Fort Smith, AR
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What is the Grand Avenue Multimodal Corridor Plan?
The Grand Avenue Multimodal Corridor Plan is an initiative to improve roadway safety and active transportation infrastructure along a vital city corridor in Fort Smith, Arkansas (population 89,992). Grand Avenue spans the width of Fort Smith, running 3.5 miles from east to west. Grand Avenue connects Interstate 540 to downtown Fort Smith with many key destinations along the way, leading to heavy use by both vehicular and non-vehicular traffic. With many minority-owned businesses, a university, a beloved public park, and direct access to neighborhoods and employment centers, additional investments in Grand Avenue are set to make a transformational impact towards a more vibrant and prosperous Fort Smith.
The Grand Avenue Multimodal Corridor Plan will guide the execution of a comprehensive range of mobility and safety enhancements. This could include improved pedestrian crossings, protected or separated active transportation facilities, improved bus stop locations, enhanced lighting, and other traffic control measures that ensure safe navigation for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.
Additionally, the Grand Avenue Multimodal Corridor Plan prioritizes equitable development by removing transportation barriers for low-income residents. With census tracts along Grand Avenue falling between the 72nd to 99th percentile nationally for low-income populations, a key objective is to introduce new facilities that make affordable transportation alternatives more feasible for all households. Expanding connectivity will create better access to jobs, schools, services, healthcare providers, and recreational opportunities that will benefit the entire community.
The Grand Avenue Multimodal Corridor Plan will help establish Grand Avenue as a beacon for the city, where infrastructure serves to create safer, more inclusive, and more sustainable urban environments. We believe Grand Avenue will one day serve as a model for other similar cities across the nation, showing the transformative impact of active transportation infrastructure investments.