What form of public transportation works best in Northwest Arkansas?

08/05/21 • 43 min

As more people and businesses make Northwest Arkansas their home, regional planners and decision-makers ponder what role public transit will play. Can it become a true alternative that inspires automobile owners to leave their cars parked for the ease of letting someone else do the driving? Can a robust bus system diminish the number of vehicles on the region's crowded highways? In this episode of "Speaking of Arkansas," host Greg Harton speaks with Joel Gardner, executive director of the Ozark Regional Transit Authority, which serves as the bus system in urban and rural areas of Washington, Benton, Carroll and Madison counties. Jeff Hatley, the authority's public information officer, also sat in on the discussion about today's mass transit system, its shortcomings and the opportunities that exist to address transportation challenges as the region grows. Ozark Regional Transit Authority - https://www.ozark.org/ Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission 10-year transit development plan —https://www.nwarpc.org/transit/connect-northwest-arkansas/

Previous Episode

SPEAKING OF ARKANSAS - Should armed police get out of traffic enforcement?

What will it take to reduce the number of police traffic stops that devolve into a use of force, sometimes with deadly consequences? Is there a way to overcome concerns of how race and other biases affect who gets pull over by law enforcement officers? Is there a better way to serve the public's needs for enforcement of traffic laws? In this episode of "Speaking of Arkansas," Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette editorial editor Greg Harton visits with Dr. Jordan Blair Woods, a law professor and criminologist at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Dr. Woods proposes creating local and state agencies focused solely on enforcement of traffic by unarmed "traffic monitors," eliminating the traffic stop as either a tool or an excuse for larger investigatory purposes. Doing so, he says, would at least reduce traffic stops of over-policed populations, such as racial minorities and poorer people. If you'd like to read his full 70-plus page research article, titled "Traffic Without the Police," visit http://ssrn.com/author=946203. Woods' full bio on the University of Arkansas School of Law faculty site can be found at https://law.uark.edu/directory/directory-faculty/uid/jbwoods/name/Jordan+Blair+Woods/ Questions or show suggestions for "Speaking of Arkansas" can be directed to Greg Harton at [email protected]. Follow "Speaking of Arkansas" on Twitter @SpeakingofArka1

Next Episode

Climate change and Fayetteville's response: Will all cities need to prepare for "climate resiliency?"

Will climate change adversely affect Northwest Arkansas so much that cities need specific plans for the meteorological, environmental and ecological effects? Fayetteville City Council member Teresa Turk believes so, and now isn't necessarily too soon to map out a strategy. The City Council recently adopted a resolution she offered to build "climate resilience" into the city's future. It will set aside $100,000 next year for the city staff or a consultant to draft a new chapter of city code to inform future city actions that impact environmental and ecosystem issues; to expand the footprint of lands of high ecological value; and to create a permanent capital improvement project budget for the purchase of lands with high environmental or ecological value. To read a copy of Turk's resolutions, click here. Turk was our recent guest on the "Speaking of Arkansas" podcast to discuss the resolution, the plan she hopes it produces and whether anything about it might complicate new development within the city.