SPRINGDALE — Walkers, runners and bicycle riders will occasionally have to share city trails with vehicles, but those vehicles won't be belching exhaust.

City officials are looking at several models of electric vehicles, golf-cart sized, to respond to emergencies or pick up litter on the Razorback Greenway and other city trails. The goal is to have the vehicles -- one each for police, fire and parks -- ready before the greenway opens, said Kathy O'Kelley, police chief.

"We want to be proactive," O'Kelley said. "We want to come up with a vehicle that is eco-friendly and versatile. We don't want to be obtrusive or annoying."

Dave Creek, a retired Fire Department captain, said he has bicycled on trails in several states.

"I think the electric carts are a good idea," Creek said. "It's good to know police can patrol the trails and EMS can get to you."

Receiving the vehicles early will help the Fire Department be ready when the greenway opens, said Mike Irwin, fire chief.

"We will have time to outfit the vehicle and do some training," Irwin said.

The greenway will have limited access. The trail vehicle will allow emergency medical responders to get to the location of a patient quickly, load them up and take them to rendezvous with an ambulance when needed, he said.

The Police Department needs a vehicle that is street legal with enough speed to be used at special events, such as Rodeo of the Ozarks and the Christmas parade, O'Kelley said. The vehicle needs to have enough range to cover the trail without recharging, she said.

GEM electric vehicles made by Polaris and Moto Electric vehicles are being tested, O'Kelley said. The models' range varies from 25 miles to 50 miles on a charge. Some models come with a light bar, siren and a public address system installed. Other models would have to have those installed after purchase.

"We want to get everything done for $20,000 or less," O'Kelley said.

The money to pay for the police vehicle will come from drug forfeitures, O'Kelley said.

The Fire Department vehicle could cost up to $39,000, Irwin said. That would include the medical equipment, including a power cot identical to those carried by full-sized ambulances. The cots cost $10,000. The money for the vehicle is in the 2014 Fire Department budget, he said.

The power cots would allow cots to be swapped without moving the patient, Irwin said.

The vehicle could be kept at Station No. 1 on Holcomb Street, Irwin said. From there, it could go both directions on the trail and also be close to Emma Avenue, the route of most parades, he said. The greenway crosses Emma about three blocks from the station.

The Parks Department vehicle would be used to pick up recyclables and trash. The city may apply for a Boston Mountain Solid Waste District grant to help pay for the vehicle, said Rick McWhorter, parks director.

"We're not inventing the wheel with these vehicles," O'Kelley said. "There are a lot of larger cities that use them."

NW News on 03/25/2014