U.S. DOT Allocates Million for Pedestrian Safety Projects in Little Rock
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded Little Rock, Arkansas, million to enhance pedestrian safety through the “Little Rock Safe Streets for All” initiative. This allocation is part of a larger million federal grant aimed at improving road safety in the state.
The initiative focuses on enhancing safety features along specific routes, including University Avenue and John Barrow Road. Dedicated bicycle lanes and roundabouts are among the improvements planned to address the high number of pedestrian fatalities in the city, where pedestrians accounted for 31% of traffic fatalities.
In addition to these efforts, Metroplan and city officials have identified areas with a history of severe accidents involving vehicles. Woodrow Street and 12th Street, in particular, have raised concerns among locals, with one resident stating that drivers are often reckless and pose a serious threat to pedestrians.
The million allocation is expected to have a significant impact on the city’s safety infrastructure. City officials have highlighted the importance of creating more visible crosswalks and building bike lanes to increase the perceived and actual safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
Comprehensive Approach to Enhancing Safety
U.S. DOT Allocates Million for Pedestrian Safety Projects in Little Rock
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded Little Rock, Arkansas, million to enhance pedestrian safety through the “Little Rock Safe Streets for All” initiative. This allocation is part of a larger million federal grant aimed at improving road safety in the state.
The initiative focuses on enhancing safety features along specific routes, including University Avenue and John Barrow Road. Dedicated bicycle lanes and roundabouts are among the improvements planned to address the high number of pedestrian fatalities in the city, where pedestrians accounted for 31% of traffic fatalities.
In addition to these efforts, Metroplan and city officials have identified areas with a history of severe accidents involving vehicles. Woodrow Street and 12th Street, in particular, have raised concerns among locals, with one resident stating that drivers are often reckless and pose a serious threat to pedestrians.
The million allocation is expected to have a significant impact on the city’s safety infrastructure. City officials have highlighted the importance of creating more visible crosswalks and building bike lanes to increase the perceived and actual safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
Comprehensive Approach to Enhancing Safety
The approach to enhancing safety encompasses several key aspects. These include education to promote better driver, cyclist, and pedestrian behavior, creation of more extensive bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and improvement of existing facilities to better separate vehicular traffic from non-motorized traffic.
Specific countermeasures include measures for uncontrolled pedestrian crossings and the implementation of traffic calming strategies such as road diets. These efforts are guided by the safety guidelines outlined by the U.S. DOT’s “Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian” (STEP) initiative.
The city aims to build on these measures with a complete network of bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This will include safer and more extensive pedestrian facilities and better bike facilities such as off-street trails and protected bike lanes to encourage increased ridership.
Additional steps include addressing intimidation and assault of vulnerable road users by motorists, emphasizing the need for empathy and understanding among different road users, and ensuring effective enforcement and legislation to protect pedestrians and cyclists.
