NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — I am a supporter of mass transit and feel that Northwest Arkansas is very far behind in providing public transit to our citizens.
While our community subscribes to sustainability and conservation, we seem to be ignoring one of the most beneficial acts for any commuter: mass transit. The more cars we get off the roads, less green space will be needed for more highways and parking lots.
Every bus can get 40 polluting cars off the road and give Mother Earth a breath of fresh air.
It seems like a lot of the present bus passengers are poor, elderly or infirm, and public transit is often their only access to our communities. Don’t we owe these people dignity and respect? Buses can be the difference between a participating citizen and a shut-in.
As a commuter, I would likethe option of frequent and dependable bus service to my work. A worker commuting from Bentonville to Fayetteville by car can spend about $23 per day (source: AAA) or ride the bus for $2.50 per day. When bus service is no longer just hourly and includes more routes and destinations, I will definitely join the riding public.
JIM McCULLOCH
Fayetteville
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KEEP TRAILS FREE
The Fayetteville City Council will soon consider an ordinance allowing pedicabs on the trail system. One pedicab will easily block half the widest trail proposed for use. One justification for use is access to apartments along the SkullCreek Trail. Those can be easily accessed from Leverett or Gregg, both of which are approved for use under the existing pedicab ordinance.
The trails were built for recreational use and are heavily used when the weather is nice.
Many people use them whenever it is dry, regardless of temperature. Allowing pedicabs on the trails will create a dangerous situation, as it will become very hard for opposing traffic to pass safely.
The number of blind curves on the trails proposed for use adds to the increased risk. On busy afternoons and evenings, it can be a challenge now, and recreational traffic is steadily increasing. Please keep the trail system free from commercial traffic!
JOHN J. ROWNAK
Fayetteville
Opinion, Pages 5 on 02/25/2011