Canceled ORT route re-emerges as perceived demand changes
Posted on Friday, August 29, 2008
Ozark Regional Transit is playing the same tune again, reinstating a bus route that ran and was discontinued about three years ago.
The route begins again on Sept. 2.
The transit service had discontinued the route because of low usage.
But that was before this year’s gas prices.
Transit officials say they believe higher fuel prices might just increase ridership.
I think we’re going to do some good with this, ” said Washington County Judge Jerry Hunton, chairman of the Ozark Regional Transit board.
The western commuter express route begins in Lincoln, travels through Prairie Grove and Farmington into Fayetteville, and provides a return trip in the afternoon from Fayetteville.
It is not adding a bus, only shifting the route, said Phil Pumphrey, executive director of Ozark Regional Transit.
There is a rural route that travels to West Fork and Winslow and is a “ paratransit route, ” which is a doorto-door service that takes reservations. It has seen a ridership decline, Pumphrey said
So four hours of that eight-hour route will be carved out and used for the Lincoln-Prairie Grove-Farmington-Fayetteville route, Pumphrey said.
“ That should bring us some higher ridership return, ” he said.
“ This might be a way to serve more people, ” he said.
Hunton said adding the route will be a barometer of people using mass transit.
“ I can’t imagine what would be a better test than actually put a bus out there, ” Hunton said.
He said people may have to make sacrifices with their time in the mornings and evenings to participate.
“ I’m waiting to see if this is something they really want to participate in, ” he said.
He said people tend to want mass transit on their own terms.
“ It’s not going to be perfect by any stretch, ” he said.
But, he said, it is “ a real good opportunity to see if mass transit has some opportunities here. ”
Despite the time sacrifices people may have to make, Hunton said, they could make it up in more take-home pay because they don’t have to buy as much fuel. “ It may make a difference between kids having enough to eat or doing something you want to do, ” he said. Benton, Washington
counties route Another added route is being funded by local communities and agencies and a grant from the federal government, Pumphrey said. It connects various locations throughout Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville. There will be four runs a day: • One beginning at 6: 30 a. m. from Northwest Arkansas Community College to the University of Arkansas, with stops in between at the Scottsdale Center in Rogers, Elm Springs / White Road, Northwest Arkansas Mall and the Regional Technology Center in Springdale.
• One beginning at 7: 40 a. m. from the University of Arkansas to the Scottsdale Center, with stops in between at the Regional Technology Center, Northwest Arkansas Mall, Elm Springs Road / White Road and NWACC.
• One beginning at 4 p. m. from the UA to the Scottsdale Center, with stops in between at the Regional Technology Center, Northwest Arkansas Mall, Elm Springs Road / White Road and NWACC.
• One beginning at 5 p. m. from NWACC to the UA, with stops in between at the Scottsdale Center, Elm Springs Road / White Road, Northwest Arkansas Mall and the Regional Technology Center.
“ It’s not what I think is needed, ” Pumphrey said.
But, he added, “ It’s something that provides something rather than nothing. ”
He said to have any justification for light rail “ you’d need buses all times of the day. ”
Hunton, too, realizes more could be provided.
“ We don’t have multiple buses running at intervals. When you don’t have that kind of money, this is what you can do, ” he said.
“ It’s better than nothing — a whole lot better than nothing. ”
From Sept. 2 through Sept. 12, no fare will be collected on both added routes. The transit service also has an agreement with NWACC faculty, staff and students to ride the entire system for free for the school year, Pumphrey said.
To fund the routes throughout the two counties, the transit service is receiving a Job Access Reverse Commuter grant from the Federal Transit Administration of the U. S. Department of Transportation. So far, $ 33, 500 have been raised for the matching grant — $ 5, 000 each from Bentonville and Rogers, $ 3, 500 from Washington County and $ 20, 000 from NWACC. It is hoped that Benton County will donate $ 5, 000 to make it a $ 38, 500 local match.
The city of Fayetteville has not been asked to fund the routes.
Ozark Regional Transit is asking Fayetteville for $ 254, 000 to fund existing routes. For the last four years, Fayetteville allocated about $ 186, 000 to the service.
“ I think with the funding issue still up in the air, my feeling is it’s going to be an interesting discussion this fall, ” Pumphrey said.
He said customers are starting to speak out about needing existing routes.
He said Fayetteville officials are aware of this added route throughout the two counties, but, he added, “ I think the first issue is solving this issue of the basic service, and that’s still got to come to a vote. ”
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