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City staff: April park attendance down 8%; Quail Green West up 49% after improvements
Summary
Parks staff reported April attendance down about 8% year‑over‑year (weather cited), while Quail Green West showed a 49% increase after upgrades; staff said they use anonymized third‑party location data and are exploring CDBG grant opportunities.
Adam Train, parks operations staff, told the board that April 2026 park attendance was about 8% lower than April of the previous year and that March was down roughly 2%; he said 5.2 inches of rain in April likely contributed to the decline. "April versus last April, park attendance was relatively stable, down about 8%," Train said.
Train said parks with covered amenities, shade structures and pavilions were less affected by the weather and highlighted Quail Green West, which has seen a 49% year‑over‑year increase in attendance after recent playground and basketball court improvements. He also reported that staff are improving park‑zone fund tracking and have completed foundational GIS work for phased implementation of Cartograph resource management software.
In response to board questions, Train explained that the department purchases anonymized third‑party location data rather than collecting geotags directly; the subscription yields counts and coarse demographics (age ranges, gender and ZIP‑level origin) but no personal identifiers. Chair also flagged Fort Bend County’s open CDBG grant cycle for parks in LMI areas; staff affirmed they will review eligibility and past uses, noting such grants typically require a 25% local match.
