Ozark Regional Transit (ORT) is at the threshold of a significant milestone for public transportation in Northwest Arkansas.
In 2014, a transportation tax was passed that would offer, or turnback, additional funds to local city and county municipalities for road infrastructure and road projects. Public transportation is considered under the “road projects” portion of the new funding.
ORT’s director, Joel Gardner, inititiated a campaign focused toward local city and county municipalities for a portion of the “turnback” funding, and many municipalities approved additional funding for public transportation. As a result, ORT has grown from an eight-route system in 2013, to a 14-route system as of 2015; an almost two-fold increase in routes and services.
With this new source of funding, existing routes were redesigned or added in Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale. Two of these routes were redesigned in such a way that Johnson, Arkansas, also received bus service.
The last, and possibly most significant, route in this grand expansion began operating June 2, 2014. Route 620 connected the more rural towns of Farmington, Greenland, Lincoln, Prairie Grove and West Fork to Fayetteville and the rest of the bus system.
These changes impacted a cumulative population of nearly 19,000 people whom previously had no fixed-route public transportation in their hometowns.
ORT receives the largest percentage of its funding from federal sources. The significance of these routes being sustained for two years is in the way these federal funding sources view fixed-route, public transportation and how the system is funded going forward.
ORT is planning a celebration at 4 p.m., Tuesday, June 28 at their facilities, located at 2423 E. Robinson in Springdale. Mayor Doug Sprouse, Former Mayor Jerre Van Hoose and Springdale Chamber Vice President, Bill Rogers are expected to speak at the event.
