INSIGHTS
Isaac Sims, PCED
Planner IISigned into law in 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) allocated $550 million for transportation, resilience and broadband infrastructure, the largest such investment in the history of the United States. Similar infrastructure programs have provided funds in the past to states, counties, metropolitan planning organizations and municipalities to build and repair new roads, bridges and trail systems.
The priority for clean and equitable transportation modes, such as bicycling and walking, can be found in the title of this new grant program: Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE. In Arkansas, adding more trails makes sense when considering solutions to local transportation issues, primarily due to the reality that most cities are too small to support public transit (beyond on-demand systems). Only the largest metropolitan regions in the state, Central Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas, have the population threshold necessary to support public transit. When integrated into a regional transportation framework, trails become not only recreation options, but practical transportation modes, turning a car trip of less than a mile into a 5-minute bike ride or a 20-minute walk.
The U.S. DOT has awarded two Arkansas communities with RAISE grants for comprehensive trail networks (with two additional trail projects awarded to ArDOT and ADPHT). In 2022, Conway was awarded a $24.6 million RAISE grant to construct 15 miles of separated multi-use trails. Just one year later, Russellville won $23.4 million to construct a similar 13-mile network. Most recently, Searcy was awarded $4.2 million, the largest grant award in the City’s history, for the planning portion of a 21-mile trail network. All three communities competed against significantly larger metropolitan areas and cities across the country for multimillion-dollar transportation grants – and won.
The availability of RAISE funding can provide hope for small to mid-sized cities seeking to decrease stress on local roadways while providing transportation solutions for vulnerable populations. While Conway just recently launched a micro transit option for its citizens, Russellville has no public transit, leaving bicycling and walking as the remaining transportation options for those without access to a car. This includes individuals with disabilities who would otherwise participate in the workforce, children within walking distance of their school who could participate in walk-to-school programs or anyone desiring clean and affordable transportation options.
Crafton Tull has provided grant application support for Arkansas communities that has resulted in federal and state grant awards for trail projects. Federal grants require a high level of detail and copious amounts of technical data to support the demonstrated need for active transportation investment. The most important ingredient in a RAISE grant submission is a clear, accurate, and concise telling of your community’s story. Our experience has revealed three crucial steps for aspiring communities to take in preparing their application.
1. Engage Your Community
Public engagement is a critical piece of the RAISE Grant application process
Public engagement is an integral component of the RAISE process, taking the form of public meetings, stakeholder interviews or web-based surveys. Citizens need to show support and excitement for the plan, demonstrated through recorded input that can be reflected in the grant application. Some communities may choose to pursue RAISE funding following a successful bicycle and pedestrian planning process, and other cities may choose a similar approach of engaging the public during a plan update.
Cities lacking any history of public engagement surrounding bicycling and walking should not be discouraged: effective public engagement can be conducted in a time period as short as three months. Some communities may choose to hold stakeholder interviews to gather feedback from major employers, nonprofits, school superintendents and other community leaders regarding where they see their constituents bicycling and walking, and what routes they take.
2. Form a Team
Another common denominator among Arkansas’ successful RAISE applications is collaborative interdepartmental communication. In Russellville, the planning, streets, parks and recreation departments, as well as administrative and financial divisions of the City set regular weekly meetings to coordinate, share input and write sections of the grant together. Grant writers employed by a city will rely on the knowledge and expertise of these departments. Where expertise may be lacking at the city level, a firm like Crafton Tull can provide cost estimates, 3D renderings, and supplemental grant writing.
