County approves matching funds for River Trail fix

The Pulaski County Quorum Court approved the expenditure Tuesday night of thousands in federal-grant- matched funds to widen a sometimes-troubled area of the Arkansas River Trail in the event the county Road and Bridge Department receives the grant.

The department intends to apply for a federal Transportation Alternatives Program grant for widening a 5-foot pedestrian section along a road in Pinnacle Valley -- between Two Rivers Park and Maumelle Park -- to 12 feet to improve safety conditions and curb conflicts between cyclists and motorists.

In 2013, the County Farm Road portion of the River Trail -- also between Two Rivers Park and Maumelle Park -- was strewn with tacks during a bike tour, causing blown-out tires.

Opponents of the expenditure questioned whether it was a legitimate safety issue and noted the poor state of roads funding beyond the county level.

At their March 10 agenda meeting, justices of the peace discussed where the money was coming from locally and federally and what it could be better used for, barely moving the measure to a final vote that would take place Tuesday night.

But on Tuesday, the vote was divided along party lines, with Democrats approving the measure to back the department's pursuit of the grant and matching federal funds in an 8-4 vote.

District 2's Tyler Denton, D-Little Rock; District 7's Teresa Coney, D-Little Rock; and District 11's Aaron Robinson, R-Jacksonville, were absent from the meeting.

The grant would foot 80 percent of the project, not including engineering costs.

Acting Public Works Director Barbara Richard estimated that the project's cost would be $400,000, leaving the county $80,000 and engineering costs to pay.

District 1 Justice of the Peace Doug Reed, R-Roland, said he objected to the measure because he didn't feel it was a good use of federal money.

Barry Hyde, the county judge of Pulaski County, said the road is narrow and conflicts exist in the area, noting an accident in which a person was injured last month.

"I hope you realize this is a safety issue," he said.

District 13 Justice of the Peace Phil Stowers, R-Maumelle, said he opposed the expense because of the quality of other roads in the county, noting potholes at the intersection of Cantrell Road and North Mississippi Street.

District 6 Justice of the Peace Donna Massey, D-Little Rock, said those roads are Little Rock's responsibility.

Richard said the county would have potholes filled by the end of the week after being sidetracked by recent rain. She said the money for fixing potholes comes from the department's Fund 92, which has several million dollars in it.

She said the money for widening the stretch of the River Trail would come from Fund 97, which is specifically for matching federal grants. She said if the county did not receive the grant, the money would just roll over into next year.

District 12 Justice of the Peace Luke McCoy, R-Sherwood, asked Richard how she would respond if a private entity offered to pay for the expansion, which he said he didn't believe was likely.

"Great," she said, adding that she's never seen that before.

McCoy voted against the measure.

District 14 Justice of the Peace Paul Elliott, R-Maumelle, initially told Richard that he drove out to the area and understood how it could be a safety hazard. He said after the meeting that he voted against the measure because he believed 5 feet was wide enough already and that he would reconsider his opinion in the event of future accidents out there.

Metro on 03/25/2015

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