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Grant sought for bike/run trail at airport |
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Wednesday, 15 July 2009 |
Saline County has applied for a $200,000 state grant that county officials say would fund construction a 7.2-mile biking and running trail along the perimeter of the airport.
The county applied through the state Highway and Transportation Department.
If the grant is approved, the trail would be built in phases and the project would take about five years to complete, County Judge Lanny Fite said.
Fite said the county expects to learn the fate of the grant application sometime before September.
The trail would be 17 feet from the perimeter fence. There would be a 16-foot paved area and 20-25-foot grassy area for people who like to run in the grass, Fite said.
“Saline County doesn’t have a place to ride, run or walk safely and this would provide a secure area for people to do that,” he said. “The city of Bryant has agreed to patrol it and the sheriff’s office would patrol some.”
Saline County Regional Airport is located off Arkansas 183 in the Bryant city limits.
“The good thing about this trail is that a gate to the trail would only be big enough for bikes and runners and walkers to get in,” Fite said.
Local fitness groups favor the project.
“We believe this trail would be a great asset to the community,” said Pete Ireland, secretary-treasurer of the Saline County Striders running club. “Right now there are few options open to Saline County runners and cyclists other than on the roads and streets.”
Traffic, Ireland said, poses a problem to cyclists and runners.
“Vehicle traffic is always a concern, especially when cycling,” he said, “and it is not always easy to do a long run without spending at least some time on well traveled roads. While most drivers are courteous and careful, there are some who are not.”
He cited the River Trail in Little Rock and North Little Rock. That is “a great example of ‘if you build it, they will come,’” Ireland said, adding that sections of the trail are especially busy on weekends.
The proposed Saline County trail would provide an “excellent location for safe running, walking and biking,” Ireland said. “As a club, we strongly encourage and support this project.”
Barbara Kane, fitness instructor at Fitness Unlimited in Benton and an avid cyclist, said the trail “is an awesome idea.”
“It would be great to have a safe place to ride my bicycle,” she said. “I used to ride all over the place, but it seems like people have become less tolerant of cyclists on the road, and now cyclists get yelled at, buzzed and things thrown at them.”
“It is very unsafe. And very unfair,” Kane said. “Now I only ride on the River Trail in Little Rock and North Little Rock when I am by myself. If I have someone to ride with me, I will go on the road, but only at times when the traffic is likely to be less.”
If the Saline County trail is built, Kane said she can envision community events at the site, such as foot races, children’s activities, bike rides and more.
“What an exciting possibility,” she said.
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