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Casey Covington, PE, AICP Executive Director
Lynn Bell Graphics Specialist
Sydney Dozier Public Outreach Planner
Tammy Gillis Accountant
Hans Haustein GIS Analyst/Planner Performance Measure Coord.
Daniel Holland
Transportation Planner/ Program Manager
Jonathan Lupton, AICP Senior Planner for Publications
Susan Markman, AICP, CGF Part-time Planning Consultant
Bernadette Rhodes
Senior Regional Planner for Partnerships and Grants
Jeff Runder, AICP Senior Planner for Technical Analysis
Allen Skaggs Planning Technician
Cindy Segebarth Administrator
Iris Woods Receptionist
Prepared by: Lynn Bell, Casey Covington, Sydney Dozier, Hans Haustein, Daniel Holland, Jonathan Lupton, Bernadette Rhodes
Graphics and layout: Lynn Bell
All photos are by Metroplan staff except where noted.
This report was funded in part through grants from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. The views and opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Metroplan complies with all civil rights provisions of federal statutes and related authorities that prohibit discrimination in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. Therefore, Metroplan does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, age, national origin, religion or disability, in the admission, access to and treatment in Metroplan’s programs and activities, as well as Metroplan’s hiring or employment practices. Complaints of alleged discrimination and inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies may be directed to Sydney Dozier, ADA/504/Title VI Coordinator, 501 West Markham Street, Suite B, Little Rock, AR 72201, (501) 372-3300, or the following e-mail address: sdozier@metroplan.org. (Hearing impaired may dial 711.)
This notice is available from the ADA/504/Title VI Coordinator in large print, audiotape or braille.
Dear Reader,
The year 2023 saw many accomplishments at Metroplan. During 2023, the organization completed Central Arkansas Transforming Mobility, a long-range transportation plan that takes a fresh look at regional goals over the next twenty years. The Transforming Mobility plan was developed entirely in-house, yielding cost-saving and efficiency advantages, while focusing on innovative technologies and safety.
The new plan also reflects a transition to new leadership in mid-year when the Metroplan Board named Casey Covington as its new Executive Director. Casey brings both expertise and experience to the job, having demonstrated steadily growing capability since he joined in 2004.
During 2023, Metroplan developed its Energy and Environment Innovation Plan (EEI), a framework for a sustainable future that builds new partnerships while channeling the regional focus on transportation and environmental issues. Metroplan joined hands with regional stakeholders, built on its social media presence, and conducted multiple media interviews to build understanding and support for these vital issues.
The year 2023 also saw Metroplan implementing a $700,000 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets for All (SS4A) program. Metroplan used this grant to study critical safety problems, identifying roadway segments and intersections for safety improvements. Metroplan’s SS4A initiative will include grants to local governments that improve infrastructure in these critical places, making it safer to walk, bike, and drive in the region.
In October 2023, the Metroplan Board of Directors and associates visited the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, an area known for success with economic revitalization, future-oriented transit investments, and place making. This stimulating trip gave Central Arkansas leaders an opportunity to compare notes with their fellows in eastern Pennsylvania and—just as important—to discuss ideas with each other.
Finally, 2023 was the year Metroplan formally adopted the Central Arkansas Regional Greenways Plan, targeting investments that make connections and expand regional pedestrian and biking trails.
It was a very successful year at Metroplan, and it laid groundwork for even greater successes in 2024 and beyond.
Judge Barry Hyde, Pulaski County Metroplan President
During October, the Metroplan Board of Directors and associates visited the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. The delegation learned about regional partnerships, civic and philanthropic engagement, and innovative economic development and transportation initiatives in this beautiful and historic part of Pennsylvania. Metroplan's Board conducts benchmarking trips like this to gain fresh perspectives and stimulate creative dialog about options for Central Arkansas.
On Wednesday morning, Bethlehem Planning Director Darlene Heller introduced the group to Bethlehem, known as “Christmas City” and for its rich colonial and industrial history. Later, officials gave an overview of the region’s public transit system and invited the group to ride its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route from Bethlehem to Allentown. Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk showed off downtown, including examples of redevelopment occurring in the city’s Neighborhood Improvement Zone.
During the Smaller Communities panel discussion, Metroplan delegates heard about the unique features and challenges of leading exurban portions of the region.
