2040 transportation planning underway; public input sought at sessions

FAYETTEVILLE -- Residents got their first shot Thursday to tell regional planners what they want to see in the area's long-term transportation plan during a public input session at the Fayetteville Public Library

The 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan will replace the 2035 NWA Regional Transportation Plan. The plan provides a long-range, comprehensive look at transportation needs and implementation strategies for highways, transit, bicycle and pedestrian paths.

Meeting

The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission is inviting the public to the second of two meetings to discuss the 2040 Metropolitan Transportation Plan. The meeting is scheduled for 3:30-6:30 p.m. May 28 at the Bentonville Public Library.

Residents with an opinion on the region’s current and future transportation matters or concerns are urged to attend. Surveys and comment cards will be available as will a link to an interactive, public comment map on which participants can post comments and ideas. Staff will be on hand to answer questions.

Visit the commission website at www.nwarpc.org for more information, call 479-751-7125 or email cscott-silkwood@nwa….

Source: Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission

Bud and Jan Hanks moved several years ago to Stonebridge Meadows from Riverside, Calif., where they saw a population boom that happened without adequate infrastructure to accommodate it.

"I'm seeing indications of that here -- we just hit 500,000," Bud Hanks said, referring to the area's population. "I almost feel like I'm living in Groundhog Day -- deja vu. It's exactly like Riverside in the 1970s. Are we making the same bad decisions or are we making good decisions for Northwest Arkansas?"

Bud Hanks said improvements to Arkansas 265, U.S. 412 and an access road to the Northwest Arkansas Airport should have been addressed years ago. He's concerned the region won't be able to keep up with expected growth. Planners anticipate the population of Benton and Washington counties will be about 750,000 by 2040.

"We just really hope some good things come out of this," Jan Hanks said. "It was so frustrating to see what we saw in California repeated here with the tremendous growth.

Nancy Kahanak has lived in Northwest Arkansas for 35 years and recently moved to south Fayetteville after living west of town for years.

"I think it's really important that we plan for the future. It can be dismal or it can be fantastic," Kahanak said. "I'm really an advocate of public transit. Why can't we have light rail rather than six lanes?"

Kahnanak said she uses the trail system every day to walk her dog and go places around town.

"By having amenities like this we're inviting people to live in Northwest Arkansas and we have a healthier community," Kahnanak said.

Regional planners adopted the 2035 Plan on April 7, 2011. The plan is updated every five years.

John McLarty, a senior planner with the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, said a remarkable number of the 2035 goals have been met with regard to transportation design, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, intermodal facilities, transit, transportation alternatives and highway priorities.

The 2040 planning process will highlight the current plan's recommendations, arterial highway network and regional trail system.

NW News on 05/22/2015

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