March 6 Workshop Focusing On Trail Link To NWA

RESIDENTS CAN LEARN ABOUT, GIVE INPUT ON PROPOSED TRAIL PLAN

Residents will have the opportunity to give input on a new trail collaboration that eventually will link the Pineville area to Northwest Arkansas’ Razorback Greenway.

A public workshop is set for 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 6, at the Pineville Community Center, 602 Jesse James Road, Pineville.

The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission and the Harry S. Truman Coordinating Council will host the public workshop to begin the preparation of a bicycle and pedestrian plan in the Jane and Pineville area.

Long-term, planners hope to have the trail link with the 36-mile-long Razorback Greenway, which provides a trail network in Benton and Washington counties in northwest Arkansas.

Work on the overall Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan began in August 2013.

The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission joined with advocates and communities in Northwest Arkansas to build the plan, which was completed in fall 2014.

Planners believe that, with a master trail system, residents and those who travel to the area can comfortably, safely and efficiently walk or bike to local and regional attractions.

Currently, the Razorback Greenway — which is the center of a 100-mile network of trails – links six downtowns, three hospitals, 23 schools, the University of Arkansas campus, corporate headquarters of Walmart, J.B. Hunt and Tyson Foods, arts and entertainment venues, historic sites, playgrounds and parks, residential communities and shopping areas, according to information provided about the Greenway.

Exercise enthusiasts can currently walk or bike from southern Bella Vista to south Fayetteville.

A federal transportation grant and a matching grant and gift from the Walton Family Foundation helped pay for the Greenway’s $38 million price tag. Cities in northwest Arkansas, as well as the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, also contributed.