Much has been written here and elsewhere about a proposal to narrow Riverfront Drive from four vehicle lanes to two so as to widen the River Trail for bikers, walkers and runners.
Some neighbors, particularly in the ritzy Canal Pointe neighborhood and also some from the high-end Overlook neighborhood at the end of Rebsamen Park Road objected. As it is, users of that road speed well in excess of the posted speed limit because of the broad street and relatively light traffic volume.
I’ve written — and believe — that this project and several others in the city are not aimed only at providing more space for bicycles and other non-motorized users but also for traffic calming. Streets need not be engineered to get people out of town as fast as possible, if you believe a dense core city makes more sense and is more efficient than sprawl.
Anyway, City Manager Bruce Moore has heard the howls. He said a federal grant application to change the roadway WILL proceed. but ….
The City is going to submit a revised application that does not reduce traffic lanes on Riverfront Drive but also enhances bicycle safety in the area.
I’m seeking more details about how that might be accomplished.
See Arkansas Outside for some detailed reporting on the subject, but before it was known the grant application would preserve a four-lane Riverfront.