Biking safety focus of downtown event
A Downtown Little Rock Partnership news conference Monday will put focus on the South Main Street area and promote pedestrian and bicyclists safety in honor of Pedestrian Safety Awareness month.
The group’s leaders and several bicycle advocates will meet at South Main and 13th streets at 11 a.m. to address safety concerns at that intersection and highlight the new bike lanes there.
“Pedestrians and bicyclists downtown are on the increase,” the group’s executive director, Sharon Priest, said. “Add to that traditional traffic patterns designed to get cars, trucks and buses in and out of downtown quickly, and you have a recipe for potential problems, putting all on alert - drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians alike.”
The city’s bike/pedestrian coordinator, Jeremy Lewno, will be present to give an update on a Bicycle Master Plan going before the Board of Directors soon. Others will emphasize how new businesses and restaurants along Main Street have led to increased walkability - which makes safety awareness all the more timely, a news release said.
Unrelated to the partnership’s event Monday, the River Market and Bobby’s Bike Hike is sponsoring a “Bike Month Bash Dash” on May 4.
They’ll host a bicycle scavenger hunt through the River Market District and downtown that will begin at 11:30 a.m. that day. Registration is at 11 a.m. Awards will be given at 1 p.m. The cost is $5 per person or $12-$15 per team, which can be two to five people.
Earth Day party set for River Market
Groups across the city are sponsoring a variety of events Tuesday in celebration of Earth Day.
The River Market is hosting a 6-10 p.m. block party that also will coincide with the third anniversary of River Market Goes Green.The two blocks of President Clinton Avenue between LaHarpe Boulevard and River Market Avenue will be blocked off for the celebration.
Free samples of area winery and brewery products will be available and a range of vendors will be set up.
At 10 a.m. that day, representatives of the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation will hold a news conference on the front porch of Sturgis Hall at the University of Arkansas’ Clinton School of Public Service to make an announcement.
The topic has not been announced, but it is regarding the Clinton Presidential Center’s commitment to sustainability, a news release said. Representatives of the Clinton School and the U.S. Green Building Council also are involved.
In recognition of Earth Day, Easter Seals Arkansas will host a Community Shred Day on Saturday. Schools, churches, businesses and individuals can drop off any paper or secure documents at the organization’s Center for Training and Wellness at 14901 Cantrell Road and the group will shred and recycle the materials free of charge.
Paper will be accepted from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. Starbucks coffee will be provided while volunteers unload the material from vehicles.
Pothole spotters asked to call 311
The Public Works Department is asking that potholes be reported to the 311 information service.
That can be done by calling 311 or by clicking the 311 link in the upper right hand corner of the LittleRock.org website. The “report issue” feature on the city’s smartphone app also can be used.
The pothole report will need to include an approximate address or street name. On the app, a GPS-enabled map allows people to pinpoint the pothole and they also can upload a photo or video.
Operators taking 311 phone calls are available daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Two to four two-man crews focus on patching potholes daily, a news release said.
Arkansas, Pages 14 on 04/20/2014