Bike lane features to come down

Most of the pinch points and speed humps in the city’s bicycle lanes are coming down. Instead cyclists and pedestrians will have their own side path following a different route.

Don Clark, community development director, and Justin Bland, city engineer, made the announcement during their presentation at Tuesday’s city board meeting. The Pilot Bike Project, which began in late 2018, was slated to be up for about a year, according to Clark. The project was overseen by Bike NWA and Lane Shift, according to an article in the Herald-Leader on Oct. 21. It was met with resistance early on, which led to the removal a majority of the project’s components, according to a December 2018 article in the Herald-Leader.

Bland said the city will take down the remainder of the features except for the speed humps on Carl and Harvard because they will tie into a new bicycle route the city plans to build. Bland added the features on Maxwell will remain because the city likes the results produced from that area. The only exception will be the pinch point on the Main Street bridge will be coming down.

Bland said the city conducted traffic counts in September of 2018 and quarterly during 2019 at the intersections affected by the bike lanes.

The results from the study showed traffic volumes did not change substantially except on Harvard Street, traffic speeds did decrease, and the number of bikes observed did not change substantially, Bland said. The last piece of the study revealed the installation did not provide access to pedestrians, he said.

Traffic speeds decreased six miles per hour on Harvard, but speed actually increased by five miles per hour on Jefferson

in between Wright Street and Mount Olive Street, Bland said. The increase may have been caused by a change in the stop signs at the intersection of Jefferson Street and Wright Street. Speed decreased on Jefferson Street near the Siloam Springs Public Library by one-and-a-half to two miles per hour and on Maxwell Street speed slowed by two-and-a-half to three miles per hour, Bland said.

The bike lanes saw little use in some areas while other areas were quite busy during the series of twoweek counts.

The highest concentration of bicycles was on Jefferson Street near the Siloam Springs Public Library, according to Bland. The lowest number of bikes seen by the library was 96 during one of the two-week counts while the highest was 134.

Bike counts showed there were only three bikes used on Harvard Street during the two-week preinstallation period. The number of bikes were highest during the first quarter, with a total of eight bicycles counted, according to Bland. Two-week counts conducted during the other three quarters showed that three bikes used the street during the second and third quarters, and five used the street during the fourth quarter. The numbers were similar on Jefferson Street in between Wright Street and Mount Olive Street, and on Maxwell Street.

Bland said the study raised concerns about a lack of pedestrian features; no direct access to the bike route from Southside Elementary; the cost of construction to add a pedestrian route on Jefferson Street because of significant ditches and the need for drainage features; and the high traffic count of about 4,000 cars per day on Jefferson Street near Mount Olive Street.

Bland said city staff proposed the path an alternate route to address the concerns. The new route will begin at the intersection of Carl Street and Harvard

Street; continue on Harvard Street to Maxwell Street; then go up Maxwell Street to Jefferson Street.

Construction for the first section of path from the intersection at Harvard Street and Carl Street to Harvard Street and Mount Olive Street will occur this year, according to Bland. Construction of the path from Harvard Street and Mount Olive Street up to the intersection of Jefferson Street and Maxwell Street is expected to occur during 2021, he said.

The bicycle path is going to be a 10-foot wide sidepath that will be accessible to bicyclists and pedestrians, Bland said. The sidepath would be raised like a sidewalk with a curb and landscaping, he said. The project will be funded by the city at a cost of $620,000, which is already part of 2020 budget, he said.

City administrator Phillip Patterson said the city has not decided whether a contractor or city staff will build the side path. Clark said he wants to have a contract for the board to approve in the spring so construction can begin soon after.

Director Marla Sappington asked if the pinch points and speed humps on Harvard Street could stay up until the first phase of the sidepath was completed. She said kids use Harvard Street to get to the Boys & Girls Club of Western Benton County and the middle school.

Director Lesa Rissler asked if there were going to be any pinch points placed between Elm Street and Maxwell Street. Clark said there are no plans to place pinch points between those streets.

Director Carol Smiley asked who would pay to remove the Pilot Bike Project’s pinch points, speed humps and other features. Clark said city staff will remove the features and store them, as well as plugging any holes from the project. Patterson said the city will retain ownership of the features until the organization that provided them wants them back.

Director Brad Burns was receptive of the both bike projects and seemed critical of those who did not support either project.

“I pushed the Pilot Project pretty hard and I know too for Siloam, it’s hard for them the to see future that’s happening in the area,” Burns said.

He cautioned opponents of the bike project that the bicyclists would be back next year and that taking away the green paint could lead to a safety issue for cyclists and pedestrians.

Other business discussed the night of the meeting included:

• The board approved a budget amendment for $35,000 to install a diesel exhaust removal system in Fire Station 2.

• Approval was given to Patton Limited and GRDA to begin clearing and grubbing land owned by the Siloam Springs Water Resource Company in Oklahoma pending a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

• The board dedicated a pedestrian access easement for 1645 W. Hwy 412.

• The first phase of Ordinance 19-27 regarding drive-through uses was placed on its third reading and approved by the board.

• Ordinance 19-28 regarding the rezoning of the 2500 block of S. Waukesha Road was placed on its third reading and approved by the board.

• Ordinance 20-01 regarding the annexation of 4.99 acres at 3480 Hwy 412 East was placed on its first reading.

• Ordinance 20-02 governing the installation and relocation of utility and communication lines below ground was placed on its first reading.

• Resolution 01-20 concerning the Siloam Springs Electric Utility Underground Master Plan was approved.

• Resolution 02-20 regarding procedures and organizational matters of the board of directors was approved.

• Resolution 03-20 concerning administrating the recording of municipal meetings was approved.

• Resolution 04-20 setting the hearing date for right-of-way vacation for the 300 block of Hwy 59 North was approved.

• Allan Gilbert, the new chief of police for the Siloam Springs Police Department was introduced to and welcomed by the board of directors.