Little Rock officials are now focusing on South Main Street’s growth and the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists in that area.
All this month, officials are working to heighten awareness of the need to drivers to be safer. KUAR’s Kezia Nanda visited the South Main and 15th St. Intersection.
The corner of South Main and 15th Street is where the Root Café, the Green Corner Store and Boulevard Bread are located.
Laura Frankenstein works at the Green Corner Store and feels it’s dangerous to walk across Main Street.
"Lots of us cross back and forth to get to the Root cafe, then come to the store, or people coming to Boulevard. And it's tricky, people mostly don't stop. If they do stop, I give them a big wave and a'thanks',” said Frankenstein.
Michael Inscoe works at the Boulevard Bread and he’s concerned about how Little Rock residents drive.
" I feel like the main concern is Arkansans don't seem to know that people on the crosswalk have the right of way and also they don't seem to pay too much attention to bicyclists. But yeah I feel like it’s pretty dangerous,” said Inscoe.
Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, architects and some other organizations have designed a solution.
Ed Sergeant is with the Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects said, "Turning the four lanes into three and then make bike lines. So, very easy, it's very cost-efficient. And it does a lot of good and it's well studied too."
The plans come as more people are visiting South Main, which has become a destination for live music, organic farmers, runners, and bicyclists.