Active Transportation Plan

Mother riding a bicycle with baby riding in rear-mounted child seat while daughter rides in frontWhat is Active Transportation?

Active Transportation is any form of human-powered transportation, such as walking, cycling, using a wheel-chair, in-line skating, skateboarding, or using a scooter. 

Fayetteville’s Active Transportation Plan outlines a network of sidewalks, trails, and bicycle facilities to provide walkers, cyclists, and other users with clear pathways and connections to important City destinations, just like streets and roads do for motorized vehicles. When the plan was adopted, 63 percent of Fayetteville residents lived within 1/2 mile of a shared-use paved trail. By 2040, this number is projected to increase to 97 percent.

Active Transportation Plan 2023 Update

Last Updated 2/24/2023

The updated Active Transportation Plan was adopted by the City Council on February 21, 2023. View the Active Transportation Plan 2023 Update here.

This update incorporates public input gathered through online surveys, and uses input gathered as part of the regional active transportation plan and the City’s 2018 Mobility Plan. The Fayetteville Active Transportation Advisory Committee (ATAC) provided input, periodic review and guidance throughout the process of updating the document, and unanimously approved the final draft of the document on October 12, 2022. On October 25, the City Council’s Transportation Committee unanimously recommended forwarding the document to the full City Council for approval. On December 5, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board unanimously approved the updated document.

The Active Transportation Plan (ATP) serves as a guiding document for Fayetteville infrastructure and program development related to Active Transportation.

Plans such as the ATP are typically updated every five to ten years. In the eight years since the current plan was adopted, there have been significant changes and advancements in Fayetteville’s active transportation infrastructure and planning efforts including the completion of the Razorback Regional Greenway, the adoption of Fayetteville 2018 Mobility Plan, the successful 2019 bond referendum and new guidance on All-Ages-and-Abilities cycling facilities from the Federal Highway Administration. This update to the ATP document is needed to establish goals and best practices that better reflect current conditions and position Fayetteville to continue to lead as a walkable and bike-friendly community into the future. 

The six goals of the updated plan are:  

  1. Strive to create an equitable multimodal transportation system for all ages and abilities.
  2. Build a paved trail connection within a 10 minute walk of every residence by 2040.
  3. Encourage new participation in active transportation; gather and evaluate data to track trends and measure success.
  4. Zero fatalities or severe injuries of vulnerable roadway users by 2030.
  5. Implement all the appropriate recommendations from leading advocacy organizations community evaluations.
  6. Enhance opportunities for people with disabilities to walk, roll, cycle and use micromobility services and other innovative mobility technologies to the greatest extent possible.

What’s In It for You

  • Active transportation can improve your physical, mental and emotional well-being. 
  • Consistent walking or biking has been shown to improve balance and coordination, decrease the risk of heart disease and even improve mental health.
  • Choosing active transportation can also have a positive effect on your bank balance by reducing the costs of car maintenance, fuel, insurance and health care. 
  • The benefits of a robust active transportation network can improve a community by helping to foster a cleaner environment, greater economic resilience and an overall better quality of life.

Fayetteville’s Active Transportation Goals

  1. Endeavor to create an inclusive, multi-modal transportation system.
  2. Work to build a trail connection within 1/2 mile of every residence.
  3. Increase the active transportation commuting mode share to 15% by 2020.
  4. Identify, prioritize and address missing bicycle and pedestrian linkages.
  5. Partner with advocates to address bicycle and pedestrian needs.
  6. Earn Bicycle Friendly Community designation of Silver by 2017. 
    • Achieved in 2016. Gold status achieved in 2022.