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Transportation Projects, Roads, Light Rail, etc


mcheiss

Future Proposed Northwest Arkansas Transportation Projects  

103 members have voted

  1. 1. Which Project is the best option for the future of Northwest Arkansas?

    • 10 Stop Light Rail System
      33
    • Western Bypass
      15
    • I-540 Improvements (6 to 8 lanes)
      35
    • Eastern Parkway
      6
    • Regionwide Bus Service
      8
    • Pedestrian Facilities
      1
    • Bicycle Facilities
      4
    • Ride Share Programs
      1


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I couldn't find a topic for ORT, but due to lack of funding ORT has cancelled the Springdale/Lowell/Rogers route as of December 07. Lowell still has a Rural Paratransit, which is a huge step backwards from the regional route that was cancelled.

Add this to all the doom and gloom that's been going on in NWA development news and it seems like this really is the end of the line for NWA. At least compared to the past several years of growth.

As much as I hate to say it, I think you're right. If the area's leaders can't come together and promote the whole metro region collectively to diversify both white and blue collar job bases then the region as a whole will stagnate. My sole gripe about NWA has always been an apparent reliance on a small number of large players to provide the bulk of the income for the area.

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As much as I hate to say it, I think you're right. If the area's leaders can't come together and promote the whole metro region collectively to diversify both white and blue collar job bases then the region as a whole will stagnate. My sole gripe about NWA has always been an apparent reliance on a small number of large players to provide the bulk of the income for the area.

I hate to get us off topic here. But I'm not sure how well people will come together on some things. While it's great to see the metro as whole doing well. It was frustrating to see a lot of the growth go north of Washington County. Enough so, that Fayetteville is having to cut back on services and such to make up for the decreasing revenues. Now I still think the metro can work together as a whole on some issues. But it does make me wonder how much unity we'll actually be able to muster as a whole. Things are fine is everyone in the region is doing well. Even if some areas are outperforming others. But as soon as some areas start gaining at the expense of other parts of the metro, I can see more division popping up.

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I hate to get us off topic here. But I'm not sure how well people will come together on some things. While it's great to see the metro as whole doing well. It was frustrating to see a lot of the growth go north of Washington County. Enough so, that Fayetteville is having to cut back on services and such to make up for the decreasing revenues. Now I still think the metro can work together as a whole on some issues. But it does make me wonder how much unity we'll actually be able to muster as a whole. Things are fine is everyone in the region is doing well. Even if some areas are outperforming others. But as soon as some areas start gaining at the expense of other parts of the metro, I can see more division popping up.

I agree on 2 counts: 1) we're beginning to veer OT but this is a fairly important discusion and 2) we're likely to see more division than unity in the near future.

It isn't like Fayetteville was ever all that cooperative when things were going it's way so I see no reason for the Benton County folks to be any more helpful. However, I can envision a future where the whole region suffers greatly if these guys can't come together. One thing we have face up to is that a lot of Wal-Mart support staff who helped to drive the area in the past 5-10 years don't have a great habit of putting down roots. I'm sure some and I have no idea what the percentage is but I doubt it's very high. If the real estate inventory does not get diminished in the near future and some of these folks leave without even being able to break even then it will discourage others from taking their place. If the vendors can't replace their people because no one wants to come to NWA then they'll move most of their operations to say Tulsa or Springfield: cities with a fairly low cost of living but with a bit more diverse economical backdrop, and maintain phantom offices in NWA. This wouldn't be good for either Washington or Benton County. Maybe I'm full of it but this is a possibility I foresee. Fayetteville in the least needs desperately to create a few hundred jobs out of thin air.

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I agree on 2 counts: 1) we're beginning to veer OT but this is a fairly important discusion and 2) we're likely to see more division than unity in the near future.

It isn't like Fayetteville was ever all that cooperative when things were going it's way so I see no reason for the Benton County folks to be any more helpful. However, I can envision a future where the whole region suffers greatly if these guys can't come together. One thing we have face up to is that a lot of Wal-Mart support staff who helped to drive the area in the past 5-10 years don't have a great habit of putting down roots. I'm sure some and I have no idea what the percentage is but I doubt it's very high. If the real estate inventory does not get diminished in the near future and some of these folks leave without even being able to break even then it will discourage others from taking their place. If the vendors can't replace their people because no one wants to come to NWA then they'll move most of their operations to say Tulsa or Springfield: cities with a fairly low cost of living but with a bit more diverse economical backdrop, and maintain phantom offices in NWA. This wouldn't be good for either Washington or Benton County. Maybe I'm full of it but this is a possibility I foresee. Fayetteville in the least needs desperately to create a few hundred jobs out of thin air.

