Study to be conducted for cyclists, pedestrians downtown

JONESBORO, AR (KAIT) - Jonesboro concluded a yearlong bicycle and pedestrian study this week and options to change the downtown area include adding a bike lane.

Director of Metropolitan Planning Organization for Jonesboro Patrick Dennis said there are about 5 different options to change downtown Jonesboro. These options include adding a bike lane, placing sharrows on the road and rerouting.

Many people in the area were not against adding a bike lane.

Some were excited and others didn't have strong feelings for or against the idea.

Jeff Chastain said he is very excited for this possibility. Chastain is a cyclist and said the study was a great first step.

"I think this is a great first step," Chastain said. "Taking downtown and increasing the visibility of cyclists and letting other motorists know that cyclists do have the legal right to be on the road with them."

Patrolman Brian Arnold agreed with Chastain. He believes a bike lane would be a great improvement for Jonesboro cyclists.

Arnold takes part in the Jonesboro Police Department bike patrol. He said even though bike lanes would be great for the community, it wouldn't help out his patrol that much.

"For us it's not a big deal," Arnold said. "Cause we are gonna ride either in the bike lane, in the roadway or in the alleys. We're gonna get to where we need to go."

The Jonesboro City Hall will host an open house Thursday morning with options for downtown.

There will then be a public meeting later that day where the results of the study will be revealed.

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