Spring Break
Population boom creates transportation needs in NWA
Jaclyn Johnson
Issue date: 10/27/06 Section: News
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Ozark Regional Transit services between 300 and 400 people per day with 24 buses in use.
The system attracts a diverse population of riders, such as seniors, students, those with disabilities, single moms and the general public, said Phil Pumphrey, executive director of Ozark Transit.
Operations have a budget of about $2.4 million per year, yet the Ozark system really needs about $7.8 million, Pumphrey said. As Northwest Arkansas' population keeps growing and the baby boomers begin to age he expects a higher demand for public transit.
"Building more roads isn't going to solve congestion," Pumphrey said. He added that only increased mass transit systems will help.
The Federal Transit Administration funds parts of both Northwest Arkansas systems. For this reason, the Razorback buses are not exclusively for students but for the public as well. The money is administered by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, according to the Ozark Transit Web site.
The next census will be in 2010 and will determine the amount of funding Northwest Arkansas will receive for transportation. At this point the region will most likely be considered a metropolitan area.
Having a larger population would then boost the transportation system into a category for higher populated areas. Seither said this will cause loss of funding for the local transit systems.
However, the funding probably won't affect the UA until 2013, once the census has been counted and funding adjustments are made. It is possible that the university will have to depend more on local funding, including student fees. If this happens, the buses might require a student ID to board, thus closing it off to the public, Seither said.
Paratransit buses also operate to service those with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act has required public transportation be made available to those with disabilities. Appointments with paratransit buses can be made beforehand.
Other transportation available on campus is the Safe Ride Program. The program is designed to pick up students in Fayetteville and drive them back to their dorm if the student is in an "uncomfortable or inconvenient situation," according the UA Web site.
Three new Safe Ride vehicles are being picked up today and will soon be in use.
Another transit option some Fayetteville citizens want to have considered is the light rail. Money, however, is one of the main issues currently preventing a rail.
The university has approximately 18,000 students enrolled for 2006, according to the UA Web site. Benton Country has 187,000 residents while Washington country has a little less at 180,000, as reported in a 2005 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The system attracts a diverse population of riders, such as seniors, students, those with disabilities, single moms and the general public, said Phil Pumphrey, executive director of Ozark Transit.
Operations have a budget of about $2.4 million per year, yet the Ozark system really needs about $7.8 million, Pumphrey said. As Northwest Arkansas' population keeps growing and the baby boomers begin to age he expects a higher demand for public transit.
"Building more roads isn't going to solve congestion," Pumphrey said. He added that only increased mass transit systems will help.
The Federal Transit Administration funds parts of both Northwest Arkansas systems. For this reason, the Razorback buses are not exclusively for students but for the public as well. The money is administered by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, according to the Ozark Transit Web site.
The next census will be in 2010 and will determine the amount of funding Northwest Arkansas will receive for transportation. At this point the region will most likely be considered a metropolitan area.
Having a larger population would then boost the transportation system into a category for higher populated areas. Seither said this will cause loss of funding for the local transit systems.
However, the funding probably won't affect the UA until 2013, once the census has been counted and funding adjustments are made. It is possible that the university will have to depend more on local funding, including student fees. If this happens, the buses might require a student ID to board, thus closing it off to the public, Seither said.
Paratransit buses also operate to service those with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act has required public transportation be made available to those with disabilities. Appointments with paratransit buses can be made beforehand.
Other transportation available on campus is the Safe Ride Program. The program is designed to pick up students in Fayetteville and drive them back to their dorm if the student is in an "uncomfortable or inconvenient situation," according the UA Web site.
Three new Safe Ride vehicles are being picked up today and will soon be in use.
Another transit option some Fayetteville citizens want to have considered is the light rail. Money, however, is one of the main issues currently preventing a rail.
The university has approximately 18,000 students enrolled for 2006, according to the UA Web site. Benton Country has 187,000 residents while Washington country has a little less at 180,000, as reported in a 2005 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau.
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