The Razorback Greenway is a paved trail system in northwest Arkansas that usually features the noises of a babbling brook, gentle wind and chirping birds.
But periodically, sections can sound more like a construction site.
That’s the current reality for the Scull Creek Trail section at the West Sycamore Street crossing. Crews are currently working to expand the trail system and create the Midtown Corridor.
While it’s definitely jarring to hear the crash and bangs of a dump truck on your morning run, Fayetteville’s active transportation manager, Matt Mihalevich, said the new Midtown Corridor will expand accessibility for residents.
“One of the biggest things that it brings is an east-west connectivity,” Mihalevich said. “We have really established north-south with the Razorback Greenway, with our trail connectivity. But east-west has been a challenge for the city of Fayetteville for– since its creation, I guess. It's mostly because of its topography. And so, it's a challenge, both for our street network and now our active transportation network as well.”
The Midtown Corridor, unlike the Greenway, is mostly flat. You can view the city’s plans for the Corridor right now. It includes sections of Porter Road, Deane Street, Sycamore Street and Poplar Street. In addition to a new trail, the project will also tackle improving curbs, storm drainage, lighting and adding sidewalks with green space. Mihalevich said extending sidewalks is a priority for the city.
“It's always great when we're able to improve roads that are kind of past their prime,” he said. “They were built a long time ago and just built more as a rural type street with ditches on both sides. Another example is our work on Mission [Boulevard], but Deane [Street], it was just ditches. And then continues along a section of Sycamore, which also is just ditches and just very difficult to walk or ride a bike on, even not that great for driving. So along Sycamore, and then we're able to use the Razorback Greenway to head north to Poplar Street, and then improving Poplar Street with a 10-foot trail along the north side, crossing Greg [Avenue] and then continuing along Poplar in front of Woodland School, where that's kind of the eastern extent for now, but part of the 71b Corridor, we'll pick that up and cross over College Avenue with a new signal there at Poplar.”
Mihalevich also noted how the neighborhood surrounding the new trail is a census tract of persistent poverty. That means the community has a poverty rate of at least 20% as measured by a five-year data series available from the Census Bureau.
“So as far as an equity lens,” Mihalevich said, “we're able to really make a big impact for those people that, you know, it's difficult to get a car. Cars are expensive for everybody, and gas, maintenance, everything like that. So what we're really hoping we can provide is that safe and comfortable way that people can get around and get to their destinations as a transportation system. So, also, part of this Midtown Corridor does include transit stops, new transit bus shelters, and so that'll be part of this project, too.”
Coincidentally, there’s a food bank right on Sycamore Street in the middle of the ongoing construction.
“Well, we are having our We Are Nourished Food Pantry today.”
That’s Tonya Hancock. She’s pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church, which hosts the pantry from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday afternoon.
“It's a little bit chaotic right now,” Hancock said. “There's always some chaos when it comes to the food pantry, but because of the road construction, it's even a little more frantic than usual.”
Hancock said the construction is affecting them in a big way.
“A lot of our parking spaces are taken over by the construction,” she said. “And then there's no way to actually drive into the church, so you have to drive the wrong way down the street for a moment. And yeah, we've narrowly missed a couple of head-on collisions so far.”
They’re managing, though, and Hancock said she thinks the new Midtown Corridor will actually improve their ability to provide aid to those in need and maybe even expand their worship services.
“I don't know a person in our church who isn't excited about it,” Hancock said. “We are all very aware that a lot of the people that need our food pantry do not have vehicles, and this will be very helpful for them. And then, especially when fall comes, and the college comes back up, there's a lot of students who enjoy bicycles, so they'll be using that as well. And it's a wonderful resource for the community. It's environmentally friendly, and it may even bring in new people into our church. So even though it's a little bit frustrating right now, in the long run, we're really excited to see what it does for the community.”
The Midtown Corridor will be especially helpful for Fayetteville residents like Bryan:
“Last name, I don't give out,” Bryan said. “Yeah, I'm a traveler. I'm from Michigan. Me and [my dog] done 7,000 miles down here.”
JT: How long have you been in Fayetteville?
“Four years now. Yeah, it was a pit stop. But you know how life goes on, and the community down here has supported us and given us something to love. So we stayed.”
Bryan, aka B-love, and his dog G-Love, travel everywhere by foot. Last Wednesday, they stopped by Trinity’s Food Pantry for some nutrition. He said he’s also ready for the improvements to be finished as it will make it easier for him and G-Love to navigate town.
“And a lot of, I know it's a lot of the sidewalks, they stop and go,” he said. “Which I was like, ‘What the blank?’ You know? What's going on with this? So you gotta get on the road and get back on, and it's a hassle for all the traffic and stuff, you know, but a lot of people do stop for us and whatnot, but it's gonna cause accidents sooner or later.”
Fayetteville’s growing, and the Midtown Corridor is just one example of that development.
“As I've been here for the last few years, it's getting bigger and bigger and bigger because of the college and whatnot,” Bryan said. “But it's a growing community. I know there's a lot of people from my hometown, east side, the west side, California, they're all coming here now. Yeah, it's a good place. It is.”
JT: How does that make you feel that it's growing? You said that this was a pit stop, but it's a good place to call home, right? How does it feel that your home's growing?
“Awesome,” he said. “Yeah, the community is getting together and, you know, it's a mixing pot. Yeah– make it funky. That's what it's supposed to be. You know, it's all about the love. You know, that's why it's Gypsy-Love and B-Love. It's all about the love. You don't have love, you got nothing at all, bro. You know, you spread what you can.”
Construction of the Midtown Corridor is expected to continue through 2025. Visit the city of Fayetteville’s website for a full schedule of the sections and their expected completion date.
Ozarks at Large transcripts are created on a deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. The authoritative record of KUAF programming is the audio record.