Oh I won't say Fayetteville hasn't hurt matters in the past either. And I also can't blame people in Benton County wanting more amenities located there instead of Fayetteville, it's only natural. I suppose maybe it's just what tens to happen when you don't have a true 'center'. Fayetteville's slow planned growth only made the picture more cloudy by letting the other NWA cities pick up a lot of that growth. But yes the area is going to have to find ways to work together, at least to a certain degree. I do think that's possible, I just don't know how far that will ever extend. If there is something that they can work together on, I do think it will be transportation issues. I don't think that's going to cause too many hang ups. But anyway, I hated to get us off topic but thought it would be interesting to mention.

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The lack of decent public transportation here is, like Mith pointed out, the lack of a true 'center' of the metro. There never will be enough money to reach all areas of the metro by public transportation so we just have to get learn to live with worsening traffic conditions. I can live with it if it means getting more places to spend money.

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The lack of decent public transportation here is, like Mith pointed out, the lack of a true 'center' of the metro. There never will be enough money to reach all areas of the metro by public transportation so we just have to get learn to live with worsening traffic conditions. I can live with it if it means getting more places to spend money.

There's always the concept of a merger in order to gain a more metro wide perspective. I'm sure it's come up here before but if ever there was an area in our state that needed such, it's NWA. I think the powers that be will need for the metro to decline across the board before something like this will make their radar. Perhaps this is worthy of it's own thread and maybe even a poll.

Edited by Stormcrow
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There's always the concept of a merger in order to gain a more metro wide perspective. I'm sure it's come up here before but if ever there was an area in our state that needed such, it's NWA. I think the powers that be will need for the metro to decline across the board before something like this will make their radar. Perhaps this is worthy of it's own thread and maybe even a poll.

Yeah I do believe it's come up before, but I can't remember know what topic it was. While merging can help in some situations, I'm not sure it will fix things. It still seems to me that most people want NWA to be more of a suburbia. Public transportation hasn't been very successful overall because there just isn't the needed density. I'd say overall only some sections of Fayetteville have the needed density because of the students. Razorback Transit seems to do pretty well. But overall it's just servicing those denser areas that students live. Even with merging I'm just not sure that it would change people's minds about density and sprawl. If we did talk about serious merging it would obviously be set up with Rogers-Bentonville and Fayetteville-Springdale. I could see the Rogers-Bentonville working. But I just can't see Fayetteville ever merging with Springdale. There would have to be major changes to Springdale before Fayetteville would even consider it. Maybe things will eventually change in the future. But for now I just don't see too many big mergers happening.

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There's always the concept of a merger in order to gain a more metro wide perspective. I'm sure it's come up here before but if ever there was an area in our state that needed such, it's NWA. I think the powers that be will need for the metro to decline across the board before something like this will make their radar. Perhaps this is worthy of it's own thread and maybe even a poll.

I agree that if cities like Fayetteville and Rogers keep declining some mergers may be necessary even if the idea may not be popular with most people. Springdale and Bentonville are already accustomed to not having much to lose. When the need is great enough people will change, especially when they start getting hungry. Fortunately the metro has done well to keep the poor and disabled out by catering mostly to the wealthier elite. In other words, it may be a long time before there's enough poverty and sickness in NWA to engage public concern, but anything is possible.

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I agree that if cities like Fayetteville and Rogers keep declining some mergers may be necessary even if the idea may not be popular with most people. Springdale and Bentonville are already accustomed to not having much to lose. When the need is great enough people will change, especially when they start getting hungry. Fortunately the metro has done well to keep the poor and disabled out by catering mostly to the wealthier elite. In other words, it may be a long time before there's enough poverty and sickness in NWA to engage public concern, but anything is possible.

