ORT To Offer Commuter Express Service

Ozark Regional Transit officials say it is a challenging task to provide adequate transportation options in one of the fastest-growing regions in the country in which it operates. In this continuing endeavor and in conjunction with a local young professionals organization, NWA Emerging Leaders, ORT will initiate Northwest Arkansas’ first commuter express route in 2017.

ORT has secured the first of three MCI-D4505 Motor-Coaches for this service and is currently retrofitting it for its new role.

The route has been designed beginning at the Northwest Arkansas Mall in Fayetteville, in the south parking lot outside of JCPenney’s, and will carry as many as 55 passengers to the 8th Street and Southwest “F” Street business area, adjacent to Walmart’s home office, in Bentonville.

The service will be a reser- vation service with online, monthly reservations now available at www.ozark.org/ cx. Additional reservations will be taken as additional buses are made available.

The cost will be $160 per month, or approximately $8 per-day round-trip and will include free Wi-Fi. It will eventually also include the ability to carry a passenger’s accompanying bicycle. A non-reservation or “walk-on” option will be available, subject to seat availability, for $6 one-way or $12 roundtrip.

The target market for this service is the current driver that would rather spend his/ her travel time in the mornings and evenings getting work done while someone else drives, thereby allowing for more discretionary time in the evenings.

The route will depart from the Northwest Arkansas Mall on Jan. 2 at 6:45 a.m. with a return trip from 8th Street and Southwest “F” Street in Bentonville, departing at 5 p.m.

SUBMITTED PHOTO This is the first motor coach bus purchased by Ozark Regional Transit for commuter service.