ROGERS --The city is one step closer to getting money to redo a section of trail where a woman was killed last week.
The City Council approved an operation and maintenance plan for the section of the Razorback Greenway during its meeting Tuesday.
Nathan Becknell, city project manager, said approving the plan is a step the Walton Family Foundation requires from trail grant applicants.
Jennifer Bikel, 40, of Rogers was hit and killed by a vehicle Feb. 3 while running on the trail section that runs along 52nd Street, according to police records.
Records show Bikel was on the sidewalk when she was struck by Joseph Farnan, 53, of Rogers. Farnan was turning right out of the Village on the Creeks shopping center.
Mayor Greg Hines said the accident reminds everyone to be mindful. He said this includes pedestrians and drivers.
"Any time you have something like this occur it is shocking and sad on a personal level," Hines said.
Becknell said city officials have been working on redoing the section for about a year. He said the city applied for a grant from the Walton Family Foundation for the project in December. He also said the resolution for the operation and maintenance plan was placed on the city's Tuesday agenda two days before Bikel was killed.
Safety is one component for redoing the stretch, Becknell said. He said it isn't the only reason.
"It enhances quality for the user," Becknell said. "It is more tranquil and also will connect users easier to a retail location."
The 1,600 foot stretch of trail will be slightly extended if redone, Becknell said. He said a curve also will be added to the proposed new route extending away from the road. A trail signal also will be added where the section will cross Stoney Brook Road.
Becknell said he hopes to know if the city will receive the grant by the end of the month. He said the grant would cover half of the $1.3 million project.
The remaining money for the project would come from sales tax revenue the city receives from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, Becknell said. He said the city will have to evaluate the project and other projects again in the works if it doesn't receive the grant.
NW News on 02/10/2016