Another Stupid Move in Little Rock

There is an entry in Pat Lynch’s Blog (link) about the Alltel & Dillard’s wanting to build a 4 lane road from Rodney Parham & Cantrell down to the Arkansas River, crossing Jimerson Creek and tying into Rebsamen Park Road.  This road if built will run right through Murray Park and run along the River Trail.  

The premise of this road according to Lynch’s blog is to assist their employees in their daily commute from their homes in West Little Rock to their offices by relieving traffic on Cantrell Road.  There are several issues that I see wrong with this proposal:

First, the existing Jimerson Creek Bridge is a pedestrian bridge which means a new bridge for both vehicle and pedestrian traffic will have to be built.  Who is going to be asked to pay for that?  Certainly not Alltel or Dillard’s.  Second, I don’t think there is enough room between the Little Rock Western railroad and the river for a 4 lane road AND a bike/jogging path without building up the shoreline on the Arkansas River.  If they do that, then they will have go through the permitting process with the Corps of Engineers which will take years.  Third, how will this new road be affected or how will it affect the pedestrian bridge currently under construction crossing the Arkansas River?

I think this proposal is stupid from the get-go.  The River Trail is a wonderful part of Pulaski County (when it’s finally done) and I think this road will ruin that.  The River Trail is something that many other communities would love to have in their town and Little Rock wants to destroy it for all effective purposes.  I have heard from several people in Northwest Arkansas who say that we are very lucky to have this trail network being developed because they have nothing similar to this up there.

It just sickens me that if this proposal goes forward because the Little Rock city Board of Directors will probably once again ask the tax payers for ANOTHER tax increase in order for them to ruin the River Trail.