The problem in my mind is that the region as a whole has not added appreciable jobs in the past 10 years that are not associated with WM. The rust belt shows us what happens when an area ties it's fortunes to a single industry. Heaven forbid WM hits some hard times in a recession and there's very little choice for the "elite" to whom the area has catered but to up and leave. It won't be a gradual transition either, it'll be fast and lethal should it ever happen. IMO there are 2 horrible manners of a decline, one being so extremely slow and gradual that no one notices and the other being a precipitous drop.

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The problem in my mind is that the region as a whole has not added appreciable jobs in the past 10 years that are not associated with WM. The rust belt shows us what happens when an area ties it's fortunes to a single industry. Heaven forbid WM hits some hard times in a recession and there's very little choice for the "elite" to whom the area has catered but to up and leave. It won't be a gradual transition either, it'll be fast and lethal should it ever happen. IMO there are 2 horrible manners of a decline, one being so extremely slow and gradual that no one notices and the other being a precipitous drop.

Any form of unity would help this situation pan out, but if you think the crime is bad enough now, if there aren't any new jobs soon, your gunna see alot more violent gang activity, and im not talking about breakins, and stolen goods, im talking about organization, because what it all boils down to is everyone wants to be able to eat, and if people arent hiring, people cant eat, people cant feed the kids, pay the rent, and so on, and so forth, alot of people around here are too oblivious to the fact that we're not a small community anymore, its not the same growing up here as it was 10 years ago, and its not just the people you hang around, its turned into a means for survival, trust me, not everyone can work for wal mart home office, and you damn sure cant work a regular job for 450 a week, make a car payment, feed the kids, pay rent, pay the bills, and try to set a little aside for gas and groceries, come on, the country as a whole is eating its self, its only a matter of time before the sh*t actualy hits the fan in NWA, we couldnt ride on those big blue coat tails for ever. Sorry for continuing the off topic remarks guys :)

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Poverty and public health and welfare has a lot to do with public transportation, so I'd say the discussion is on-topic. A city or metro that lacks public transportation and public housing for that matter is not against poverty or illness, but is against the poor and disabled trying to live there. I've heard claims about a war against poverty, but instead of attacking the circumstances of poverty like the lack of public transportation and affordable housing, these claimants are attacking the poor and disabled by not providing a means for them to better themselves. I guess its going to take a huge increase in gang-related crimes to wake some people up.

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  • 3 weeks later...

My priorities would be, in order:

1) Widening I-540 to 6 lanes

2) Improvements, more controlled access, and streamlined traffic flow on US 71

3) Long term plans for a new Eastern or Western parallel highway

4) A trolley system around the UA campus and Dickson and the square similar to what exists in Morgantown, WV

I couldn't agree with you more on your number 1 priority. I would much rather hear more about that than a brand new highway that will most likely go right through my living room.

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I couldn't agree with you more on your number 1 priority. I would much rather hear more about that than a brand new highway that will most likely go right through my living room.

Yes but unfortunately it seems a lot of people would rather have a 'western bypass' than widening I-540.

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I haven't decided whether to start a new topic for this or just keep it here. I read in the paper today about a possible Northwest Arkansas Regional Mobility Authority getting set up. Apparently Benton County has approved it and it's being looked at by Washington County. If there's no problems there then they'd need at least three of the major NWA cities to get on board for it to become a reality. It's basically just a way of getting everyone working together so that road projects are more likely to happen and get constructed. I know this has been discussed on here before and I think it's been tossed around a bit by the local governments. I'm not sure if there would be any problems of getting the NWARMA going. I'm not sure but I'm trying to remember if the city of Fayetteville might be a bit hesitant on it. I think it's a good idea. I just wonder though if we can get everybody on board. Being unbiased I think you'd have to say that Benton County probably needs the most work done on it's roads. So I would think many in Benton County would be for it. Springdale wants the 412 bypass and this could help them. But I don't know if I see any immediate needs for Fayetteville coming up. I just wonder if people in Fayetteville will be a bit hesitant if most of the work in the near future will affect other areas of NWA. I would assume the Bella Vista bypass and 412 bypass will be the two main items addressed. Then after that a possible western beltway or maybe widening I-540. Although if I had to guess it seems overall more people seem to favor the western beltway, even though I don't think that's the case here on UP.

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It would be a good idea to start a new topic for this...

I think Fayetteville could be either join or not and still benefit near the same...

