ROGERS (KFSM) -- As the bike culture in Northwest Arkansas continues to grow, cities are going the extra mile to make sure cyclists are safe.
The city of Rogers is working with volunteers to put up temporary protective bike lanes to create a safer and more stress free environment. Instead of just painted lines on the road, barriers are also being installed.
The goal of the project is to allow people to get from their homes, work, or schools to the downtown area safely by bike. The Executive Director of the Bike Coalition of the Ozarks, Paxton Roberts said the city can't put trails like the Razorback Greenway everywhere, so protected bike lanes are a great alternative.
In this case, the lanes will help connect the Rogers Activity Center to the downtown area. They are testing a few different types of protective barriers during this 30-day trial to find out which one the community would prefer.
"A lot of it has to do with speed and the volume of traffic on the roads," said Roberts. "The different types of barriers are appropriate for different spaces and we want the public to give us feedback."
The city hopes cyclists will try out the lanes and give feedback so the lanes could be permanent. The Bike Coalition of the Ozarks will also do test runs in other cities like Fayetteville, Springdale and Siloam Springs.