SPRINGDALE -- Ozark Regional Transit and Razorback Transit have received a $180,000 federal grant for bus stop improvements through their Areas of Persistent Poverty grant application, it was announced Thursday.
The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration announced Thursday it will award $20 million to 47 communities to help improve public transportation options in areas experiencing long-term economic distress.
Areas of Persistent Poverty are defined as a county or census tract with at least 20% of residents living in poverty, based on various historical census data over the last 30 years.
"Our grant funding, along with local funding sources, will be used to review and engineer the future development of the bus stops in Northwest Arkansas to make them more accessible for residents and provide ease of access to the public transit system," said Joel Gardner, executive director at Ozark Regional Transit.
Tim Conklin, executive director at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, said he's looking forward to working with Ozark Regional Transit and Razorback Transit to implement the design phase of the bus stop improvements.
"Today we have stops that have no sidewalks or shelters for existing users of the public transportation system, and this is one step closer to improving transit in Northwest Arkansas," Conklin said.
Olsson Engineering did a study of Ozark Regional Transit's 414 bus stops last year and found the vast majority need to be upgraded. Ozark Regional Transit officials said they don't have the needed money so they and the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission applied for a federal grant in February. Regional planners gave their blessing to apply for $540,000.
Fayetteville, Springdale and Rogers lent their support to the grant request, as did the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and the state's congressional delegation. Bentonville didn't have any areas of persistent poverty.
Gardner said since the region didn't get the full amount requested, he plans to ask the cities to match the grant.
There are 341 stops in tracts that are eligible for the grant under the poverty guidelines. That's 59% of the stops in the region, according to Shawn Strate with Olsson, the engineering firm writing the grant application. Those numbers include stops inside on-demand transit zones with no fixed-route service.
Most stops are no more than a patch of bare ground and a sign, according to the Olsson study. Passenger amenities are limited, problems persist with accessibility for disabled people and other riders and few shelters exist for those waiting on buses.
Upgrading stops to a basic level of accessibility should be a primary goal, according to the study. The vast majority of stops don't comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. While most stops do have a sidewalk nearby, only 14% have a concrete landing pad connected to the sidewalk.
For disabilities act compliance, a firm, stable surface -- typically a concrete pad at least 8 feet by 5 feet and aligned with the front door of the bus -- is required.
The landing pads allow wheelchair users to board a bus using a ramp or lift extending from the bus. For those able to walk to and from the stop, a concrete landing pad provides an unobstructed space free of tripping or other hazards and free of mud or other unstable surfaces.
The region could apply for additional grants to help cover construction costs, officials said. It would cost more than $3.6 million to bring all stops up to the recommended levels immediately, according to the study.
Investments from the poverty program can be used to support efforts to initiate transit service as well as improve service and modernize fleets, from procuring low- and no-emission buses to launching scheduling apps and improving bus stops.
Grant next door
The Cherokee Nation in northeastern Oklahoma will receive $576,188 to update its long-range transit plan to guide the planning, construction and deployment of future tribal transit projects. The review will include an electric vehicle infrastructure assessment to plan for expansion and a technology assessment designed to increase user access for its 450,000 tribal citizens.
Source: U.S. Federal Transit Administration