Pine Bluff pedestrians and bicyclists will be the primary benefactors of a $500,000 grant to the city from the Federal Highway Administration. However, Mayor Carl A. Redus Jr. points out that everyone will likely gain from the grant, which is earmarked for improvements to pedestrian and bicycle transportation infrastructure within a designated Heart of the City Revitalization Area.
The grant was announced in a Friday news release from Pine Bluff Economic and Community Development Director Donald Sampson.
The monies were awarded through the FHWA’s Transportation, Community and Service Preservation Program, which provides discretionary funding to carry out projects that integrate transportation, community and system preservation plans, Sampson said. There were 600 applicants applying for $52 million in funding, and Pine Bluff was among 83 recipients.
Redus said the Heart of the City Revitalization Area encompasses downtown and Lake Saracen along with the University Park neighborhood, which includes the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
“The expected results of this project will include better pedestrian and bicycle transportation options for residents, students, employees, patrons and persons with disabilities who access jobs, higher education, services and centers of trade within the targeted area,” said Redus. “It is anticipated that increased use of these facilities will result in reduced vehicular usage, which helps preserve the useful life of existing roadways and reduce adverse environmental impacts from automobiles.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The initiative integrates existing plans associated with downtown and University Park Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area, Sampson said.
“These two areas of the city are linked by Lake Saracen and its trails that extend from downtown to the University Park neighborhood,” he said.
Southeast Arkansas Regional Planning Director Jerre George agreed.
“We believe that pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure investments will complement ongoing improvements in land use, transportation and housing within the integrated targeted area,” George said.