RAZORBACK REGIONAL GREENWAY
project is almost complete on the Fayetteville stretch. “That’s a huge benefit to lower-income families, who might only have one car or might not have a car at all,” he said. “They can use the greenway. Since it runs through so many city centers, it’s a viable means of transportation.”
CYCLING CULTURE CATALYST
Biking is big in Northwest Arkansas. The activity is popular with residents, and the area has attracted major events, like the 2022 UCI World Cyclo-Cross Championships. Many in the region attribute the cycling culture to the Razorback Regional Greenway, which opened in 2015. “We would not be what we are today without the Razorback Greenway,” said Erin Rushing, CEO of Trail- bla-zers ( wearetrailblazers.org ), a nonprofit that develops multiuse trails and advocates for active transportation in the region. “It started the momentum, and it’s our superhighway to connect all of these amazing bike trail systems.” The Northwest Arkansas Tourism Association’s website boasts that the region is home to more than 250 miles of mountain biking trails, and the City of Bentonville even bills itself as the “Mountain Biking Capital of the World.” In 2017, Northwest Arkansas attracted more than 90,000 mountain biking tourists, according to a study by the Walton Family Foundation ( waltonfamilyfoundation.org ), an organization that has contributed $74 million to de- veloping shared-use paved paths and on-street cycling infrastructure in the region. More than a quarter of residents regularly ride bikes— higher than the national average—and they spend millions of dollars on bicycling goods and events each year, the study found. Twice a year, the region hosts the Square 2 Square Bicycle Ride to encourage residents of all ages to ride bikes and get out on the greenway. • Recreation—including bicycling, running and walk - ing—remains a top use of the trail. But Rushing said he’s seeing more people using the greenway for commuting as well. “Just having the ability to ride your bike to work or school or the grocery store or a concert is great,” he said, adding that some areas of the trail can see up to 50,000 users a month. New businesses, including bike shops, breweries, cafes and restaurants, have opened up along the trail, too. Increasing the greenway’s transportation use is part of the alliance’s goal, Hill said. The group is working on add - ing better lighting to the trail to make it more accessible to residents using it to get around at night. The lighting
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FALL 2022 RAILS TO TRAILS
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