NWA GO

Given some comments on the last post, I think we need to clarify a couple of things. Some of you have questions about my stance toward our transit agency. First, let me say that is okay, there are no bad questions. Second, please let me know if you disagree with something. We are a large community and disagreement is going to occur, it isn’t the end of the world. We come at this topic with different expectations, experience, and knowledge. It is expected.

So there is some contrast between the public comments of management at Ozark Regional Transit Authority and myself. We appear to disagree and I may appear to be argumentative to some of you. To clarify there is no disagreement between ourselves and management at ORTA. We want the same thing(s). We all want a robust, stable funded world class mass transit system serving our community. First and foremost we need a 24/7 bus operation. OTRA and NWA GO do have different roles to play in achieving what we want. The management at ORTA runs a company that provides the service. They have to use whatever is made available to them. They have the legal capability to obtain funding through grants, gifts, low interest loans, and raising a sales tax.

We, at NWA GO, are community activists. We do research and educate the public. Part of the education is to let you, the public, know what is possible in terms of public transportation. And yes, as activists we ask for the very best. It doesn’t mean we will get it right away, but we let you know it’s there. So when I write about another city building this or that it is not to denigrate ORTA. I am not throwing shade on their work. I am reporting to you what the experience are in other parts of the country. We can learn from successes and mistakes from all parts of the USA and the world. For instance I learned from my experience observing the development of public transit in Austin, Texas. Plenty of mistakes were made and now Austin is working to catch up to where they could have been more than a decade ago. We want to avoid that here.

ORTA works with limited funding and yet does a magnificent job with what they are given. I don’t think we appreciate the management at ORTA enough. What they need is more money. NWA GO is trying to get the public motivated to vote for candidates who will provide the base to build the world class transit system we want.

ORTA management have stated in public meetings that they will receive about $12 million from each of the Four Cities with a quarter cent sales tax. I have stated it is between $15 and $17 million per city. So from $48 million to over $60 million total annually. Here I will amend my previous statements. We can expect a range of income from the new sals tax because there is some variation year to year. What I didn’t take into account is that the USA has a strong economy right now. The level of economic activity means that sales are high so sales tax revenue is high. In a different year sales tax revenue will certainly be lower. So the new figures are from $48 to $60 million a year revenue from sales tax as we have established above.

So to sum up, we are working toward the same goal, we take different approaches given the role we have in the community, and we are all learning more as we go.

Speaking of the role the State plays, ORTA benefits from The Investment in Infrastructure and Jobs Act, aka The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, and I believe the Inflation Reduction Act. NWA Regional Planning Commission informed the USDOT that Springdale and Fayetteville qualified for funding in the above Bills. As a result ORTA received a few million in transit funding including money for new buses. None of Arkansas congressional delegation voted in favor of the above bills. Just so you know. Now the State of Arkansas needs to get into the game. We could use some serious State funding too. When the sales tax hike comes up for a vote next year, we will get some of you our knocking on doors to pass that local bill.

One more thing, I do this as an unpaid volunteer. I work full time +, so I can’t get to all the meetings in NWA. If you go to a meeting please write a brief report and post it on our Facebook group. This will keep the information flowing and keep us all up to date. That’s city council meetings, county quorum court, the Strong Town meetings, and so on.

#Let’sPutArkansasBackOnTrack. Y’all Aboard