8-0 vote OKS South Main revamp

Little Rock’s South Main Street will get a makeover thanks to a Little Rock Board of Directors vote Tuesday and some cash from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department.

After months of public meetings and comment periods through the Little Rock Public Works Department, the board voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a plan to repave Main Street from Interstate 630 to Roosevelt Road.

The majority of the $460,000 needed for the resurfacing project came from a state highway agency program called City Aid, which aims to distribute about $20 million to cities and towns throughout the state for projects. The city will put in 10 percent of the cost, and the state will bid out the project and oversee the work, which officials estimated will be finished in early to mid fall.

A much-debated part of the plan calls for re-striping the roadway, reducing it from four driving lanes to two lanes with a dedicated center turn lane. It will also add bicycle lanes between the parking spaces and the car travel lanes on both sides.

The city directors debated how to redesign the street, how the process for the state grant was started and whether the whole stretch needed to be re-striped as part of the grant.

The meeting room at City Hall was packed Tuesday night, with many people seeking to speak about the re-striping project. The majority of speakers, about 20 people, signed up in favor of the changes.

“The demonstration pro- cess that was done as an example was a godsend to my employees and myself,” said state Rep. Warwick Sabin, D-Little Rock, publisher of the Oxford American magazine, which is participating in a restaurant venture on South Main Street that will also have a performance venue.

“They somewhat jokingly say they’re taking their life into their own hands when they try to cross Main Street for anything. This will be a good thing for them and for Little Rock,” Sabin said.

At least one resident came to argue against the re-striping plan.

“I don’t object to bicycle lanes, I just don’t want them in front of my house,” said Main Street resident Tom Davis. “It’s hard enough to get out of my driveway.”

The board voted down a proposal that would have delayed the re-striping decision until the beginning of August. The board then voted 8-0 to approve the re-striping, with two directors absent.

Ward 1 City Director Erma Hendrix, who proposed the delay, said she did not feel enough notification was given to her or to residents south of 17th Street along Main Street. She said she’d like to work on a proposal that would only reduce the travel lanes from Interstate 630 to 17th Street.

“I support bikes, but as ward representative [for this project area], I was not notified about this project,” she said. “If you think I am going to sit here and not say anything, you’re dead wrong. … What we have to deal with is fairness.”