City of Searcy Awarded $500,000 Transportation Alternatives Program Grant for Davis Drive Connection

The City of Searcy has been awarded a $500,000 Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant from the Arkansas Department of Transportation — the maximum amount available through the program. The funding will be used for the Davis Drive Connection, a critical portion of Searcy’s growing network of walking and biking trails.

The proposed Davis Drive project includes a 12-foot-wide concrete multi-use path approximately 4,200 feet long, connecting the new entrance of Riverside Park on Highway 13 to the existing Searcy Bike Trail. This section will provide a continuous path linking Riverside Park to the future Community Center and Outdoor Water Park.

“This project is an important step toward completing the larger trail system that ties all of Searcy together,” said Richard Stafford, Planning & Development Director for the City of Searcy. “Through the #MySearcy projects, we have funding for other critical connection points but this grant will provide the funds in order to connect Riverside Park to the rest of our trail system.” 

This TAP grant builds upon momentum following the City’s $4.2 million federal RAISE Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The city recently signed the official contract for that grant, which will fund the planning and design phase of the Little Red Greenway project. The Little Red Greenway aims to expand the city’s existing 5.5-mile bike trail into a comprehensive 21-mile active transportation network.

The expanded trail system will connect major destinations throughout Searcy — including Harding University, downtown, seven schools, six parks, medical centers, and major employers — while also establishing a future connection to the neighboring city of Kensett.

“Improving accessibility is a top priority for our city,” Mayor Mat Faulkner said. “Every new connection we build brings our community closer together — linking neighborhoods, schools, parks, and businesses. The Davis Drive and Little Red Greenway projects are both instrumental in helping make Searcy a place where people of all ages and abilities can move safely across our city.”

The Davis Drive Connection complements other recent and ongoing park and infrastructure improvements across Searcy. While funding sources vary for each of these projects, they are all a part of the #MySearcy Master Plan that was developed through community engagement and input. 

“We have a lot of projects going on at the same time right now. It’s amazing to see how each of these projects tie together and point back to the tremendous amount of community feedback we received during the development of the #MySearcy Master Plan,” Faulkner said. 

To learn more about these projects, visit cityofsearcy.org.