Public weighs in on Garland Avenue project design
Posted on Friday, June 20, 2008
Several Fayetteville residents attended a public involvement session Thursday at Trinity United Methodist Church to give their input on a project to widen Garland Avenue.
The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department gathered wr itten comments from about 75 residents over a three-hour period. The comments will be taken into consideration before the design is finalized.
The state is partnering with the city of Fayetteville to widen a 0. 75-mile section of Garland Avenue, from the North Street intersection to Janice Drive.
The state is contributing $ 1. 5 million as well as designing the project, while the city is responsible for right of way acquisition and utility relocation, for a total contribution of approximately $ 5 million. Residents held varying opinions about the state's design of a five-lane road, with four travel lanes and one continuous turn lane. Christine Myres, who lives just off Garland Avenue and serves on the Fayetteville Planning Commission, said she does not see the need to widen the two-lane road to five lanes.
"This is a residential neighborhood," she said. "There is no reason for a five-lane road through a residential neighborhood. I don't care how much traffic it gets on (football ) game weekends."
Myres said stoplights at the intersections of Deane and Sycamore streets would help with the traffic problems that occur in the morning and afternoon hours.
"We don't need a (continuous turn lane ) down the entire length of the road," she said.
Kim Brawner, who owns rental property on the west side of Garland Avenue, said he was concerned about the plan until he learned more about it from highway department officials Thursday.
"I'm happy with the way it turned out," he said.
Brawner said he would like to see bicycle lanes included in the design.
"We rent to students, and students like to ride bikes," he said.
John Mathis, with the roadway design division of the highway department, said bicycle lanes are not included in the current design but could be an option. The design currently includes a 10-foot-wide shared path that is separate from the road.
Several bike enthusiasts said shared paths are not a safe option for cyclists and said they would rather see designated bike lanes on the road.
The design would have to be reconfigured for bike lanes to fit everything within the designated right of way, Mathis said.
As the design is now, the right of way approaches some buildings along Garland.
"We're not physically into any of the buildings, but there are two that we're very close to," Mathis said.
The proposed improvements end just in front of the building that formerly housed barbecue restaurant Lucky Luke's and the building that is currently occupied by Sunrise Cafe.
The parking for those two buildings will definitely have to go, Mathis said.
Residents also had concerns about the speed limit associated with a five-lane road.
Liz Jones, of the roadway design division, said the design is based on a 40 mph speed limit.
"That doesn't mean that's what it's going to be though," she said.
Some residents said they feared the road would end up like Wedington Drive, which was recently widened to five lanes.
Karen Freeman said it's intimidating to ride a bicycle or walk along the sidewalk on Wedington because the cars go so fast.
Bike lanes would be a safer option, she said.
The highway department will take public comment for a 15-day period. Comments can be sent via e-mail to ruby. jordan @ arkansashighways. com.
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