FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2020
Contact: Keith Shreve
Assistant Transportation Manager
Transportation Division
479-575-8210
kshreve@fayetteville-ar.gov
Traffic Restricted at Rock Street at Mill Avenue for Pedestrian Access Improvements
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A temporary tactical urbanism project inspired City of Fayetteville staff to make permanent improvements at an intersection near the Yvonne Richardson Community Center (YRCC). The improvements include construction of a traffic island to define vehicle lanes, installation of crosswalks, accessible ramps, and sidewalk connections.
Construction requires restricting traffic on Rock Street (between College and Willow Avenues) and Mill Avenue (between Rock and South Streets) from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., beginning Monday February 3. Lanes will be narrow, and flaggers will be in place to direct traffic. Lanes will be reopened to full traffic at nights and on weekends. Construction is expected to take three weeks; however, inclement weather could delay the project timeline.
Motorists should expect delays and may want to consider an alternate route. Please use extreme caution when in the work area and watch for personnel and equipment.
Tactical urbanism projects are community led and generally use temporary, low-cost materials to demonstrate possible neighborhood improvements and solutions. The Rock Street and Mill Avenue project was led by Fayetteville resident and architect Allison Quinlan who wanted to increase safety and accessibility near YRCC and Buddy Hayes Park. Children from YRCC’s After School Program designed the crosswalk artwork and volunteers painted and installed temporary intersection improvements in the summer of 2017. The City also turned the intersection into an all way stop.
Fayetteville staff created a tactical urbanism application and guide in 2017 to help residents design and install their projects. The guide includes timelines, material suggestions, state and city standards for street and right-of-way projects, installation instructions, and helpful hints for evaluating the success of a project. Engineering, Transportation, Police, Fire, and Parking Management staff make up a review team to ensure applications are able to meet all necessary safety and procedural requirements. Visit www.fayetteville-ar.gov/tacticalurbanism to learn more.
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