The Morning News reports that council passes rules allowing street vendors and keeping motorized vehicles off trails, but rule won't stop wheelchairs

Please click on image to ENLARGE photo of Kyle Cook, the alderman that vice-mayor Lioneld Jordan credits for being the strongest supporter of Fayetteville's trail system, ponders the proposed ordinance regulating speed limits and types of vehicles allowed on the city's trails.


The Morning News

Local News for Northwest Arkansas


Bike Speed Limits And Street Vendors Coming To Fayetteville

By Skip Descant
THE MORNING NEWS
FAYETTEVILLE -- Trail speed limits and sidewalk eating received attention during Tuesday night's Fayetteville City Council meeting. The council passed a set of rules for users on the city trail system and the opened the door to street vendors.

Speed limits are set at 15 mph for bikers on the Skull and Mud creek trails, as well as the Frisco Trail. Gasoline-powered vehicles of any type are not allowed. When oncoming traffic is present, the speed limit drops to 10 mph.

"We have had some issues of motorized scooters," Matt Mihalevich, trails coordinator for the city of Fayetteville, told the Fayetteville City Council. Electric-assisted bicycles, wheelchairs and Segway Personal Transporters are permitted, said officials.

The complete set of rules and regulations will be posted on kiosks at the trail heads, Mihalevich said.

And for now, enforcement is mostly from the trails' users.

"Is this basically the 'do-right rule?'" Nancy Allen, a council member, asked.

"At least having the rules laid out, people will know the rules and maybe do some self-policing," Mihalevich said.

The city is set to open the complete and connected trail system Oct. 18, tying together the three trail systems -- complete with a tunnel beneath the Fulbright Expressway -- for a 6.9-mile trail system.

And the aldermen passed an ordinance to allow for sidewalk vendors wanting to sell flowers or food and beverages from pushcarts in downtown and on Dickson Street.

Vendors can now apply for a permit to have a pushcart on the inner sidewalk in the downtown square or on the north and west sidewalks of the Walton Arts Center.

"If this does work, we can amend this ordinance in the future," said Jeremy Pate, director of the Fayetteville Planning Department, suggesting the program can be expanded to other streets.

"I consider this an enabling ordinance," said Bobby Ferrell, a council member, endorsing the ordinance.