AND I HATE THE WESTER BYPASS IDEA! My parents live in the area that it would end/begin; of course they have mixed ideas about it (lean more for it b/c it should increase land value). But I think it will happen just because. Who cares if we support economically irresponsible growth, destroy our lands, create more pollution.... Yeah, I want more public transportation out of the RTA not more roads.

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  • 1 month later...

:begin rant:

Today, not even at lunch rush (just before 11 am, too early for most people's lunch and too late to be heading to work) traffic from the Township and college intersection was backed up past the Old Razorback theater (which is looking pretty decent with the brick going up). At first I thought there was a wreck, but it turned out it was just really busy, there were no real delays of any sort. Anyway, it made me think about the continued traffic flow issues through Fayetteville and the lack of good cross roads from College to Gregg (I'll be happy when their widening project is done) or out to Crossover. The little 2 lane residential streets are packed and in bad shape already, and Crossover and Joyce are at the very edges of town.

:end rant:

(There's no real point to this, just an observation since it seemed to take me longer to get through town today than normal and there aren't any big special events going on)

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:begin rant:

Today, not even at lunch rush (just before 11 am, too early for most people's lunch and too late to be heading to work) traffic from the Township and college intersection was backed up past the Old Razorback theater (which is looking pretty decent with the brick going up). At first I thought there was a wreck, but it turned out it was just really busy, there were no real delays of any sort. Anyway, it made me think about the continued traffic flow issues through Fayetteville and the lack of good cross roads from College to Gregg (I'll be happy when their widening project is done) or out to Crossover. The little 2 lane residential streets are packed and in bad shape already, and Crossover and Joyce are at the very edges of town.

:end rant:

(There's no real point to this, just an observation since it seemed to take me longer to get through town today than normal and there aren't any big special events going on)

Yeah you would think at some point Fayetteville is going to have to widen and make another major east-west road. The only ones are near the edges of the city in the north and south. I know the hilly terrain is a hindrance. But I also wonder if it has something to do with how strong some of the neighborhood associations in the city are. In particular some of the ones that would probably be affected by trying to place a major east-west corridor closer to the middle of the city. But maybe I'm just grasping for straws here.

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Yeah you would think at some point Fayetteville is going to have to widen and make another major east-west road. The only ones are near the edges of the city in the north and south. I know the hilly terrain is a hindrance. But I also wonder if it has something to do with how strong some of the neighborhood associations in the city are. In particular some of the ones that would probably be affected by trying to place a major east-west corridor closer to the middle of the city. But maybe I'm just grasping for straws here.

Although I've been away for nearly a year now, I would say your observation is most likely very accurate. I know when the whole Master Sreet Plan thing was going on there was a lot of gruff over new roads over the mountain to the other side, and what classfication existing would have. With the neighborhood associations, you know if one of them killed the Divinty Hotel they'd be all up in getting what they want in the MSP.

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Who do we complain to about an existing road's traffic signal problem? I have a problem with 15th street. First, the traffic lights east of the school avenue intersection (I think at Morningside and Armstrong roads) should be flashing yellow during non-peak hours. On the weekend no one hardly travels there and the stoplights are unnecessary.

The other thing on 15th street, is the razorback road intersection. It is a 4 way stop with like 10 cars possibly stopping at the same time. It is a huge berth, so hard to see from side to side to see which of the 10 cars stopped first. Seems like it should be a light or a 2-way stop with Razorback Road permitted right-of-way.

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Who do we complain to about an existing road's traffic signal problem? I have a problem with 15th street. First, the traffic lights east of the school avenue intersection (I think at Morningside and Armstrong roads) should be flashing yellow during non-peak hours. On the weekend no one hardly travels there and the stoplights are unnecessary.

The other thing on 15th street, is the razorback road intersection. It is a 4 way stop with like 10 cars possibly stopping at the same time. It is a huge berth, so hard to see from side to side to see which of the 10 cars stopped first. Seems like it should be a light or a 2-way stop with Razorback Road permitted right-of-way.

I would think there's a place on the city's website to comment on things like that. A lot of people say something to the 'Gridlock Guru' from the Ark Dem-Gaz and then he looks into it. Although he often says that people can contact people themselves. But maybe they think he is more likely to get listened to.

