Dear Prairie Grove City Leadership,

We respectfully request reconsideration of the plan to narrow Buchanan Street downtown by 6 feet by extending the sidewalks. Our concerns center on pedestrian and driver safety, cost efficiency, our towns historic footprint and long-term community value.

In the city’s current plan to widen sidewalks , existing street-side parking would be pushed about 3 feet closer into oncoming traffic, creating a higher risk for conflicts between pedestrians and moving vehicles. 

Extending sidewalks by 3 feet on each side would require funding that, in our view, is not the best use of taxpayer dollars given competing needs and priorities. Fixes to drainage in some areas downtown have already been removed from the scope to help fund wider sidewalks.

Traffic calming could be achieved by painting narrower driving lanes , with the extra 3 feet then allocated to pedestrians parking and exiting the vehicles . This would enhance pedestrian safety without disproportionately increasing construction costs. We understand reengineering would be required. Still, we believe this approach would be well worth the investment in the long run, delivering safer streets, better pedestrian experiences, saving thousands of dollars in concrete costs, and potentially reduced maintenance and liability costs.

We urge you to pause the current plan, study these considerations, and actively engage with residents to explore a design alternative that prioritizes safety, value, and costs. 

Note: This is the second petition provided to City Hall on this topic, reflecting ongoing resident input and concerns. We ask that these concerns highlighted be given careful and timely consideration before any further steps are taken that are not reversible.