Grass Roots

This was also one of the top transportation strategies identified by high school students at the Grass Roots Youth Summit on April 3.

The river trail is a great start - I've ridden it twice over the past three weeks. The Little Rock side needs some work though. Completion of the bridge refurbishment at Clinton Library will help. I don't know their plan for it, but I hope that they retain the lifting ability of the bridge as opposed to ramps or stairs. I think it would also be a benefit if they also allowed for bus traffic over it as well as foot and bicycle.

Bike trails are one thing, and a great encouragement for people to use their bikes more -- but what is needed is for our transportation network to accommodate ALL modes of transportation comfortably and safely... not only cars and trucks, but public transit, bicycles, and pedestrians, including the disabled. A state statute or city/community ordinance requiring "complete streets" (streets that accommodate all modes of transport equitably) is needed here. [Yes, I know Metroplan claims to have such a policy in effect, but it's toothless, as Metroplan doesn't see its role as building streets and roadways or enforcing such a policy in new construction, repairs, or renovations.]

I wish these occasional grants that come out for trail building were picked up by Metroplan to actually build a trail, maybe using Americorps folks or the underemployed.

CAT needs some better PR. People not usually prone to ride the bus might use it if the sked, bus stops, & times were clearly posted. Also, start early by targeting jr. high & high school kids with marketing efforts--especially if you could convince student leaders/cool kids to do it.Create an event, scavenger hunt, etc.

I bike to work several days each week during the spring and summer - making the trek from West Little Rock to downtown.

I'm old, fat and slow and most of the trail along the river on the Little Rock side is okay for someone like me, but once the trail ends and I have to use roads/sidewalks - it is terrifying!

The bike trail needs serious improvement from the end of Rebsamen golf course all the way to where it would pick up the trail near the river market.

If the trail were family/bike friendly we would have tourists who could take a nice ride from the downtown area all the way out to the Big Dam Bridge - I wouldn't recommend that to any tourist as the Little Rock side of the trail now exists ...

It's sad that Little Rock seems to have ignored the biking trail while the county and North Little Rock seem to have invested so much.

I know many people trying to commute into downtown from WLR and none find it easy.

I walk to work and bike to the grocery/friend's houses. This is an incredibly wonderful way to live that is so hard to accomplish when the development is sprawling.

With improved public transit I could do away with my car completely. Public transit and building/developing in existing dense environments needs to take off. We need more incentives to renovate and build in the central, south and downtown areas of our city so it won't be so appealing to plop a new building on cheap land out west.

This is just as important to building a sustainable environment as choosing low VOC paint and using efficient HVAC.

Little Rock needs a bike highway from west to downtown. Markham would be a perfect choice. Add a lane and secure it with railings for safety from traffic. This would enable people to get to work, school, shopping, food, and recreation quickly. The river trail is great for recreation, but does not fit into most peoples daily travel patterns. Also, I do not feel safe traveling the entire trail by myself.