Northwest Arkansas Seeks Public Input on Razorback Greenway Plan

Regional planning commission aims to make 40-mile trail more accessible and useful for transportation.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission is seeking public comments on a draft plan to improve the Razorback Greenway, a 40-mile trail connecting seven cities in the region. The plan aims to make the greenway a more accessible and useful transportation corridor, focusing on smart growth through investments in green infrastructure, affordable housing, and multimodal transportation networks.

Why it matters

As Northwest Arkansas continues to experience rapid population growth, the plan seeks to leverage the Razorback Greenway to address challenges like high living costs, uneven wage growth, and sprawling auto-oriented development. By concentrating new, more compact neighborhood development along the greenway corridor while preserving open space, the plan aims to support the region's transition to more sustainable, multimodal communities.

The details

The draft Razorback Greenway Corridor Plan outlines six key regional projects to guide smart growth, including protecting and restoring creek corridors, rewilding the greenway, growing new neighborhoods along the greenway, managing stormwater in "sponge parks", completing a commuter bike network, and connecting destinations and experiences. The plan will be considered by the Regional Planning Commission's policy committee on February 25, with a provision to revisit it if significant adverse public comments are received.

  • The public comment period for the Razorback Greenway Corridor Plan runs from February 16 to March 2, 2026.
  • The Regional Planning Commission's policy committee is scheduled to consider the draft plan at 1:30 p.m. on February 25, 2026.

The players

Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission

The regional planning agency overseeing the Razorback Greenway Corridor Plan.

Doug Sprouse

The mayor of Springdale, Arkansas, who is supportive of expanding local trail systems and incorporating them into street projects.

Gracie Ziegler

The chief communications officer for the city of Fayetteville, who says the city is excited about the plan and looks forward to working with regional partners.

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What they’re saying

“The Greenway is essential to strengthening connections and access in Northwest Arkansas. Our Active Transportation (Advisory Committee) is part of the conversation, and many of the concepts under discussion align with Fayetteville's ongoing investments in trail connectivity and multimodal infrastructure, and we look forward to working with our regional partners as plans move forward.”

— Gracie Ziegler, Chief Communications Officer, City of Fayetteville (arkansasonline.com)

“We've been able to do a lot of that with our street projects. Whenever we're doing a new street project we always include a 12-foot side path along it. But it's not just city streets. Highway 112, when it's finished, it will have a 12-foot path along it.”

— Doug Sprouse, Mayor of Springdale (arkansasonline.com)

What’s next

The Regional Planning Commission's policy committee is scheduled to consider the draft Razorback Greenway Corridor Plan at 1:30 p.m. on February 25, 2026, with a provision to revisit the item should any significant adverse public comments be received.

The takeaway

The Razorback Greenway Corridor Plan represents a regional effort to leverage the existing 40-mile trail network to address pressing challenges like housing affordability, transportation, and sustainable development in Northwest Arkansas. By focusing on strategic investments in green infrastructure, multimodal transportation, and compact neighborhood growth, the plan aims to transform the greenway into a more accessible and useful transportation corridor that supports the region's transition to more livable, equitable communities.