Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic And Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
College Station residents urge Little Rock to block heavy trucks cutting through neighborhood
Summary
Residents of the College Station neighborhood told the Little Rock City Board of Directors they want the city to join Pulaski County in enforcing truck restrictions after a traffic study showed heavy volumes and residents reported safety incidents near a school; board members directed staff to review options.
Members of the Progressive League of College Station told the Little Rock City Board of Directors on Feb. 11 that heavy truck traffic bound for the Port Industrial area is using residential streets in College Station and creating a safety hazard.
“Collectively there's almost 14,000 vehicles going through our small community each and every day,” Progressive League member Dexter Dawn told the board. Dawn said many trucks are cutting through the neighborhood from the Bankhead Drive exit off Interstate 440, rather than using a newer road—Grama Road—approved in a prior board action to serve port traffic.
The Progressive League said a petition it circulated in March gathered more than 500 signatures and asked the city to: adopt or coordinate with Pulaski County’s existing ordinance restricting truck routes, install more signage, add traffic-calming measures such as speed cushions, and improve enforcement with local law enforcement.
Board members responded with a range of near-term ideas. Director Adcock asked that the group e-mail proposed sign locations to staff and John Honeywell; Director Miller said the board should consider a resolution similar to Pulaski County's to keep trucks out of residential areas. Director Hines suggested seeking Arkansas State Highway Police (DOT enforcement) and contacting commercial carriers’ safety departments and GPS/mapping providers that truck drivers use. Several directors mentioned outreach to port staff and noted Amazon had made repairs after a delivery vehicle blocked Fraser Pike one night, a situation the League presented as an example.
Mayor and other board members said staff would follow up. Director Adcock made a motion that staff investigate and return to the board with an item the following week; the mayor replied the meeting format did not allow a formal motion that night but said staff would begin work and the issue would be returned to the board for consideration. No formal vote occurred at the Feb. 11 meeting.
Why it matters: The neighborhood is bisected by jurisdictional lines—about two-thirds of College Station is in Pulaski County and one-third in the City of Little Rock—so residents said coordinated action is needed to make existing county restrictions effective inside the city portion. Residents and directors emphasized the presence of a school and bus stops along the affected streets as a key safety concern.
What’s next: Board members asked the League to provide specific sign locations and said staff would consult with county enforcement, state DOT enforcement partners, the Port, and carriers’ safety departments. The board did not adopt an ordinance or take a formal vote at the Feb. 11 meeting.
