BENTONVILLE -- Cities along the Razorback Greenway spend thousands of dollars a year to maintain the popular trail.
The greenway is a 40-mile trail extending from south Fayetteville to Bella Vista, according to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission.
In 2000, the commission began a long-range planning process that included existing regional trails. The inaugural 36 miles of the greenway were designed and developed in 2009 and 2010 when the commission received $30 million in private money and public grants, according to the website razorbackgreenway.org.
The original plan connected 19 shared-use paved trails into a continuous greenway from south Fayetteville to Lake Bella Vista. The 36-mile trail was officially dedicated May 2, 2015. Since then, under the leadership of the NWA Razorback Greenway Alliance, 4 miles have been added to round out the Razorback Greenway's total to 40. The trail now begins at "mile 0" at Kessler Mountain Regional Park in Fayetteville and ends at Mercy Way Bridge in Bella Vista, according to the website.
Josh Stacey, recreation services manager with Bentonville Parks and Recreation Department, said city crews take care of everything from mowing to sanitation services along the approximately 8.5-mile part of the greenway rolling through the city.
People who use the greenway want its appearance kept up, he said. Consistency, such as a cohesive look with signs, also is expected, he said.
"All the cities do their part to keep the greenway looking nice," he said.
A brand refreshening for the greenway, paid for by private donors, will include the newly launched razorbackgreenway.org website and interactive map. An online merchandise store also is expected to go live soon, and there will be improvements such as updated signs along the entire greenway. The work should wrap up next spring, said Tristan Hill, Razorback Greenway Alliance's greenway manager.
Consistency in signs along the greenway is important as it helps people in getting where they want to go on the trails, Hill said.
"That's why we've introduced new tools like the city colorway system, which labels signs with a distinct color unique to each city so that trail users can know where they're at and where they're headed at a quick glance," Hill said.
There is a standard for upkeep many people expect when they step out on the greenway, he said.
"The trail system was very ahead of its time at its inception and the cities of Northwest Arkansas have been and still are eager to continue to support active transportation," he said. "For those reasons I think people are well aware of what Northwest Arkansas is capable of when it comes to maintaining the region's elite trail systems. We set high expectations for ourselves when the greenway was planned and built several years ago, and now we want to maintain those standards that we have created."
Established in 2020, the purpose of the Northwest Arkansas Razorback Greenway Alliance is to provide a multi-jurisdictional approach to trail governance to ensure the greenway remains best in class nationally and continues to improve and innovate. The seven communities represented are Bella Vista, Bentonville, Rogers, Lowell, Springdale, Johnson and Fayetteville, according to the Razorback Greenway website.
The greenway connects three hospitals, 23 schools, the University of Arkansas and the corporate headquarters of JB Hunt Transport Services, Tyson Foods and Walmart.
Rogers maintains a little over 7 miles of greenway, said Jim White, Parks and Recreation director.
"Mainly we mow and weed eat those 7-plus miles with a minimum of two 4-foot swipes on either side [of the trail]," he said.
In the past couple of years the Walton Family Foundation granted the city $1 million for repairs and enhancements on the part of the greenway in Rogers, White said.
"I can guarantee you that as far as Rogers goes, there is a demand for these type of amenities," White said. "But it is high for all park amenities. The region is growing, and we have many people moving to Northwest Arkansas from metropolitan areas with great park amenities."
Chad Wolf, Springdale Parks and Recreation director, said his staff maintains about 9 miles of the greenway. About $40,000 a year is used for that work, he said.
The department's scope is to maintain 10 feet on either side of the trail, which includes mowing, edging, trimming, weed eating and anything else within that combined 20 feet. Irrigation and lighting within those parameters also is maintained by the city, he said.
"We also take care of the maintenance in our downtown entertainment district which consists of Emma Avenue, Shiloh Square and Turnbow Park," Wolf said.
Byron Humphry, Fayetteville Park maintenance superintendent, said the city doesn't have a specific budget used to maintain the greenway. That work is figured into the overall parks budget, he said.
About 13 miles of the greenway are in Fayetteville.
Humphry said there's certainly an expectation the greenway maintenance be consistent for the whole 40 miles.
"Since the greenway goes through many different jurisdictions, that's why the Razorback Greenway Operations and Maintenance plan was drafted and adopted by the different cities," he said.
There is a about 3 miles of greenway in Bella Vista with an additional 2½ miles of greenway under design, said Cassi Lapp, city communications director.
The city spends about $16,000 to maintain the part of the greenway in its jurisdiction, though that much is rarely spent due to a great volunteer base that helps out, Lapp said.
Typical maintenance work includes sweeping; vegetation management, including tree and branch trimming, the removal of fallen debris, mowing and erosion control; litter and trash removal; the repair of trail structures; the repair of signs/maps; pavement marking refreshing, including trail crossings and trail centerline stripe; and servicing drinking fountains, Lapp said.
A cyclist and a walker make their way Dec. 14 along the Razorback Greenway in Fayetteville. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today’s photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
A marker lists the distance Dec. 14 from the southern end of the trail along the Razorback Greenway near Lake Fayetteville in Fayetteville. Visit nwaonline.com/photo for today’s photo gallery.
(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)None
Web watch
Visit razorbackgreenway.org for more information on the Razorback Greenway.