WHATEVER HAPPENED TO ... LIGHT RAIL? : Regional Mobility Authority looks at various ways of moving people
Posted on Monday, July 21, 2008
BENTON COUNTY - With gasoline prices skyrocketing and growth rates estimated to increase over the next 25 years, officials in northwest Arkansas are looking at how to efficiently move people around.
Three years ago, members of the public attended input sessions to determine how they wanted their transportation tax dollars spent on the Northwest Arkansas 2030 Long-Range Transportation Plan.
Commuter rail transit seemed to be a popular idea, as did improvents to Interstate 540 and the development of a regional arterial network.
While the idea of a rail transit system is not out of reach, other publictransportation issues are still important to members of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission.
To first determine if the area is in need of a rail system other public transportation systems must be proven to work. In spite of increases in gasoline prices, the move to public transit has been unsuccessful.
"We've got a fledgling bus system - the funding for which is going to be a large degree in jeopardy in two or three years," said Jeff Hawkins, executive director and senior planner for the Regional Planning Commission.
This year, several local governments, cash-strapped and forced to restructure priorities as a result of decreased sales-tax collections, cut funding for Ozark Regional Transit from their 2008 budgets. Springdale cut $ 20, 000 in funding and Lowell cut $ 54, 000. As a result, ORT dropped its Springdale-Lowell-Rogers route and made staffing cuts to adjust to a decreased budget.
ORT relies on funding from cities and matching funds from the federal government to support the organization's $ 2. 4 million annual budget. Little Rock spends $ 12 million for its public transportation system, said ORT director Phil Pumphrey.
Right now, the Regional Planning Commission is seeking federal funding for an alternative corridor analysis. This would determine needs for public transit, as well as interstate improvements and the addition of walking and biking trails.
The commission has requested $ 500, 000 in federal funding for fiscal year 2009.
"The predicament that transit systems are in right now since gas prices have gone up are that ridership has gone up from 10 to 20 percent, but their (the transit systems ) cost of fuel has gone up," Hawkins said.
But still, public transportation and other systems must be looked at as northwest Arkansas continues to grow.
That's why the Regional Planning Commission is going from city to city to request that each one participate in the Northwest Arkansas Regional Mobility Authority to work together to determine how transportation needs must be met and how the dollars must be spent. The Washington and Benton County judges would participate in the Authority, as well as mayors of all cities of the first class. With growth still facing northwest Arkansas, the momentum must remain. "You don't want to dampen any enthusiasm at the time; there are certain things that have to be done," Hawkins said.
• • • If you have an idea for What Ever Happened To... ?, e-mail Managing Editor Mike Jones at mikej @ nwanews. com
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