Better Connecting Campus to the Razorback Greenway

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A scooter rider and a bicyclist ride along the buffer lane as they pass the sign for the Inn at Carnall Hall.

A buffered bicycle lane was recently installed to create a safer connection between campus and the Razorback Regional Greenway.

The lane, which is located near the driveway at Carnall Hall along Arkansas Avenue, is one of the best access points for people on bicycles, scooters and skateboards who are accessing the U of A campus from the greenway.

This project is part of an ongoing effort to make campus more accessible for students and faculty traveling on wheels — people using mobility aids, strollers, bicycles, e-scooters and more. Efforts like these benefit all campus vistors and help the university receive national recognition. The League of American Bicyclists awarded the U of A a Gold certification as a part of the Bicycle Friendly University program — putting the university in select company with only 32 other institutions including Colorado, Harvard, Yale, UCLA and Kentucky, the only other SEC institution to earn the award.

A map of bicycle friendly campus infrastructure can be used to plan your route. The Office for Sustainability has developed a tool with support from the U of A Computer Science and Engineering Department to create a customized door-to-door analysis of the different ways you can commute to campus. This is a free service and only takes a moment to submit the form.

Last summer, a small set of steps along Old Main Lawn was replaced with a user-friendly ramp. This new buffered bike lane improves the connectivity to that ramp. Ramps and bike lanes make campus more accessible for anybody using active transportation. The buffered bicycle lane along Arkansas Avenue utilized existing asphalt and increases that level of service provided by the street.

Maple Street also has opportunities to provide better service to a wider range of users within the existing right-of-way. The city of Fayetteville and the U of A have applied for a U.S. Department of Transportation grant, which would renovate Maple Street from the Razorback Greenway all the way up to Garland Avenue.

Active transportation — walking, biking, etc. to and from campus — is a great way to improve your health, save money, have fun and reduce our carbon footprint as we work towards the university's goal of carbon neutrality by 2040.

A map showing the bike lane in green along Arkansas Avenue, the white striped buffer separating the street connecting with the Old Main Lawn ramp, and the Razorback Greenway on the top right, intersecting Maple Street.

If you're looking to learn more about the active transportation resources available on campus, the Office for Sustainability is hosting the fifth annual Bike Safety Block Party from 1-4 p.m. Sept. 1.

Do you have suggestions for more mobility-friendly infrastructure? Reach out to the Office for Sustainability at sustain@uark.edu.

About FM Planning and Design: Planning and Design directs a broad range of planning issues, including land use and master planning, campus development standards, landscape design, transportation planning, resource allocation oversight, and facilities assessments. This group is the source for physical planning at the University of Arkansas, and ensures that all projects support the academic goals of the University and promote the highest physical potential of the Fayetteville campus.

About UA Office for Sustainability: The mission of the University of Arkansas Office for Sustainability (OFS) is to motivate, facilitate, and coordinate responsible practices through partnerships with students, faculty, and staff across all campus departments. The OFS uses the campus as a living laboratory by overseeing the implementation of the University of Arkansas environmental goals. These programs are part of the UA Resiliency Center, hosted by the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, and are supported by UA Facilities Management.