NATURAL ATTRACTION ARKANSAS
The multiuse, paved greenway has become a popular recreational amenity in Northwest Arkansas. Trail users encounter parks, streams and lively downtowns along the way, and have easy access to restaurants, bike shops and other retail establishments. Major attractions, like the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville and the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, also draw people to the trail. City leaders plan to expand the greenway so that residents can more easily access trailheads and use the network for transportation, especially as the population of Northwest Arkansas—which is home to large corporations like Walmart and Tyson Foods— continues to grow. In 2020, the Razorback Greenway Alliance ( razorbackgreenway.org ) was formed to standardize the trail’s maintenance, create a cohesive brand image and ensure the trail remains viable for the future. Built By Public-Private Partnership The goal of the Razorback Regional Greenway was to join many of Northwest Arkansas’ existing trails together to create a seamless recreational and transportation corridor, Mihalevich said. Today, the greenway route is composed of 22 individual trails. Around 2010, the Northwest Arkansas Regional Plan - ning Commission ( nwarpc.org ), the local metropolitan planning organization, started a committee to develop the master plan for the greenway. With a $15 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation— matched by the Walton Family Foundation—the project was able to move forward, and was designed and built by Alta Planning + Design and other experts. “It certainly helped the cities get on board when it had financial backing,” Mihalevich said. “They were absolutely on board. It’s been great to see how the community, the citizens, the residents and the visitors have all just embraced it.” The project involved building new trails, connecting them to existing trails and updating some older trails, explained Erin Rushing, CEO of Trailblazers ( wearetrail blazers.org ), a nonprofit that develops multiuse trails and advocates for active transportation in the region. “We had strong leadership within the cities, and they had a vision,” said Rushing, who’s based in Bentonville and was part of the greenway’s planning process. “It was pretty cool to watch it come together.” The cities along the greenway have continued investing in their trail systems and maintaining their portions of the
PHOTO: A section of the Razorback Regional Greenway in Fayetteville,
greenway. The Razorback Greenway Alliance was formed to create an official agreement for the trail’s future, said Tristan Hill, the Razorback Regional Greenway’s manager and the alliance’s only paid staff member. “They were starting to see some wear and tear on the trails and general maintenance things that need to be kept up with, so the cities decided the best way to handle that would be to create a governing body for the greenway,” Hill said. The Razorback Greenway Alliance, a nonprofit mostly funded by the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, includes a representative from each city on the greenway. This year, the alliance is working on several projects, including a brand refresh and new logo, coupled with a stronger online presence for the green - way. An updated website is slated to launch in October and will feature an interactive trail map. A Regional Asset Northwest Arkansas is one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation. City officials say the region’s cycling culture and trails like the Razorback Regional Greenway are a draw for tourists and new residents, bringing financial, health, transportation and tourism benefits to the region. According to Walton Family Foundation research, cycling provided $137 million in economic benefits to Northwest Arkansas in 2017, which is the most recent data available. As of 2020, the organization has contributed $74 million to developing shared-use paved paths and on-street cycling infrastructure in the region, including $15 million to support the development of the Razorback Regional Greenway. “Trails help improve quality of life in Northwest Arkan - sas by helping us preserve open spaces, connecting our region and spurring economic development in local com - munities by being an attraction for locals and visitors alike,” said Jeremy Pate, senior program officer of the Walton Family Foundation Home Region Program.
home to the University of Arkansas
50,000 No. of trail users per month on some sections of the Razorback Regional Greenway
$137 MILLION Economic benefits
provided to Northwest Arkansas by bicycling in 2017
77% Portion of Fayetteville
residents that have access to a trail within a half-mile or 10-minute walk
250+ Miles of mountain
biking trails in Northwest Arkansas
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RAILS TO TRAILS FALL 2022
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