Public hearing approved for proposed bus route extension

FORT SMITH — Residents will be able to weigh in on a proposal to add a future Veterans Affairs clinic as a bus stop.

The Fort Smith Transit Advisory Commission unanimously voted to open a 30day public hearing for a proposed addition to the Towson fixed route during its meeting Thursday.

Transit director Ken Savage wrote in a memo to the commission the addition would extend the route from the Target Pavilion area on Phoenix Avenue to South 66th Street and back. A small stretch of Fresno and South 62nd Street would be used as a turnaround point. David Hewitt, driver lead person for the transit agency, said the proposal adds about 3 miles to the route.

The Towson route has received interest ahead of a new VA clinic to be at 5500 Phoenix Ave., according to Savage. A number of businesses and restaurants along the same street would also be more accessible if the route was extended slightly eastward of its current service location. The route serves a small portion of Phoenix Avenue as it is.

Savage said transit staff expressed confidence the extension can happen with “little or no negative impacts” to current service.

“To facilitate this change, the Towson bus would leave the Walmart Supercenter on Zero Street five minutes earlier (in lieu of staging), and continue the remainder of the route to include the new addition,” Savage said. “Bus stop times along 31st Street and Phoenix Avenue between the supercenter and Target Pavilion would need to be altered five minutes earlier in order to accommodate the extension.”

Savage said after the meeting the Transit Department will post the public hearing on the city website and request any input or concerns with the proposed addition. It will take the input to the Transit Advisory Commission’s March meeting, where the commission can vote on establishing the addition and a date for when it would start.