Metroplan delegates enjoyed a warm reception by the leadership of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs minor league baseball team. Coca-Cola Park enjoys the highest visitor counts out of any minor league team in the nation, averaging more than 8,500 fans per contest in the ballpark's 15-year history.
Metroplan’s latest Metropolitan Transportation Plan, Central Arkansas Transforming Mobility, developed over the course of 2023. The plan defines how our region will move its residents safely and efficiently to the places they cherish. Extensive engagement with residents, businesses, and community leaders revealed six regional goals to increase transportation choices and build a vibrant economy. From the goals, nine “Core Policies” were crafted to guide Metroplan’s transportation initiatives.
The five goals identified during the outreach initiative:
1: Active Neighborhoods and Placemaking
2: Accessible Transportation
3. Reliable, Resilient, and Safer Transportation and Environments
4. Innovation in Transportation and Land Development
5. Regional Collaboration and Identity
In four chapters, the plan describes our region’s key trends in population, transportation, land use, and economy; outlines the basis for our policy decisions; and sets the course for transportation invests 25 years into the future.
… we reinvest in our current roadway network and increase multimodal opportunities by adjusting our development patterns. Regional coordination ensures consistent decisionmaking that creates better communities for our residents. This plan is an exciting step towards achieving our vision.
Central Arkansas, while growing, has slowed in the previous decade but has reached over 700,000 population.
Arkansas Median Age in 2022:
Source: ACS 2022, one-year
I-40 serves 5 million trucks per year.
North Little Rock to Memphis is the most heavily-traveled segment in Arkansas.
Port of Little Rock: Handles 12 million tons of freight per year.
100–150 Trains per day
Arkansas River/McClellan-Kerr: Barge access to 19 states.
Clinton National Airport: Transports 90% of air cargo in Arkansas.
1. Make equity and accessibility integral to all Metroplan's planning efforts.
2. Design and implement multimodal corridors for: Connectivity, Accessibility, Safety, Placemaking, and Active Transportation.
3. Maintain current roadway network and prioritize projects that optimize existing infrastructure before expanding capacity.
4. Develop the Regional Greenways to create a more complete transportation network.
5. Strengthen coordination between land developent and the transportation network by encouraging mixed-use and flexibility in housing.
6. Support regionwide transit development that adapts to a dynamic transportation environment.
7. Embrace new technologies and best practices to optimize mobility and protect the environment.
8. Build upon state freight planning to identify critical local freight corridors and increase intermodal options.
9. Collaborate with local, regional, and state partners to advance Central Arkansas.
Metroplan staff spent the second half of 2023 driving positive change towards a greener and more sustainable future. Metroplan was selected to contribute to a statewide action plan as a regional sub-awardee of the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG), awarded in Summer 2023 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Staff collaborated with the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment’s Office of Air Quality, the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, and the City of Fort Smith to take stock of greenhouse gas emissions and collect public input on future diections.
The results formed the Arkansas Energy and Environment Innovation Priority Action Plan, which will guide investments, protect natural resources, and electrify economic development in our state. Metroplan’s contribution to the plan is the Central Arkansas Energy and Environment Innovation Plan Supplement, a collaborative effort to move the needle on climate change and position our region well for future grant opportunities. https://tinyurl.com/4rbuswxf
EEI Transportation Sector Workshop 9/21/23, 50 participants.
Meaningful change requires input from our board members, community partners, and the public. Metroplan staff conducted a comprehensive engagement process, including a statewide public survey and in-person interactions with stakeholders and residents, emphasizing outreach to low-income and disadvantaged communities throughout the region.
Activities included:
• Community Input Survey
• Online public survey developed and hosted by Metroplan with input from state and regional partners
• Launched September 5, 2023
• 880 statewide responses, 317 from Central Arkansas MSA (as of 11/21/23)
• Transportation Sector Workshop in North Little Rock
• Metroplan Board & Stakeholder Workshop
• Presentations to LR Sustainability Commission, Sierra Club, Central Arkansas Planning and Development District (CAPDD), WTS Arkansas
• Television interviews on THV11 The Vine and PBS Arkansas Week
• Tabling at North Pulaski County Community Festival, UA Little Rock Sustainability Day, and Little Rock Cornbread Festival
• Press releases advertising Community Input Survey and Transportation Sector Workshop
• Email newsletters to 112 contacts regionwide
• Distributed information through neighborhood associations
• Social media posts
The statewide Energy and Environment Innovation Priority Action Plan enables state, regional, and local agencies to apply for implementation funding under the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program. The greenhouse gas reduction and benefit analyses included in the plan will also help Central
Based on a combination of public/stakeholder input, data analysis, and competitveness for implementation funding, Metroplan has identified four priority action areas with project examples under each:
CLEAN TRANSPORTATION CHOICES & GREEN CORRIDORS
Regional Greenways
Transit Electrification & Optimization
Complete Streets/Green Infrastructure
Energy Efficient Street Lighting
Mode Shifting
Short-Term Emission Reduction Technology
Long-Term Electrification/ Alternative Fuel Strategy
Regional EV Charger Placement Strategy
Arkansas organizations to apply for future grants from federal agencies, including the Departments of Transportation, Energy, and the EPA.