Driving Progress: The Interchange That Unlocked Uptown Rogers
Matt Crafton, P.E., LEED AP
President + CEOCow pastures not long ago spanned the hundreds of acres now considered prime real estate along I-49 in an area called Uptown Rogers in Northwest Arkansas. Development has boomed in recent years on both sides of this one-mile stretch of interstate between New Hope Road and Pauline Whitaker Parkway. This piece of the I-49 corridor is home to Mercy Hospital, The Walmart AMP, Topgolf, Embassy Suites and Rogers Convention Center, office towers, and the Pinnacle Hills Promenade shopping mall, among other commercial and residential developments.
from top left: Northgate Plaza, Topgolf, The Walmart AMP, Embassy Suites
A Triple Bottom Line Approach to Roadway Design is a Triple Win for Community
Brad Peterson, P.E., CFM, LEED AP
Vice President - InfrastructureTo many, a triple bottom line approach brings thoughts of business strategies. This term, which means incorporating a social, economic, and environmental aspect, is a common business and accounting practice and is sometimes referred to as the Three Ps (people, planet, and profit). However, it can be a community improvement practice for municipalities as well.
Municipalities aren’t businesses, but they have a similar mission of getting the best return for their investment. After all, most of the money used for municipal projects is coming from a tax-payer funding source of some nature. Depending on the size of the project, it could be an investment bigger than some businesses will ever make.
12th Street Community Jump Start Project - Little Rock, AR
Sustainability is a key to a strategic investment in roadway infrastructure that will benefit the community, the environment, and the economics of the area. Taking a triple bottom line approach to designing infrastructure for the community can accomplish all these things and create a synergy that can not only produce a return on investment immediately but has the potential for a sustained ROI for years to come. This approach to the design of municipal projects has the potential to transform a neighborhood, community, or an entire city.
Crafton Tull has found this to be true in a variety of projects, including the 12th Street Community Jump Start project in Little Rock, the Levy Jump Start project in North Little Rock, and the Main Street Little Rock Water Quality Demonstration in downtown Little Rock. Each of these street improvement projects serves a different community, but each of them offers benefits to the social, economic, and environmental health of the area, and were designed with the Three Ps in mind.
Main Street Water Quality Demonstration - Little Rock, AR
The improvements to each of these areas might seem simple from the outside looking in — improved streets, drainage, pedestrian crossings, better lighting — but looking a little deeper reveals the embedded Three P benefits. What could be implemented as a simple street improvement project becomes something more when the harmony of these three areas is considered and implemented.
Social (People)
A walkable area can make all the difference in the social aspect of a community. A properly designed street and pedestrian accessibility with enhanced safety features, such as lighting, can help to accomplish this goal. Little Rock’s 12th Street and North Little Rock’s Levy communities, as well as Little Rock’s Main Street Corridor all needed improvements to the accessibility of the area and these projects provided these accommodations. But that is only the beginning.
Environmental (Planet)
In each of these designs, low-impact development was utilized, which places an emphasis on environmentally friendly solutions to common infrastructure projects, such as drainage. In the 12th Street Community and Levy improvements, pervious pavement, rain gardens, and other low-impact development help to filter pollutants in stormwater runoff from the streets. In downtown Little Rock, the Main Street Water Quality Demonstration Streetscape focused on showcasing the hydrologic cycle within the urban environment while educating the community about such techniques and their benefits.
These design techniques are not only aesthetically appealing, but they also directly correlate with the restoration of the natural ecosystem within the area. Native plantings and bioswales can reduce the need for some concrete drainage inlets. This approach promotes interaction within the streetscape rather than creating a barrier.
Economic (Profit)
With improved walkability and accessibility comes the potential for economic growth. In all these areas there are small businesses or the potential for new businesses. The economic aspect builds upon the social aspect by improving access to these businesses, which in turn provides a profit for the municipality through tax collection and continued growth. But it doesn’t stop there either.
Following this method allows for the communities to benefit three-fold rather than just improving one aspect of quality of life. Each piece of the triple bottom line approach is interconnected creating a continuous spur for development and further growth in the area.
To institute improvements such as these, the city and the design consultant must solicit buy-in from those in the community, including residents, business owners, and city officials. Once a plan has been put forth, it’s important to designate a champion for the project who will push it forward regardless of potential changes in the economic and political environments. Just as it is important to plan and design with these things in mind, it is equally important to follow through with the project and bring it to fruition as promised.
Ultimately, this approach to city street design can provide a lasting impact on residents, economics, and environment within a community. When considering a lasting return on investment for any municipality, this approach can pave the way for future growth and prosperity.