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Yeah you would think at some point Fayetteville is going to have to widen and make another major east-west road. The only ones are near the edges of the city in the north and south. I know the hilly terrain is a hindrance. But I also wonder if it has something to do with how strong some of the neighborhood associations in the city are. In particular some of the ones that would probably be affected by trying to place a major east-west corridor closer to the middle of the city. But maybe I'm just grasping for straws here.

I still can't believe that this need wasn't better addressed in Fayetteville's bond package for road improvements that was passed a couple of years ago. I think that was very shortsighted of the City. Contrast that with what is going on in Springdale where their bond package (passed in 2003) is paying for not one, but THREE new and/or improved major East-West corridors in the city (dubbed the Northern, Central and Southern Corridors). It's not often that Springdale gets it right when it comes to long range planning, but it sure seems they did here.

Don't get me wrong, there are some very worthy road improvements that are being addressed in Fayetteville beacause of the bond issue. But several of the projects are merely 'band aid' fixes and they are divided up nearly equally among the 4 city quadrants. The result is a 15 year road improvement package that has a lot of nice bells and whistles, but seemingly lacks substance in the form of real transportation help.

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I still can't believe that this need wasn't better addressed in Fayetteville's bond package for road improvements that was passed a couple of years ago. I think that was very shortsighted of the City. Contrast that with what is going on in Springdale where their bond package (passed in 2003) is paying for not one, but THREE new and/or improved major East-West corridors in the city (dubbed the Northern, Central and Southern Corridors). It's not often that Springdale gets it right when it comes to long range planning, but it sure seems they did here.

Don't get me wrong, there are some very worthy road improvements that are being addressed in Fayetteville beacause of the bond issue. But several of the projects are merely 'band aid' fixes and they are divided up nearly equally among the 4 city quadrants. The result is a 15 year road improvement package that has a lot of nice bells and whistles, but seemingly lacks substance in the form of real transportation help.

I agree- it should have been better addressed in the bond issue. for that matter it should have been addressed decades ago. Now in order to have major east west conections a lot of built up area would have to be plowed through like Springdale with it's Central Corridor. I can't imagine Fayetteville being willing to take land, uproot residents and do the necessary construction like Springdale did.

A logical east west connection would be to connect Mission to North with a multilane road but look at what it would entail. Widening Mission might be an option that would pass, but going over the hill to College and on to Gregg would be fought tooth and nail and be hard to engineer without massive terrain changes. A southern connection could be made with Huntsville and 6th but would also go through a built up area that would require massive destruction to widen the road. Widening and extending Township would be fought hard and the hill there would also be a engineering nightmare. Only Joyce on the north side seems to have a good shot and that's if you make the jog down to Van Asche to cross west. Just not a lot of good options.

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I agree- it should have been better addressed in the bond issue. for that matter it should have been addressed decades ago. Now in order to have major east west conections a lot of built up area would have to be plowed through like Springdale with it's Central Corridor. I can't imagine Fayetteville being willing to take land, uproot residents and do the necessary construction like Springdale did.

A logical east west connection would be to connect Mission to North with a multilane road but look at what it would entail. Widening Mission might be an option that would pass, but going over the hill to College and on to Gregg would be fought tooth and nail and be hard to engineer without massive terrain changes. A southern connection could be made with Huntsville and 6th but would also go through a built up area that would require massive destruction to widen the road. Widening and extending Township would be fought hard and the hill there would also be a engineering nightmare. Only Joyce on the north side seems to have a good shot and that's if you make the jog down to Van Asche to cross west. Just not a lot of good options.

Yeah I guess that's one of the big problems. Not only do you have topography making things more complicated (and expensive) then you also have to go through residential neighborhoods. Not only will you have to take out quite a few houses. You're also going through areas where people aren't going to be happy about having a 4 lane road going through their neighborhood. Also some of the neighborhoods that will be involved seem to be ones that have quite a bit of pull in the city.

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  • 1 month later...

Rogers first city to step up to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Mobility Authority.

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/227017/

I guess this is a good thing. Hopefully it will accomplish some things for the region.

Yeah I read something about that today. It's the first city to join, although I think they still need at least two more cities for it to actually happen. If some of the cities here in NWA don't merge I think this is the next best thing. I don't know how much power this committee will actually hold. But it's at least a step in trying to get the NWA cities to start trying to work together and think of the region.

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