HOW WE SEE IT: Highway Issue Makes Sense For Region

Norman Augustine, the former chief executive offcer of Lockheed Martin Corp., had some concerns about consultants.

“All too many consultants, when asked ‘What is 2 and 2?’ respond, ‘What do you have in mind?’”

Indeed, the outcome of consultants’ work is often a foregone conclusion.

Such was obviously the case with the study, funded by the Northwest Arkansas Council, released last week to the public in a news conference. The news? The roads, highways and streets in Northwest Arkansas are congested.

Two plus two.

Arkansans and visitors to the region could haveeasily delivered that finding. The Northwest Arkansas Council, a privately funded group of business and civic leaders, still felt a need to quantify the situation.

In come the consultants, who conclude those dailybumper-to-bumper sessions on the concrete and asphalt amount to $103 million in annual lost time and money to the region’s drivers.

This “news” is before us today because voters on Nov. 6 will be asked to approve Issue No. 1, an amendment to the Arkansas Constitution to establish a half-cent sales tax for 10 years to fund a $2 billion program for key highways, city streets and county roads. The specifi cs:

The new sales tax will fund a $1.3 billion bond issue for four-lane highway construction designed to better connect Arkansans across the state.

In addition, cities and counties will share more than $700 million for local road and street improvements.

The half-cent sales tax will not be charged on groceries, medicine or gasoline. Advocates said that means an average person will pay about $7 per month for better area highways.

The sales tax will end after 10 years.

For years, Northwest Arkansas leaders have been frustrated by the state Highway Commission’s approach to funding highway projects. The state is divided into five highway districts, all of which get a basically even share of the state’s highway money.

But Northwest Arkansas, along with central Arkansas, is where the vast majority of traff c is.

Some argue the money should follow the cars in some proportional way.

In Issue No. 1, that happens. Almost a quarter of the money raised for four-lane projects will come to Northwest Arkansas to deal with the congestion that strangles opportunity for the region.

The projects include widening Interstate 540 to six lanes between Fayetteville and Bentonville;

completing the initial two lanes of the eventual four-lane Bella Vista bypass; and starting four-lane construction of a U.S. 412 bypass of Springdale by creating a leg toward the regional airport.

Benton County and its cities will divide $43.3 million for county roads and city streets during the 10-year period. In Washington County, the total is $42.8 million. Decisions about where that money will be spent will be up to local off cials.

Keep this in mind, too: By creating new funding for the four-lane projects included in Issue No. 1, money dedicated to them within existing budgets can be shifted to other pressing state highway needs.

This program represents the way Arkansans can have a direct impact on highway improvements that matter in our daily lives and in our state’s economic development pursuits.

The needs outstrip even this robust program, but Arkansas can ill-aftord a sit-and-wait attitude.

Nobody likes to sit and wait. The only ones coming to our rescue will be ourselves.

Vote for Issue No. 1.

Opinion, Pages 12 on 10/14/2012

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