[Transportation Projects, Roads, Light Rail, etc]

The ideal situation here would be to hop onto a train or bus, near my home, and after arriving near my destination be able to walk safely the rest of the way. Now, unless I worked in Benton County and lived in Fayetteville, riding a light rail train wouldn't have much of an appeal for me. I enjoy going up to Rogers occasionally to shop or dine, but it just doesn't have the amenities to support mass ridership on light rail. The same could be said about Fayetteville. Hopefully I'm wrong, but it seems like other than business travel light rail in the NWA corridor would be sparsely used.

The reason that mass transit systems work so well in large urban centers is because traffic and finding sufficient parking is a tremendous inconvenience and expense. Also, and this is really key, pedestrians have easy access to wherever they need to go. Fayetteville and Rogers have all the same basic amenities and are extremely difficult to get around on foot.

Will a centralized, light rail system encourage infill and more dense urban living? It seems like it would, but to what extent? Also, would that growth be enough to attract the necessary amenities to create enough daily ridership to justify a light rail? It seems like the more natural course would be letting population growth determine mass transit development. Certainly, it's necessary to plan ahead and have the infrastructure in place for mass transit development and also key to NWA's future growth is focusing on developing pedestrian friendly urban cores to link through mass transit systems.

[Springdale, Arkansas]

I have'nt heard anything on Springdale lately so I thought I'd update everyone on whats going on in Springdale currently. I recently moved to the east side to Remington Place Apartments and was surprised at how nice these apartments were, being on this side of Springdale. I also noticed that Huntsville AVE/ Butterfield Coach RD is comming together quite nicely being able to take you from exit 73 off I-540 to 71b Thompson, then to Ar 265 Old Missouri, then to 412 east Robinson, then to the new southern corridor Don Tyson Parkway, mostly 5 lane capacity. Another thing that surprised me when i drove around the "hood" some more was the fact that Springdale's Industrial park had alot going up over there off of Huntsville and Emma just east of 265. I'm sure you all know about the new UPS facillity that was just built, and it looks very nice from the street. Springdale is also trying to build a new park over on the east side some where off of Butterfield Coach in the very near future. At the intersection of Butter Field Coach and 412 east Robinson right next to the existing Harps is a Walgreen's and a Neighborhood Market both near completion as well as a planned First National Bank and an Arvest Bank. The only draw back to this side of town is the fact that everything, and I mean EVERYTHING residentialy proposed is low income, it may look like theres some nice brick homes going up but its nothing but duplexes and more apartments, as well as the crime and drug raids that occure all the time, as in I see a raid just about every day in the neighborhood around my apartments or in my apartments. I mysely am 20 and a college student, and extremely broke so this is one of the few places I can live in NWA, but it's fine because I grew up in Springdale and I love it here. Hopefully the New developments over here can help dress up the area, because I know Springdale's Downtown neighborhoods are a lost cause and a haven for criminal activity. I'm curious as to who else lives in Springdale on this forum?

I myself am a student at the U of A and live near campus, however, I used to work near the Springdale airport and currently volunteer at one of the area schools. I like the development that is going on there. It is not the most attractive area in Springdale, but there are some nice amenities there. My favorite restaurant in that area is Acapulco Mexican restaurant. The Harps is nice and when the Neighborhood Market is completed, it will provide a better selection of groceries. Having Fed Ex, UPS, and DHL nearby is also convenient. I think if Springdale keeps up with street maintenance, that area will be a nice place to live.

[Fayetteville, Arkansas]

I completely disagree with you. I love the stadium, and while I wish that it were a complete bowl, I know that it can't be until there is a larger fan-base within close driving distance / consistent team results. I think that the stadium now has a very "soft" feel that is warming and welcoming, but looks modern and of good quality. In fact, there are very few stadiums that I would consider to be prettier than our own.

My point is that there is a tendency to play it safe when it comes to building large public spaces. If you're building an apartment complex, then play it safe because you're trying to maximize your dollar. But, if you have several millions to spend on a building that is meant to attract people from a large regional area, then don't be afraid to be creative. My issue deals more with the current WAC building. If you're going to construct a huge building that is emblematic of your entertainment district and is right in the heart of Fayetteville, then make it a wonder to the eyes.

[Fayetteville, Arkansas]

The composition of the picture is terrific. What stands out most is the modern architecture contrasting beautifully with the traditional design of Old Main. Something else that came to mind while I was examining the picture was an old gripe of mine. Old Main is a beautiful building. To me, Old Main is how a large brick building should look. The hue of the brick contrasts wonderfully with the other colors found on the building. I think many cities, in an effort to maintain a concurrent design aesthetic or regional architecture, fail to realize that the simple lines and elegance of modern architecture blends well with traditional design. More specifically, I have never been a fan of the WAC building. I think the city missed a great opportunity to have a building that could have emblemized Fayetteville as much as Old Main does. Another example occurred when I first moved to Fayetteville. The university had hired an architectural firm from New York, I believe, to redesign and expand Razorback Stadium. The university decided against using that firm's concept because I believe they felt the design was too "exotic." I think that was another missed opportunity. More recently, however, Fayetteville has shown signs of embracing modern architecture, but I still feel we can go further. I realize that with the state of the economy we won't see a tremendous amount of building activity in Fayetteville, especially in the civic area. I hope that if Fayetteville receives a new performance arts building it won't be another missed opportunity.

[Fayetteville, Arkansas]

Here's a nice view of Fayetteville- old and new- town and gown. I thihnk they work together very well.

That's a beautiful shot. Where was it taken from?