State Working on new, long-range transportation plan

SPRINGDALE -- The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department held a public input session Thursday afternoon in Springdale as part of the process to update its federally mandated Long-Range Intermodal Transportation Plan.

The completed plan will contain goals, objectives, policies, investment strategies and performance measures that will guide the state's transportation investments for the next 25 years, highway officials said. It will also look at all the pieces of the state's transportation system, including highways, bridges, public transportation, rail, bicycle and pedestrian, ports and waterways and aviation.

"Its a policy-level plan, you won't see a list of projects," said Virginia Porta, a senior planning engineer with the highway department. "What this is, is a plan that will identify what's important to the public and our stakeholders. It's a performance-driven plan looking at priorities. You can't do it all, there are trade-offs."

Members of the general public, retired Highway Commissioner Bobby Hopper, several engineers and mayors, along with a college class of civil engineering students, showed up for the session.

"I've lived here my whole life and I'm interested in what's going on. I've seen the growth the region has experienced and wanted to see what the plan is," said Lucias Mhoon, who operates Susan's Restaurant and Poza's Pasta in Springdale and is the father of two children. "This is the comment period where we can chip in our two-cents worth."

Bob Crafton, a retired civil engineer from Rogers, said he still has a personal interest in highways.

"I'm just interested in what the plan is," Crafton said.

The meeting is one of several highway officials are hosting around the state. Porta said there will be another round of sessions next year to present a draft and anticipated revenue projections.

Draft goals in the plan include safety and security, reducing congestion and improving mobility and system reliability, improving the intermodal transportation system to help the state compete economically, environmental sustainability, investing in the highway system to maintain existing roads and bridges and partnering with metropolitan planning organizations and local governments to improve safety, accessibility and connectivity.