Bikes, blues and BBQ taking safety precautions for visitors

ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Bikes, Blues, and BBQ is back in the City of Rogers with safety being the number one priority.

The Rogers police department says they are increasing police presence with multiple agencies.

Peter Masonis is the Public Relations manager for the City of Rogers. He says Bikes, Blues, and BBQ is going to have the same amount of motorcyclists in the area as last year, causing an influx of cyclists on the roadways. “I mean this is a very exciting time of year for the city of Rogers. Overall talking with PD, with the size of the event and the amount of cyclists that are actually in the area, the amount of motorcycle incidents was fairly low percentage-wise,” said Masonis.

Rogers Police Department has been working with the city to ensure the safety of the influx of cyclists on the road. Don Lisi is the Public Information officer for Rogers PD. “Well, we’re going to have an increased officer presence at the event which is going to be located primarily in downtown Rogers,” said Lisi.

Rogers police is working with other local agencies to make sure every corner is covered. “As far as coordinating with other agencies, we want to make sure we are all on the same page. From command staff to each agency, from us to the County Sheriff’s office. You know we just want to make sure we cross all our T’s and dot our I’s. To make sure everybody’s on the same page, and to make sure the traffic flows as best as it can, and to make sure that we have support in areas that we need,” said Lisi.

Masonis thinks that Bikes, Blues, and BBQ is huge for the city and that the City wants everyone to have a great time- while also keeping safety in mind. “We’re just trying to serve the community better and make this as safe of an event as possible,” said Masonis.

As Bikes, Blues, and BBQ takes off into the weekend there are a few road closures you should be on the lookout for. First Street and Cherry Street will have an influx of bikers, and people walking to the event. So make sure you’re proceeding with caution, and take a different direction if you need to.

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