Trail wrinkle : Budget limitations slow process of adding lights to Scull Creek Trail
Posted on Wednesday, July 23, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/67412/
Scull Creek Trail isn’t open yet, but more than 200 people strolled, jogged and biked past a counter on the trail between Sycamore and North streets by 3 p. m. Tuesday.
In fact, that section wasn’t even paved until last Thursday and Friday.
“ That’s way higher than I expected, ” said Matt Mihalevich, the city’s trails coordinator. “ It’s going to be the most-used trail in town. ”
The already steady use — the trail averaged 119 daily users from July 3-22 — is one of the reasons Mihalevich wants to be sure the trail gets lit. “ We really want to make that a viable alternative transportation network yearround. Lighting extends that use period, ” he said. Fayetteville has 82 trail lights in storage for Scull Creek Trail that may not get put up this year, even though the trail is already being used. “ We only have a certain amount of budget for this year, ” said Mihalevich.
Wait and see “ We might decide to wait on lights until we’re sure the budget will get all the trail
”,. “ We need to get the surface put down first. ” For the full trail, the city will need to put in 175 more lights, which includes the 82 in storage and 93 to be purchased next year at the earliest. “ We will definitely install all (82 ) of them by the first of 2009 at the latest, ” Mihalevich said. Mihalevich said 58 lights are planned from Poplar to North streets. “ We’re holding off on those for now, ” he said. The 93 additional lights would be needed to light the entire trail. The trail section from the Fulbright Expressway to the Mud Creek Trail will require 52 lights, for the entire trail to be lit. The lights, which stand about 12 feet above the trail, are “ dark sky friendly. ” That means the fixtures aim the light down so it doesn’t go into the atmosphere or nearby residents’ yards. Every finished section of the trail is already lit. Currently, 36 lights are installed from Fulbright Expressway to Gordon Long Park and 76 are installed from Gordon Long Park to Poplar Street for a total of 112 lights installed and working. “ You can stand back and look at a lot of the lights at once, and you really don’t see much light coming off of them except for the trail is lit very nicely, ” Mihalevich said of the lights along the eastern edge of the University of Arkansas farm. Three sections of Scull Creek Trail are not yet finished: from the Fulbright Expressway to Mud Creek Trail by Steele Boulevard; a section in Gordon Long Park; and North Street to Frisco Avenue.
Mihalevich said the Fulbright Expressway and Gregg Street tunnels need to be lit and a 12-light gap in Gordon Long Park needs lighting.
Lights on the city trails are spaced about 75 feet apart, which means about 70 per mile. Typically the trails are lit on one side only, the side away from the creek.
“ We’ve been able to do it all for about $ 100, 000 a mile, ” Mihalevich said.
He budgeted $ 692 to install each light. That includes the service panels and all the underground wiring, even with higher copper prices.
The light fixtures cost about $ 621 each, and each pole is about $ 545. The lights, the poles and the installation were all part of the original plan for the Scull Creek Trail, which is funded in part through the city’s annual trail budget and in part with a voter-approved 1-cent sales tax.
Commuters “ The whole premise behind the trails is alternative transportation, and the need for that is growing as gas prices increase, ” said Mihalevich. Lights extend how long the trail can be used each day but also extend the trail’s use in winter months. “ Part of alternative transportation, to make it feasible for commuters, is to have lighting, especially in the winter months when it gets dark after 5 o’clock, even in the mornings if they’re going in early to work, ” he said.
Frisco Trail is currently the most used commuter trail, according to Mihalevich, who expects it will be until Scull Creek Trail is connected to it.
Christina Jones of Fayetteville commutes about 10 minutes by bike to work along Frisco Trail. She said she meets a few people every morning, some on their way to work, some taking a leisurely stroll.
“ It’s enjoyable. It’s more liberating than being in a vehicle, ” said Jones, who rides her bike to work because of the price of gasoline and because the feel of fresh, cool air on her skin is a nice way to start the day.
“ The best part of getting off work in the afternoon is going out the door, hopping on my bike and it’s a downhill ride all the way home. ”