The River Market District in downtown Little Rock is one of our city's crown jewels, having taken on new life as a vibrant pedestrian-friendly area. That success has radiated outward as nearby neighborhoods have likewise been energized through new construction, repurposed older properties and other revitalization efforts.
Progress in the downtown core is a testament to what a community can achieve with vision, persistence and a shared sense of purpose. So why are today's city and state leaders so determined to undermine that success by pushing a misguided freeway expansion that will cut through the heart of downtown Little Rock?
The proposal by the Arkansas Department of Transportation to expand I-30--the 30 Crossing project, as it's commonly known--into a 10- or 12-lane freeway through the middle of our downtown has been presented as necessary to address traffic delays and congestion.
Don't believe it. Transportation is evolving as technology advances, and millennials and retirees are intentionally locating in walkable, bikable places where they do not have to own cars. The "induced demand" principle dictates that almost every highway expansion only invites more traffic, as opposed to reducing it. Worst of all, the $630 million project will divide neighborhoods and disrupt the redevelopment of the downtown area.
Just as the I-630 project slashed through neighborhoods south of the city center decades ago, severing Little Rock in two, the 30 Crossing project will drive a wedge through the middle of the downtown area, slowing or halting further redevelopment at exactly the time and place when exciting things are happening, like the East Village and the Rock City Yacht Club.
Moreover, this plan is presented at a time when other cities are pursuing alternative transportation strategies aimed at reducing highway footprints in their downtown cores. Cities as disparate as Boston, Seattle and Milwaukee boast their own distinct identities, but one thing they share is a commitment to rethinking the "more is always better" approach to highway development.
In fact, these cities and many others have begun removing and relocating highways that cut through dense urban areas in order to protect local neighborhoods, encourage walkability, and create a better quality of life. Such an approach reflects a commitment to long-term problem solving, rather than short-term thinking.
Unsurprisingly, there's little enthusiasm for this expansion among the people who will be most affected by it. As a state legislator representing the district, I've spoken to countless area residents who have expressed alarm and concern about this project, its high costs and its expected impacts, both environmental and economic.
They've written and phoned city officials, organized online, and showed up at community meetings to register their discontent. But their ideas and feedback have fallen on deaf ears. Citizens deserve better than to be treated so dismissively by their elected and appointed officials.
There are many ways to improve the current I-30 corridor through downtown Little Rock that don't involve expanding its footprint. The bridge over the Arkansas River can be replaced, and the exits and interchanges can be redesigned. Through traffic can be diverted around the city. And there is a wide range of other helpful and expert suggestions that have been offered and ignored.
The fact is that all of us want new and improved infrastructure. But the key to any transportation project is that it needs to be the right project at the right place and the right time. There have been local highway improvements completed in recent years that represent examples of infrastructure renovation done right. Unfortunately the 30 Crossing project as currently designed fails on all counts: it's the wrong project at the wrong place and the wrong time.
The revitalization of the downtown Little Rock area has been an ongoing long-term process that is improving our community for the better. That's something to be proud of, and we should not jeopardize those hard-won gains so readily, and in exchange for so little. It's time to rethink the 30 Crossing project.
Warwick Sabin represents District 33 in the Arkansas House of Representatives and is exploring a candidacy for mayor of Little Rock this year.
Editorial on 05/13/2018