New stops intended to increase safety in downtown Paragould

Paragould, Arkansas – In order to keep its drivers and pedestrians safer, Main Thoroughfare Paragould put stop signs to a busy thoroughfare.

Four new stop signs have been installed along Pruett St. in Paragould, according to a statement from Main Street Paragould on Friday, Sept. 8. At the intersection of E Emerson Street, S Pruett Street, E Poplar Street, and N Pruett Street, they can be found.

The executive director of Main Street Paragould is Miranda Reynolds. She claimed that the new signs were brought about by the area’s increased traffic.

“We want people to be able to walk, cross our streets. Of course, eat, shop, and play in our downtown safely,” she said.

Since Katherine Pierce has been working in downtown Paragould for the past year, she has admitted that she and others have occasionally worried about their safety.

“People would just fly by here like no tomorrow, all the time,” she said. “I think these stop signs are really going to put some safety into the community.”

Pierce claimed that while it could take some getting used to, she has already seen a difference downtown.

“You could be inside a building, and you’d hear them fly by but now it’s just, it’s nice, it’s quiet. You don’t really hear much anymore like that.”

Reynolds claimed that there won’t be any further alterations to the downtown Paragould streets, but Pierce has some suggestions just in case.

“I’d say speed tables like that or a speed bump would be great but other than that, I couldn’t really think of anything,” she said.