Backers of a commuter rail service in Northwest Arkansas have another study saying development of the transportation alternative in the region is feasible. Throw enough hope and assumptions at anything and it, too, can be labeled "feasible."
What’s The Point?
With another federally funded study of commuter rail possibilities for Northwest Arkansas in hand, the question still lingers: Can Northwest Arkansas afford it?
It's tempting to call the study a waste, but because the federal government provided the $200,000 for consultants to examine the possibilities, nobody will call it that. We all know federal money comes from elves and magical trees, not taxpayers.
The least expensive rail option is estimated to cost $693 million, using existing rail lines operated by Arkansas & Missouri Railroad. Creating a true dedicated rail line just for a commuter train along Interstate 49 would cost about $2.3 billion if construction started today. Oh, and by the way, it's unlikely federal dollars will be available to fund it. Turns out even elves and magical trees have their limits.
We appreciate forward-looking planners who consider lots of alternatives. In their world, you've got to throw a lot of options around before you can see what sticks. We continue to be skeptical this is where Northwest Arkansas needs to invest its time and limited resources. Much bigger metropolitan areas need commuter rail lines today and cannot get them built.
The day Walmart Stores Inc. tells all its employees and vendors to stop driving to Bentonville is the day development of a commuter line will edge ever so slightly toward reality. But unless someone wants to cash out lots of stock to fund it, we're betting the old-fashioned automobile still figures prominently in Northwest Arkansas' transportation plans.
Springdale Investments Start To Pay Off
With a ribbon cutting Wednesday morning, Springdale officially got its newest Walmart Supercenter. Even bigger news still on the Springdale front was the recent announcement of plans to build a Sam's Club west of Interstate 49 near Arvest Ballpark.
That latter development represents a change of fortunes for Springdale, which lost Washington County's only Sam's Club location to Fayetteville in 2007 after opposition to the store's request for a state permit to sell liquor formed. Fayetteville didn't have the same sensitivities.
Beyond the addition of a coveted retail operation that will no doubt add convenience for area shoppers, plans for the Sam's Club as well as the opening of the Walmart store on Elm Springs Road means something critically important to local government: Sales tax growth.
When Sam's Club left Springdale, city leaders said the move cost the city millions of dollars in sales tax revenue. That's serious money in municipal government.
The announcement was good news for those who have touted the area around Arvest Ballpark as the next big thing in Springdale's economic development. City voters invested in the ballpark not just to lure a minor league team from Wichita, Kan., but to create a catalyst for development. That investment continued with the recent construction of the Interstate 49 interchange at Don Tyson Parkway. The Sam's Club announcement, city leaders say, is just the beginning of great things for the area.
After years of hard work and public investment, it seems they might be right.
Commentary on 08/14/2014