SPRINGDALE -- Regional planners awarded more than $600,000 in federal money to four cities Wednesday as part of their Carbon Reduction Program efforts.
The Carbon Reduction Program helps cities pay for projects to reduce or offset pollution from the ever-increasing number of cars and trucks on area roads. Carbon reduction money can be used on a wide range of projects reducing transportation emissions.
Regional planners want to focus on traffic monitoring; management and control facilities; transportation alternative projects, like trails and sidewalks; and advanced transportation and congestion management technologies, including systems that communicate with cars and their drivers.
They're also interested in replacing street lighting and traffic signals with more energy-efficient alternatives.
Projects will have to be included in state and regional long-range transportation plans. The state is getting almost $17 million for carbon reduction programs and has until November to come up with a statewide plan.
The program's strategy must be updated at least once every four years; the Federal Highway Administration must review and certify state plans.
Federal money will pay for 80% of projects selected, with a 20% local match required.
Several proposals were not funded this cycle. $689,306 was available for projects in Northwest Arkansas, and planners received about $2.2 million in requests, leaving about $1.5 million in requests that could not be fulfilled.
The projects selected were:
Dean's Trail in Springdale, Phase 3A, which received $240,653 for construction.
Arkansas 94, also known as New Hope Road, sidewalks in Rogers, which received $240,653 for construction.
Rooster Street to Hill Avenue sidewalk extension in Decatur, which received $183,000 for construction.
Fish Hatchery Road Trail Project in Centerton, which received $25,000 for planning, design and construction.
Should either of the smaller projects be unable to meet their obligation timeline, that money would be split between the Springdale and Rogers projects.