FORT SMITH, Ark — The Fort Smith Board of Directors decided to table replacing the current Trails and Greenways Master Plan with a new Active Transportation Master Plan, called Move Fort Smith. The board said there were some documents they still needed to review before they made a final vote.
The plan is defined as “a roadmap towards a more accessible, equitable, and livable Fort Smith, one where streets are safe and inviting for people of all ages and abilities to walk bike roll and run.”
“Safety is definitely the top priority. But just making things more bike friendly and more walkable, I think, goes a long way towards the quality of life for residents here in Fort Smith," said Michael Mings, Mobility Coordinator for the City of Fort Smith, when the directors got a first look at the plan last week. “People want to be able to walk to school. People want to be able to walk to a park.”
The plan has lots of different recommendations to make spaces in the city more pedestrian friendly in ways like expanding the trail system as well as creating protected bike lanes. They created the roadmap using over 900 responses from residents.
There was a mix of residents for and against the plan at Tuesday's Board of Directors meeting. Those for adopting the plan said it's going to make the city much more connected and safer for generations to come.
"Safe bike ability improves the attractiveness of our city," said Jo Elsken, a Fort Smith resident.
Those against the plan said they are worried about the costs for taxpayers, and they're concerned that using federal grants to complete some of these projects will have strings attached.
"It's a matter of priorities. We don't need more bike trails. We need to fix our sewer system. We've got a water crisis in Fort Smith. We've got a bond crisis," said Joey McCutchen, consumer advocate and lawyer in Fort Smith. "Anytime you take $25 million from the federal government, there's strings and you lose local control."
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