Fayetteville Names Street for Martin Luther King Jr.
by February 3, 2003 12:00 am 332 views
On Jan. 20, Fayetteville Mayor Dan Coody unveiled new signs along the city’s Sixth Street designating it also as Honorary Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Kevin Santos, a Fayetteville alderman who brought the issue before the City Council in November, said the street has the “honorary” designation so businesses can continue using the Sixth Street address if they wish.
“Nobody has to change any stationary or change their address,” said Santos, who is no longer on the City Council.
Santos said he got the idea for the honorary designation from Richard Maynard, who told him that part of 126th Street in New York City is honorarily named for Martin Luther King Jr., the Civil Rights leader who died in 1968.
Perry Franklin, Fayetteville’s transportation superintendent, said 12 signs have been erected designating Honorary Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Fayetteville. That’s two signs at every intersection that has traffic lights. The signs are visible to drivers on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard but not visible to drivers approaching from intersecting streets.
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is seven miles long running through south Fayetteville from Huntsville Road on the east side of town to the city limits on the west. It is traveled by 27,000 to 28,000 vehicles per day and many more than that when the University of Arkansas’ athletic teams are playing games in Fayetteville.
Franklin said the city also plans to erect one more Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard sign within the next month. That one will be on Huntsville Road at the intersection of Sixth Street.
The city has also asked the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department to erect similar signs along Interstate 540, which intersects with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Franklin said the cost to the city for the signage was $300 to $400.