Comprehensive Action Planning
Regional Energy and Environment Innovation planning does not stop here! Staff will conduct more outreach and analyze more pollution reduction projects throughout 2024 before submitting the Central Arkansas Comprehensive Action Plan Supplement in February 2025.
Rooftop Solar w/ Focus on Public & Commercial
Energy Conservation Measures (insulation, LEDs)
Building Controls (lighting schedules, HVAC set points)
Building Code Upgrades
Gasification (Waste to Energy)
Composting
Landfill Gas to Energy
Improved Recycling
From attending local festivals to creating an Instagram page, this past year Metroplan has leaped head-first into public engagement. During 2023, Metroplan worked with community members on projects like the Energy and Environment Innovation Plan, Safety for All, and Ozone Action Days. Partner agencies throughout Central Arkansas announced community wins like the electric bus fleet at Rock Region METRO, the South Loop Study in Southeast Little Rock, and plans to improve Conway streets, along with many other events.
The City of Conway, in cooperation with the Arkansas Department of Transportation and Metroplan, conducted a public involvement meeting on August 1 to gather input on the proposed plans to improve Salem Road between Dave Ward Drive (Hwy 60) and College Avenue. Photo: City of Conway.
in a panel discussion about tourism and trails on PBS' Arkansas Week on October 27. Topics included the increase in tourism, a plan for Little Rock's downtown area, and bike and walking trails connecting Central Arkansas cities. Other panelists were Katie Beck, CEO for the Arkansas Hospitality Assoc.; and Gabe Holmstrom, Downtown Little Rock Partnership Executive Director.
In 2023, Metroplan received a $700,000 grant from the federal government, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets for All (SS4A) program. The grant was a byproduct of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress in late 2021. While safety has always been an important priority, this grant enabled Metroplan to build a Regional Comprehensive Safety Action Plan during 2023.
Working with consultant Kimley-Horn, Metroplan used crash data to establish a High Injury Network (HIN) which identifies roadway segments and intersections with a high share of fatal and serious injury crashes. The map (below right) depicts HIN roadway segments.
After each walk audit, the consultants provided suggestions to improve safety and functionality at each location. The above image shows recommendations for the Military Road and Carpenter Street intersection in Benton.
1. Redesign the median and move further north to reduce crosswalk distance and to help reorient. Include a wider refuge for pedestrians here.
2. Design and install crosswalk markings and signage. Pay careful attention to the angles of crosswalks to ease navigation.
3. Add crosswalks and signage on all side streets off of Military Rd.
4. Design and install crosswalk markings and signage. Improve pedestrian median to enhance safety and comfort. Photo and diagram: Laneshift 9/14/2023.
The Regional Comprehensive Safety Action Plan included walk/ bike audits in Benton, Cabot, Greenbrier and southwest Little Rock, highlighting safety issues for pedestrians and bicyclists, the most vulnerable of road users.
The Plan's outreach portion included presence at weekend festivals around Central Arkansas as well as evening drop-in meetings. An online map allowed citizens to leave comments about specific location safety issues in their communities.
Metroplan staff conducted bi-weekly meetings to discuss the project’s progress, as well as monthly meetings with Safety Action Plan Advisory Committee (SAPAC). The SAPAC consists of municipal and county representatives from across the region as well as private sector representatives concerned with roadway safety.
All cities and counties in Central Arkansas will be eligible to apply for implementation grants available from the federal government via the SS4A program.
In 2020 the Metroplan Board adopted a strategic target of fifty-five million dollars over 10 fiscal years to plan, develop, and construct a regional multi-use path network.
