Two local groups will install temporary features in hopes of improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists on Holly Street in Fayetteville.
Local tactical urbanism group Fayetteville Strong, along with bicycle advocacy group Trailblazers, are planning to install lane separators, crosswalks, curb bump-outs, a protected pedestrian zone, “super sharrows,” and a mural on a section of west Holly Street between Lindell and Oakland Avenues near the University of Arkansas campus beginning at 8 a.m. at Saturday, Oct. 14.
From the description of the project:
Located in a densely populated and high-equity-need area near campus, West Holly Street sees a lot of pedestrian and cycling traffic, thanks to its proximity to Razorback Transit stops, Harp’s grocery and the Oak Plaza shopping center, which contains several retail shops and restaurants. Yet West Holly Street has no sidewalk on either side of the road.
The goal of this temporary project is to slow traffic and create a protected walking space in the short term. In the long term, the goal is to demonstrate to the City of Fayetteville the need to install a more permanent solution, such as a sidewalk.
The citizen-led improvements are an example of tactical urbanism, defined as “a city, organizational and/or citizen-led approach to neighborhood building using short-term, low-cost and scalable interventions to advance street safety, public spaces and more.”
The City of Fayetteville encourages citizen-led tactical urbanism initiatives, and offers a permit application for projects like this one.
The Holly Street project is the first for Fayetteville Strong, a group of local residents interested in Strong Towns concepts, working to make the city “more walkable, bikeable, and equitable” by increasing mass transit services and safe walking and biking infrastructure, and other initiatives.
For a bit more information, or to volunteer to help install the project, visit this website.
