Editor,
The mayor and city council have pledged a quarter of a million dollars for a roundabout that we don’t need.
They did this without holding a single public hearing, seeing the final plans, or consulting any department heads, especially the fire department.
This plan will have our children coming and going from school in buses without seat belts, whirling around with semis, delivery trucks, RVs and cars. Is this safer than having a police officer there? The police have a budget and are already paid for.
This project will take two years to complete at one of the three major entrances to Eureka Springs. Can we afford this?
That quarter of a million dollars should be spent on our streets which are falling apart, or our sewer system which is also in great need of repair. Let’s hook up citizens who have been waiting for years to be hooked up and make sure the system can withstand further development that a city commission is looking into.
Another solution is to have a traffic light which would operate when needed and off the rest of the time, a way to save money.
The mayor and council didn’t consult any of our department heads before committing to this project. This is not in the Master Plan for Eureka Springs. If the mayor and council had held a public hearing they would have known that the citizens don’t want it.
If you missed the Arkansas Department of Transportation public hearing Tuesday night, go to ardot.gov, click on eventsfeed and put in November 15, or go to page 2 and fill out the form.
Or email environmentalpimeetings@ardot.gov.
Let them know we don’t want this roundabout.
Karen Lindblad
Dear Sirs:
In the annals of bad ideas, a roundabout in Eureka Springs is one of the worst. The location is terrible and will certainly ruin the entrance into town. Its utility for big trucks and buses is terrible. In general regardless of what clueless traffic engineers say, roundabouts in general are terrible ideas. This one in particular should die on the vine. A traffic light is a much better idea and much more practical without the massive disruption building a roundabout will cause. Those trying to access Eureka Springs from the south are going to be in for a terrible surprise. Use some common sense instead of going with the “everybody else is doing it” logic.
Sincerely
Kevin Fleming
Kingston, AR