SPRINGDALE, Ark. — The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission is asking residents to fill out a walk and bike public survey to gauge areas of improvement and what they want to see.
There are 29 questions, surveying everything from the importance of walking and biking paths, why people are interested, to what areas need the most improvement.
They are trying to make updates to their 2015 Regional Bike and Pedestrian Plan.
That plan outlines ways to improve Northwest Arkansas’ trail and roadway system with more connectivity and safety.
With parts of Northwest Arkansas growing in population, the commission is trying to take into account the opinions of all the new residents in the area.
“There are many people that are in Northwest Arkansas today that weren’t here just a few years ago. And so it’s important to get feedback and understanding,” Tim Conklin, the assistant director of Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission said.
The commission plans to use the responses to decide what trail areas and issues are given attention.
“It will be a part of the public record and part of the plan, it will be addressed, we’ll share the information with our communities in Northwest Arkansas, and hopefully as we continue to grow and build out our networks. Some of these projects will actually happen within the next 10, 20, 30 years,” Conklin said.
And these trails have been an important part of life for many in Northwest Arkansas.
“I didn’t know about them my first year, but then since knowing about them, we purposely lived closer to the Greenway because, we all— me and all my roommates— use it all the time,” Fayetteville resident Meredith Fleming said.
Projects like the Razorback Greenway have increased connectivity in the area, and the commission hopes to continue working with surrounding communities to make more of those connections.
“Northwest Arkansas is unique. We don’t have one big central city. That requires everyone to work together to actually make these connections and these networks like the Razorback Greenway, and so we’re hopeful to have a draft available for also public comment and then final approval earlier, first of next year,” Conklin said.
They have already received approximately 1,600 survey responses and it will be open through the end of this month.
RELATED: Hangry Pedaler NWA talks his favorite restaurants to visit off the Razorback Greenway trail
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