Despite recent news of progress in making Arkansas more bicycle-friendly (Bicycling Picks Up Speed in Central Arkansas), two recent news stories from the state show there’s still a rather long way to go in regard to bicycles being accepted as a normal everyday way to get around.
From the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette:
For the first time in seven years, Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas isn’t recruiting a horde to parade through morning-rush traffic in Little Rock and North Little Rock. So Little Rock police officers won’t be delaying auto travelers while cyclists wheel through red lights they ordinarily must obey.
It turns out that Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas is encouraging people to ride to work on their own — “no police escort, no sag service”. Oh my, is that even possible?
And from the “duh” file, this gem from KFSM-TV in Fayetteville:
Despite all the trails in Fayetteville, some people still say there are areas that aren’t friendly to bike riders.
Not everyone lives and/or works off a bike trail, which means they have to find an alternate route. According to the Fayetteville Police Department, it’s illegal to ride on the sidewalk, which means riders must share the street with regular motor vehicles.
Bicyclists might have to (gasp!) be accepted as part of traffic?
