To help ensure pedestrian-focused projects come to life, the city created a new staff position in 2022, the Mobility Coordinator. The Mobility Coordinator works to build awareness of alternative forms of transportation and is charged with developing the city’s first comprehensive mobility plan. This plan will focus on equitable access to outdoor recreation and supporting outdoor experiences via trails and other resources such as the Arkansas River.

Throughout the year, the city promotes several sustainable programs, projects, and public engagement events to raise environmental awareness and highlight the importance of sustainability in Fort Smith. Many of these projects are public-private partnerships with departments within Fort Smith as well as national organizations.

The City maintains its membership in the Tree City USA Community program through multiple activities and events. For example, in 2021, city employees participated in the city’s first “Mulch March.” This enabled employees from all departments and other volunteers to help the Parks and Recreation Department apply mulch to the flower beds along Garrison Avenue.

Regular programming from the Solid Waste Services Department includes bi-weekly recycling cart collection for residents and businesses to help ensure proper disposal of items, prevent waste ending up scattered across the city, and decrease illegal dumping incidents.

The city also partners with Keep Fort Smith Beautiful on regular clean-up events. These events are sponsored by the Solid Waste Services Department. They provide large containers for residents to drop off unwanted or bulky items such as old furniture or appliances.

Yard Waste

For yard waste and organic material, the Solid Waste Services Department provides residents with free yard waste carts. After the residential yard waste is collected, the department transforms the material into compost at the city’s landfill facility, where the public can purchase mulch each spring.

 Landfill Gases

The city collects landfill gases (LFG) and then turns the biogas into a renewable fuel, compressed natural gas (CNG).

LFG is made up of roughly 50% methane and 50% carbon dioxide, but there are trace amounts of water, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen. The methane is collected and treated for pipeline injection while excess gas is flared or burned. The city’s partnership with Morrow Renewables generates approximately $1 million in annual revenue that the city uses to sustain the landfill operations, fund future expansion, and replace associated equipment.

As of early 2023, the landfill CNG fueling station provides fuel for six trucks for mobilization.

City Fleet, Active Transportation, and Mass Transit

By providing public transit to its citizens, the Transit Department (Fort Smith Transit) helps reduce the number of vehicles on the road. This reduces:

• CO2 emissions
• Energy consumption
• Traffic congestion
• Occupied parking spaces
• Maintenance related materials (such as engine oil) from the landfill

Elective Vehicle (EV) Fast-Charging Stations

 The city is working with Francis Energy to install two electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging stations in front of the Park at West End (Garrison Avenue & 2nd Street) and two at the Fort Smith Convention Center. As user demand increases, Francis Energy plans to install two additional fast-charging stations at each location, for an ultimate total of 8 stations. The new charging stations will provide a valuable service to the local and visiting EV drivers since EVs emit no direct emissions, reduce sound pollution, and improve the quality of life in urban areas. For more info, please see the November 8, 2021 board meeting.

City Vehicles

In conjunction with the City of Fort Smith bikeway plan, Fixed Route buses are equipped with bike racks on the front exterior of all buses.

Learn More About the Bikeways

Fort Smith Transit recently constructed a new fast fill compressed natural gas fueling station and ordered a fleet of six new CNG low floor buses to further protect the environment and improve its operational efficiency. The Fort Smith Transit fleet also includes:

• 4 hybrid cars
• 4 CNG pickup trucks
• 1 CNG SUV
• 6 new CNG buses
• 13 bi-fuel buses (CNG & unleaded)

Protecting drinking water sources is the first line of defense in ensuring safe drinking water. If communities are aware of their drinking water sources and potential threats to these sources and their watersheds, they can take steps to keep the sources safe and improve their local environment. There is something everyone – from retirees to school kids to individuals in their homes – can do to help.