The Minuteman Bikeway is more popular than ever, according to the latest counts performed by the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee.

The latest counts show that the total number of cyclists on the path on weekdays has tripled in the last five years, and the total number of bikeway users on weekdays has doubled.

"It shows that the Minuteman is one of the busiest rail trails in the nation. I think we suspected that," said ABAC member Scott Smith. "I’ll speak personally from what I’ve seen in my own neighborhood - there’s been tremendous growth in the last 10 or 15 years."

Volunteers monitored the path on Tuesday, May 17 and Saturday, May 21 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to Assistant Director of Planning Laura Wiener. The counts are performed three times a year to assess how heavily the path is being used.

The number of cyclists in the 2016 weekday count increased by over 40 percent, from 1,095 in the May 2015 survey to 1,539 this year. Similarly, the number of weekday walkers rose from 606 to 749. Total bikeway users rose from 2,047 in 2015 to 2,688.

Weekend use of the bike path saw the biggest jump. Volunteers counted 4,047 total users in 2016, up from 3,460 in 2015. They noted 2,538 cyclists and 875 walkers in the 2016 count, and 2012 cyclists and 823 walkers in the 2015 count.

Overall, use of the bikeway is up significantly since 2011, although Smith noted that the number of bikeway users is heavily weather-dependent, potentially skewing depressing the number of users in some years. The 2011 count showed a mere 527 cyclists, 374 walkers, and 1,040 total users on weekdays. The same count showed 892 cyclists and 498 walkers on weekends, with 1,765 total weekend users.

Wiener said that the study did not survey bike path users on why they were taking that route, record bike path users' demographic information.

Smith said that better biking infrastructure across the region could be helping drive the increase in cycling.

"Quite a few people in Arlington commute to Cambridge and Boston. Cambridge’s and Boston’s efforts will spill over to us," he said. "Then as you have families moving in and they see neighbors biking they’ll say 'I’ll try that.'”

Smith added that he felt the counts justified the town's recent efforts to improve the way cyclists move through the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Pleasant Street in Arlington Center.

"Yes it is worth doing the investment. There are a lot of people who need that upgrade," he said.

The Board of Selectmen adopted a "Complete Streets" policy in April of this year, intended to make sure bikes and improvements for pedestrian safety were accommodated on the town's major roadways. Wiener said town officials were now working on a prioritization plan that will be submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. The plan will look at improving the walkability, safety and access for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and transit vehicles on Arlington's major roads. The plan would let the town apply for a state grant worth up to $400,000 that could be applied to one or more projects.

The full bike path user counts and the town's "Complete Streets" policy can be viewed online at arlingtonma.gov/planning