Inclusive Mobility in Bentonville: Making Spaces and Sidewalks More Accessible for Every Neighbor
Have you heard? Seventy-three percent of Bentonville residents recently expressed support for a separated mobility network for safer and easier travel.
That’s an impressive jump from 63% in 2023—a 10% increase, in just two years!
Whether you get around Bentonville by bike, car, public transit, scooter or wheelchair, we increasingly value a safe and convenient mobility infrastructure for everyone, including those with limited mobility. The tide is turning.
A mobility network that’s accessible to everyone
Part of more inclusive mobility means ensuring that transportation systems are accessible, affordable and convenient for all people, regardless of their physical abilities or impairments. It's about creating a transportation system where everyone can move freely and participate fully in society.
The broader picture: In the U.S., 44.1 million people, or just over 13% of our population live with a disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That percentage jumps with age, with 46% of people 75 and older reporting a disability.
But getting to jobs, meetings, appointments, dinners, movies, concerts and other everyday life events can be extra challenging for people with impairments.
Barriers to accessibility often mean barriers to financial, social and other opportunities.
Physical impairments involve difficulties walking or balancing or low stamina. People with physical impairments may use a wheelchair or walking aid.
What can help:
Barrier-free sidewalks with resting places and smooth surfaces.
Ramps and lifts to assist people entering vehicles.
Raised bus or train stops or low floor buses.
Vision impairments can mean low vision to total blindness. People with vision impairments might struggle with poor infrastructure, unawareness of other travelers or public transportation employees, as well as safely crossing streets.
What can help:
Tactile markings on platforms, stairs and at crossing points.
Audible signals for crossing.
Color contrasts in signal lights, smooth edges and hand holds.
Easy access to seats and audible information about future stops on public transport.
Hearing impairments range from slight hearing loss to total deafness. People with hearing impairments depend heavily on visual directional signing and visual information.
What can help:
Clear, contrasting visual aids, such as prominently placed arrival times and destinations, via apps or monitors.
Flashing red lights in buses or trains can signal doors closing.
Cognitive impairments/mental health conditions include learning disabilities, traumatic brain injury, age-related dementia or stroke; mental health conditions like autism, ADHD or dyslexia. People with cognitive impairments may have difficulty coping in a fast-moving, constantly changing environment such as public transport.
What can help:
Simplified audible and visual information.
Trained staff at interchanges and on vehicles.
Quiet zones and spacious transit waiting areas.
Traveling with a support service animal.
Inclusivity is integral to our community
An inclusive and accessible transportation system is more than a nice-to-have; it’s an integral component of creating a safer, more connected Bentonville, throughout our state, for that matter.
While we continue improving Bentonville’s infrastructure, including sidewalks and trails, to enhance accessibility for people with mobility challenges, we are making strides.
For example, the wheelchair-accessible Razorback Greenway offers a 40-mile paved pathway. For more insight on Bentonville’s commitment to more inclusive mobility design and destinations, visit Five Wheelchair Accessible Things To Do in Bentonville.
Moving ahead, according to the city’s Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan, all infrastructure should be compliant with guidelines from the Americans with Disabilities Act. This includes curb ramps at intersections and mid-block crossings for safer transitions from street to sidewalk for pedestrians/wheelers.
The Coalition, meeting with others to find a way—for all
At the Coalition we’re always keeping an eye on the road ahead, especially in regard to making our communities more inclusive and easier to access, for all. In fact, a team from the Coalition attended June’s Central Arkansas Vulnerable Road User (VRU) Safety Summit in Fayetteville.
“It was great to hear that the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) is actively working on a Complete Streets policy and design guide,” said attendee and Coalition member Carter Smith.
“One of the biggest messages across sessions was that our built environment must be designed with vulnerable road users in mind,” he added. “We can’t keep designing by default just because that’s how it’s always been done.”
