open-ended questions can also provide context for key statistics: 61% of people in England say safer roads would encourage them to cycle more, highlighting the value in exploring what “safer” means to different residents. [1]

The best single-select multiple-choice questions for a citizen survey about bike lanes and trails

Single-select multiple-choice questions are ideal when you need quantifiable results, want to make comparisons, or when starting the conversation. They provide structure and make it easier for respondents to participate, especially when you’re looking for specific preferences or experiences. Sometimes a short list of relevant options is all it takes to spark engagement—followed by targeted open-ended prompts for deeper insights.

Question: How often do you use bike lanes or trails in your area?

• Daily

• A few times a week

• Rarely

• Never

Question: What’s your main reason for not using local bike lanes or trails more often?

• Safety concerns

• Lack of convenient routes

• I don’t own a bike

• Other

Question: Do you feel that current bike lanes and trails are adequately maintained?

• Yes, always

• Most of the time

• Rarely

• No, never

When to follow up with "why?" If someone answers “Rarely” to using bike lanes, a quick “Why?” can reveal barriers like perceived safety or lack of connectivity. For example: “What’s the main reason you don’t use bike lanes more often?”

When and why to add the "Other" choice? Always add an “Other” option when your list might not cover every scenario. Follow-up questions on “Other” can uncover unique needs or issues—maybe mobility limitations or cultural factors—that structured answers can miss.

Statistically, 56% of adults in Ireland avoid cycling because of safety concerns. Including “Safety concerns” as a choice keeps your survey rooted in real issues. [2]

NPS survey question for bike lanes and trails: When does it make sense?

NPS (Net Promoter Score) asks people how likely they are to recommend a service or amenity to others, on a scale from 0 to 10. For bike lanes and trails, NPS can help cities spot passionate supporters and dissatisfied residents—helping prioritize investments or changes. If you want a benchmark to track improvements and citizen sentiment over time, NPS is smart. Try our NPS survey creator for citizens about bike lanes and trails—it’s tailored for actionable community feedback.

Many communities use NPS to measure whether new infrastructure, like protected bike lanes (which are seven times more effective than painted ones), truly moves the needle for satisfaction and word-of-mouth. [3]

The power of follow-up questions

Follow-up questions are a game changer for survey quality. We built automated followup questions into Specific because they uncover details closed questions miss. Instead of static forms, you get a dynamic, conversational survey—where the AI listens like an expert and prompts for specifics, clarifications, or stories in real time.

• Citizen: “I don’t use bike lanes because of safety.”

• AI follow-up: “What kind of safety concerns have you experienced or observed?”

A generic, single-answer survey misses all the context that matters. Follow-ups convert shallow responses into deep understanding—why people feel unsafe, what would win them over, or how infrastructure impacts their routine.

How many followups to ask? In most cases, 2–3 targeted follow-ups will extract the essential details. Asking too many is overwhelming; asking too few leaves gaps. With Specific, you set follow-up depth—and the AI automatically skips to the next question once it has what it needs.

This makes it a conversational survey: Following up turns surveys into real conversations—respondents stay engaged, and organizers receive truly actionable feedback.

AI makes it easy to analyze open-ended answers: With AI-powered response analysis, even a pile of text answers about “safety” or “accessibility” becomes instantly searchable and summarized. Specific offers robust AI survey response analysis tools that let teams see the big picture—and drill down by topic or sentiment.

These automated follow-ups are a new paradigm—generate a trial survey and experience the clarity they bring firsthand.

How to compose a prompt for ChatGPT or other GPTs to generate citizen survey questions about bike lanes and trails

If you’re drafting questions using AI models like ChatGPT, your prompt matters. Start simple, then add rich context (your goals, your city, main concerns, and who the survey is for). This boosts relevance and specificity.

For example, to start:

Suggest 10 open-ended questions for Citizen survey about Bike Lanes And Trails.

If you want the AI to consider your local context or demographics, add a line explaining more, e.g.:

Suggest 10 open-ended questions for a citizen survey about bike lanes and trails in a mid-sized city where safety concerns are prominent. The audience includes commuters and families.

To refine further, try:

Look at the questions and categorize them. Output categories with the questions under them.

Later, pick categories (e.g., “Safety”, “Route preferences”) you want to prioritize, and prompt:

Generate 10 questions for categories Safety and Route preferences.

Iterate this way until you have a thoughtful, targeted set—faster and with more variety than building from scratch.

What is a conversational survey?

A conversational survey uses AI to mimic a real chat—question by question—plus smart, context-aware followups and clarifications. It feels natural, much like messaging a friend. Traditional surveys are rigid; respondents skim-read, give one-word answers, and bounce. AI-generated surveys keep people engaged and yield far richer responses.

Why use AI for citizen surveys? AI lets you tailor every question to respondents’ actual experiences. You get deeper, clearer insights in a format that people actually finish. Try our AI survey generator to boost both participation and the quality of your data. Specific is especially strong for these conversational surveys—making both the feedback process and data analysis seamless for citizen surveys on bike lanes and trails.

If you’re looking for a step-by-step guide, check out how to create a survey about bike lanes and trails, tailored to your local needs and goals.

See this bike lanes and trails survey example now

Create a conversation-style citizen survey instantly—gain honest, real-world insights on local bike lanes and trails, with automated follow-ups that reveal what matters most. Start unlocking richer feedback today.