"Looking North is Looking Good"
North Little Rock's tag line "Looking North is Looking Good" is more than just a catchy phrase -- it also captures the commitment to making this city an interesting and entertaining place to live and visit. North Little Rock is a first-class urban playground for people of all ages. The city's dedication to promoting tourism is shown through the development of several new attractions including the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, the Dickey-Stephens Park (new home of the Arkansas Travelers ball team) and the exciting new Certified Arkansas Farmers Market. The opening of the new ball park and these other new attractions are just the tip of the iceberg of the many great things happenings in North Little Rock. We are proud of our vibrant, growing city! Check out this website for the calendar of events, a list of great restaurants, attractions, shopping, and hotels.
North Little Rock Receives Award
The League of American Bicyclists Announces North Little Rock
as a Fall 2009 Bicycle Friendly Community
Washington, DC - The League of American Bicyclists is proud to announce North Little Rock as one of our prestigious bronze level Fall 2009 Bicycle Friendly Communities. “The League is proud to award North Little Rock for its work to promote bicycle safety and education while encouraging bicycling in their community,” said League President Andy Clarke. “The League congratulates North Little Rock and all of our BFC winners for implementing successful, long-term bicycle plans that provide quality of life improvements for their citizens.” The League is recognizing 15 new Bicycle Friendly Communities and three BFC renewals in its fall 2009 award cycle.
The BFC award recognizes North Little Rock’s commitment to improving conditions for bicycling and its practice of making focused investment in bicycling programs and facilities. The BFC judges were particularly impressed with (1) North Little Rock’s River Trail, a 7 mile scenic trail connecting downtown with the Big Dam Bridge, the largest bicycle bridge in the world constructed specifically for pedestrians and cyclists, (2) adopted a complete streets Policy and the Bike Plan is a part of the Master Streets Plan, (3) hosted the Tour-de-Rock and other organized rides, assists with bicycle rodeos and other education events.Clarke noted the impressive advances of all BFC applicants and said, “This round of applications had more communities in the east and Midwest than ever before that are investing wisely in bicycling – all areas of the U.S. are realizing the importance of bicycling.”
North Little Rock is a stand-out community in Arkansasfor their initiative and progress to become more bicycle-friendly. The BFC’s reviewers were impressed with the city’s (1) conversion of the Junction Rail Bridge to a pedestrian and cycling bridge in the heart of the two downtowns, (2) completion of trails including the Military Road Trail and the North Shore Business Park Trail, (3) designating the Harper’s Loop in the flat areas of North Little Rock as a recommended ride by the bicycling community, (4) implemented a Safe Routes to Schools project in the Lower Baring Cross Neighborhood.
The BFC program is revolutionizing the way states and communities evaluate their quality of life, sustainability and transportation networks, while allowing them to benchmark their progress and work toward improving their bicycle-friendliness. The application process to become a BFC is rigorous; currently only 124 of the 318 total applicants have a BFC four-year designation. The renewal process and four levels of the award – platinum, gold, silver and bronze – provide a clear incentive for communities to continuously improve. The new and expanded BFC program began at the League in 1995, and in the past 14 years it has evolved into the tool it is today – evaluating, recognizing and improving cities, states and businesses.
The BFC program is generously supported by program partners Bikes Belong and Trek's One World Two Wheels Campaign. Applicants complete a detailed on-line form with numerous questions in five key areas: engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation/planning. Local cyclists, national experts, and League staff review the applications.
The League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation, and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle-friendly America. The League represents the interests of America's 57 million bicyclists, including its 300,000 members and affiliates. For more information or to support the League, visit www.bikeleague.org.
Third Friday Artwalk
Join your friends and neighbors at the Third Friday Artwalk in Argenta, the downtown district of North Little Rock. Art in Unexpected places can be found from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. throughout Argenta along the River Rail Trolley Route.
For complete details call 501-340-5305.
