Metroplan announced in 2020 a substantial investment in a regional pathway network to connect Central Arkansas communities within its four-county jurisdiction. The announcement represented a shift in traditional transportation thinking. Local leaders embraced active transportation not as a luxury, but as a critical pillar of thriving communities.

Crafton Tull was selected in 2021 to lead an 18-month process to create the master plan for the network, which connects the region’s center to its fringes along six corridors. The Central Arkansas Regional Greenways Plan maps approximately 222 miles of trail network at an estimated cost of nearly $280 million. Crafton Tull, along with Toole Design, led the effort to identify routes, establish design criteria, prepare estimates of probable cost, and prioritize investments based on public input. Metroplan officially adopted the 279-page final report in May 2023. What started as an ambitious vision is becoming reality, with several planned segments in design and some in construction.

Each of the 19 communities within the study area is unique, with varying levels of political and financial support. Metroplan and the Crafton Tull team navigated these differences and facilitated a collaborative process to create a unified vision for the Central Arkansas Regional Greenways Plan.