The Little Rock City Board of Directors will vote Tuesday on whether to approve updates to the city’s biking plan within the Master Street Plan.
The Bicycle Friendly Committee of Little Rock has suggested adding several bike lanes to streets undergoing repairs, as well as expanding routes, including making plans for a possible connecting trail between downtown Hot Springs and downtown Little Rock. Mason Ellis helped revise the plan.
"One of the main ideas was how we could incorporate Little Rock sales tax projects, streets that were going to be resurfaced anyway and looked for areas we could incorporate biking infrastructure into the new street design," he said.
The plan has already been approved by the city’s planning commission. City Board member Doris Wright said she will vote in favor of the expanded bike routes because she encouraging bike transit will help the city.
"I think there's a culture here for it, I think it will become expanded as it becomes safer. I think it's not as safe here as people would like it to be and that's why it is not as widespread.”
Some community members have expressed frustration about allocating funds to bike lanes in place of other needs. Wright said she hasn’t heard any complaint from her constituents.
The board will meet to vote at 6p.m. Tuesday.
