Transit group nearing pick for consultant

Three entities on short list to aid implementing plan

SPRINGDALE — Ozark Regional Transit has three potential players to help the public transit provider begin implementing a 10-year plan.

The transit board hopes to narrow the selection at a special meeting next month.

“This is the portion of the strategic plan that outlines what the board is supposed to do, be and how they’re supposed to guide me,” said Joel Gardner, executive director of Regional Transit.

The new plan envisions a more urban focus on transit in the region with representation on the board commensurate with how much money a given entity contributes.

Alliance Transportation Group developed the plan, called Connect Northwest Arkansas. The current board makeup gives equal voting rights to four counties and four cities, some of which contribute little or nothing to public transit costs.

Ozark Regional Transit, which is essentially the Northwest Arkansas Regional Transit Authority, is looking to change its board to address that urban and rural divide in transit service. About 96% of its ridership is in the four major cities.

Proposals from the three are being sent to board members so they can begin the selection process July 22. The board plans to decide on a cost estimate at the meeting as well.

Those entities submitting proposals include Abby Foster and Ahnimisha Consulting; Alliance Transportation Group, which wrote the development plan; and Kristin Joyner of KJ Backpack.

Alliance, based in Austin, Texas, was selected to develop the plan based on its experience and expertise in transit planning, ridership forecasting, modeling and its record of completing plans that can be implemented, according to regional planners. Alliance has worked at the local and state level in Arkansas and has worked on numerous projects in the United States, including Austin and Boulder, Colo.

Foster is a Northwest Arkansas resident who has helped Fayetteville work through several planning projects, including a site

for a parking garage and a short-term rental ordinance. Foster leads workshops, training seminars and professional coaching and offers consulting services.

KJ Backpack develops and delivers training programs, workshops and conferences for the transit industry by promoting workforce development, leadership and communication.

A key concern, Regional Transit board members said, is how much the process will cost and how long it will take.

Connect Northwest Arkansas, the 10-year public transportation development plan, looks at every aspect of public transit in the region and makes recommendations to improve and increase service and the coverage area.

It envisions expanded routes and on-demand service in the region’s urban areas.

Individual plans within Connect Northwest Arkansas have been developed specifically for Ozark Regional and Razorback Transit to define their roles in a regional system. Individual plans have also been developed for each of the four major cities.

Work on Connect Northwest Arkansas was commissioned and paid for by the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission. The plan and the study leading up to it cost $280,000.