Bicycle Fayetteville
A Bike Friendly Community
The Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists is awarded to communities based on assessments across five key categories Equity, Engineering, Education, Encouragement and Evaluation and Planning.
Fayetteville is one of eight communities in Arkansas to be awarded and the only city in the state to achieve a gold designation.
Getting Around Town: Fayetteville’s Active Transportation Plan
Fayetteville's newly updated Active Transportation Plan establishes our vision to create an inclusive, multi-modal transportation system that would feature a trail connection within a 10-minute walk or 2-minute bike ride of every residence.
Trails
Fayetteville features more than 100 miles of biking and walking trails, including paved, shared-use trails and natural-surface biking and hiking trails. Visit our Trails page for an overview of the longest and most popular biking trails. For a view of all the city’s trails, including neighborhood trails, park loops and connecting trails, visit the Interactive Parks and Trails Map.
Fayetteville Awarded Bike City Designation by the Union Cycliste Internationale
On February 4, 2021, Fayetteville was awarded the designation of Bike City by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world governing body of cycling.
The first city in the United States to be given a Bike City label by UCI, Fayetteville joins cities and regions around the world, such as Copenhagen and Paris, that have previously received the designation due to their commitment of developing cycling at all levels, from elite competition to the use of bikes for leisure and as a means of transportation.
The UCI Bike City label supports cities and regions that not only host major UCI cycling events but also invest in developing cycling through programs and infrastructure. The City of Fayetteville’s bicycle master plan, along with professional events like the Joe Martin Stage Race, FayetteCross and the future 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Championships, helped the city receive its designation.
The "Five E's"
As a Bicycle Friendly Community, Fayetteville bases it's programs and efforts around the "Five E's" established by the League of American Bicyclists. Click below to learn more about these key bike-friendly building blocks.
The most visible evidence of a great place for bicycling is infrastructure; the physical environment is a key determinant in whether people will get on a bike and ride. The City of Fayetteville has built an extensive network of cycling infrastructure including shared-use paved trails, bike lanes, bike parking racks, and natural surface trails.
For more information about the development of trails in Fayetteville, please see Trail Construction Program.
The City of Fayetteville recognizes the importance of educating cyclist and non-cyclists in order to promote safer cycling in our community. Fayetteville Public Schools include bicycle education at elementary, middle school, and high school levels. Riders of all ages are encouraged to attend a safety course taught by local League of American Bicyclist Certified Instructor.
There are many ways to encourage people to ride bikes. Providing bike route maps, way-finding signage, special events and incentive programs are all great ways to encourage riders.
The local business community can encourage more bicycling by becoming a Bicycle Friendly Business. To learn more about becoming a Bicycle Friendly Business or for help applying, please contact Dane Eifling, City of Fayetteville Bicycle Programs Coordinator, either by phone at 479-575-8211 or via email.
Evaluating data and information, including crash locations, theft statistics and levels of ridership help guide the City's planning process. The City of Fayetteville uses US Census data as well as a variety of other sources to track ridership. This data is used to make decisions regarding long range planning for future programs and infrastructure.
The City purchased a trail counter in 2018 and began tracking pedestrian and bicyclist use in the summer of 2018. Counts are taken along the Scull Creek Trail section of the Razorback Greenway near North Street. View the Trail count reports.
Check out the 2019 trail count infographic below. You can download your own 8.5" x 14" poster version (PDF).
Equity and accessibility means building a bicycle-friendly community that works for everyone. This can mean building infrastructure and making investments in areas where those most in need will be able to benefit and ensuring that these recourses are welcoming and inclusive to a diverse population.
This also mean having rules and laws in place that keep people on bikes comfortable and safe. Bicycles are considered vehicles, as such cyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists while on the road. It is important to understand the rules of the road and to follow City of Fayetteville Codes regarding bicycling. When using a shared-use trial it is essential that people riding bikes obey the trail rules. The city of Fayetteville strives to protect the safety legal rights of all road users. Signs with the words "share the road" and emphasizing the 3-feet law have been installed along the City's many on-street bike routes.
- Do the trails have lighting?
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Over 20 miles of the shared-use paved trails have energy efficient LED lighting installed, including all of the Razorback Greenway in Fayetteville.
These lights are operated on an astronomical timer so they come on automatically according to the astronomical time that it gets dark and then they turn off in the morning once the sun comes up.
- Are electric powered bicycles and scooters allowed on the trails?
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Yes, Electric bicycles (E-Bikes), electric scooters (E-Scooters), and all forms of motorized wheelchairs are permitted on trails.
Keep in mind that the 15 MPH speed limit applies to all forms of mobility devices.
All gas powered motorized vehicles and golf carts are explicitly are strictly prohibited.
- How many miles of trails are in Fayetteville?
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51.5 Miles of shared-use paved trails
56 Miles of soft surface natural surface trails
107.5 Miles of Trails in Fayetteville
- What is the speed limit on the paved trails?
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15 miles per hour maximum
- How many miles of new paved trails are constructed each year?
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The in-house trail construction program has averaged 2-3 miles of new paved trails each year.
In addition the Bond vote in 2019 will result in many more miles being built by contractors.