Since then, Metroplan staff and consultants have been hard at work analyzing goals, making cost estimates, and selecting potential routes. Public input was encouraged via in-person events, an online survey and interactive map. The resulting Central Arkansas Greenways Plan will build 222 miles of trail across the region, providing pedestrian and biking alternatives for a better, more livable region.
On May 24th, 2023 the Metroplan Board adopted the Plan to guide targeted investments in regional paths in Central Arkansas. Trail development and construction can now begin.
The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) accounts for all federal transportation spending in our region. Updated continuously, it encompasses the most current four years of planned projects from the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). This important distinction means a project has been given a date to begin construction, and funding has been set aside.
Metroplan tracks all projects that have been awarded funding through our call for projects. In 2023, we saw several projects move quickly towards completion. Two major overpasses highlight a year of accomplishments, Highway 89 over interstate 40 is done and JP Wright Loop Rd over the UP railroad will wrap up in 2024.
During 2023, fifteen projects around the Central Arkansas region were awarded a combined total of $16.5 million from the Surface Transportation Block Grant and Carbon Reduction Funding Program. These projects, shown in the table below, were selected through an evaluation process that prioritized their contribution to regional goals as defined in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan.
The projects include several new trail segments, multimodal improvements, and rejuvenated roadway corridors working toward safer, more connected mobility choices. The Regional
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Consulting Category
• 2024 National ACEC – National Recognition
During early 2023, Tab Townsell stepped down after six years as Executive Director at Metroplan. He had served since 2017. Tab oversaw structural changes to Metroplan that lengthened the president’s term to two years, enhanced the role of the Executive Committee, and set up the Small Cities Council. During Tab's tenure the Metroplan Board shaped the Regional Greenways Plan, which is now taking form in trails planned or under construction across the region.
Later in the year, the Metroplan Board chose Casey Covington as Executive Director. Casey has been on staff at Metroplan since 2003, serving as Deputy Director since 2017. Casey has Professional Engineer (PE) and AICP credentials, and many
years of experience working on transportation planning and administration.
Early in 2023, Cindy Segebarth retired after serving over eleven years as Office Administrator. Cindy worked closely with staff and the Metroplan Board to manage Metroplan’s annual budget of approximately $3 million. Cindy had a distinguished 40-year career in the nonprofit sector.
During 2023, Metroplan added a new planner, Sydney Dozier, to its staff as a Public Engagement Planner. A graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Sydney engages with the public via social media and relations with the press.
PRESIDENT
Judge Barry Hyde Pulaski County
VICE PRESIDENT
Judge Allen Dodson Faulkner County
Mayor Crystal Herrmann City of Alexander
Mayor Bernadette Chamberlain City of Austin
Mayor Eddie Jones City of Bauxite
Mayor Tom Farmer City of Benton
Mayor Rhonda Sanders City of Bryant
Mayor Cody Kees City of Cammack Village
Mayor Bart Castleberry City of Conway
Mayor David “Butch” House City of England
Mayor Sammy Hartwick City of Greenbrier
Mayor Terry Williams City of Guy
Mayor Clyde Crookham City of Haskell
Mr. Keith Keck
Hot Springs Village
SECRETARY/TREASURER
Mayor Ken Kincade City of Cabot
Mayor Jeff Elmore City of Jacksonville
Mayor Stephanie White City of Keo
Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. City of Little Rock
Mayor Wayne McGee City of Lonoke
Mayor Caleb Norris City of Maumelle
Mayor Danny Hester City of Mayflower
Mayor Jonathon Hawkins City of Mount Vernon
Mayor Terry Hartwick City of North Little Rock
Mayor Mike Kemp City of Shannon Hills
Mayor Cain Nattin City of Sheridan
Mayor Mary Jo Heye-Townsell City of Sherwood
Mayor Kimberly Schane City of Traskwood
Mayor Preston Scroggin City of Vilonia
Mayor Charles Gastineau City of Ward
Mayor Terry Don Robinson City of Wooster
Mayor Derrick Rainey City of Wrightsville
Judge Randy Pruitt Grant County
Judge Doug Erwin Lonoke County
Judge Matt Brumley Saline County
Mr. David Siskowski Arkansas Department of Transportation
Mr. Justin Avery Rock Region METRO
Mr. Bryan Day Little Rock Port Authority
Mr. Bryan Malinowski
Clinton National Airport