mcheiss
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Posts posted by mcheiss
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Also, could anybody see more urban dwelling projects happening along this route If the light rail was to be made?
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Yeah I think I saw the plot of land a few weeks ago when I was up in Rogers. I just don't recall seeing when this is supposed to be completed.
This is project is on track to finish at the end of this year, with the 125,000 square foot convention center and 152 room additon to the Embassy Suites finishing out late next year to 2007.
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I guess I can see that. But they really need to get a better road into the airport. I think that is the one negative aspect about XNA. But I agree with you on Greenland. Sure maybe one day into the future a Greenland stop could be useful but I certainly don't see this anytime soon. I think there could be other locations in Benton County that would be needed more than Greenland. But yes it would be nice if they'd reconsider and scale it down a bit and have it running basically between Fayetteville, Springdale and Rogers/Bentonville. I wonder how that would affect costs.
They actually are creating an access road to the airport. It's supposed to be a 4 lane bypass of somewhat that is going to connect onto the 412 Bypass. They say it will probably be completed in 2009 or so. I agree though. I hate taking Southwest Regional Airport Road through Centerton and seeing cows and such. I really don't feel like I'm in Wal-Mart land, but more like 20 years ago. Plus there are so many curves and such. It is one thing holding back the airport for development though. I agree that other locations in Fayetteville and Benton County would be need for the proposed light rail.
It practically costs millions of dollars for a mile of railroad track these days. I remember that the airport wanted to extend the railroad from Gentry to it's facility so they could attract a "Super Project" to the airport and it was somewhere around $5-10 Million for 7 miles of track!!!
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Yeah that's really surprised me a bit. I know some of the land isn't as suitable for development. Some of it is a bit hilly, and then there's well known spot with the endangered fish. But there are still areas that lend themselves well to development in Fayetteville. I haven't quite figured out why there has been so little development along I-540 here in Fayetteville. You could even argue that if they didn't build the Sam's where they were nothing would be happening in that area either. Rogers has done a very good job developing around I-540. I also think Rogers did a very good job annexing land years ago. I wouldn't mind seeing the downtown area build up, but it would also be nice to see the area around I-540 in northern Fayetteville be developed in such a way also.
If you take a drive up to Rogers, you'll see that around the Perry Road exit, there are fields of red dirt along several buildings in a downtown like setting. B)
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Valid point, but I could see many people using it to get to XNA. That way you wouldn't have to bother with parking there. But I wouldn't have any problems with starting a light rail through the main part of the metro. Then if it works out well extend it out to XNA.
One problem though, Scott Van Laningham, Airport Director, has already stated he does not support Ozark Regional Transit's proposal to provide service to the airport, simply because the airport makes money off of the parking. It's practically the airport's number one source of revenue.
If a light-rail system did come into play, I say that stops such as the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport should not be included, simply because of the sheer amount of cost it would be to build a railroad track an extra 30+ miles from the existing Arkansas/Missouri Railoroad Track to loop around the Airport and back to the meeting place around Lowell or Springdale. Also, who would use the proposed Greenland stop? The current proposal is just not cost-effective, but if they were to tweak it a bit and not build new tracks just to get to the airport, I might just see this plan working in 15 or so years (if current growth projections and economic factors play out).
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If they didn't go out of their way to make the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport a proposed stop, then I don't think the price tag would be too high on the Light Rail. Since the Arkansas/Missouri Railroad runs along the 4 cities, and doesn't go anywhere near the airport, it would be similar to what Nashville is doing by using an existing line.
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I like the idea of the Light Rail System, but I still have doubts as to whether people will accept it or not. It's a lot of money for something that a lot of people might not use. I also think you'd have to have better bus service for a light rail to also work. Not going to be very useful if I ride it to Rogers and then have to try to walk around traffic say like around the Scottsdale area. So I guess I'm torn on this issue. I'd really like to see it, but would it be better to use the money on another project that is more certain to be used?
To right you are Mith. A regionwide bus service has to be set up first, so that way, if you do travel to Rogers from Fayetteville, you can take a bus ride to the station, hop aboard the light rail, and then get onto a bus to your final destination.
Obviously, people aren't going to participate in using a Light Rail System if proper Transportation Infastructure isn't there.
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I don't think usage at either would dictate the expense, but that's just me. There's a lot of area to cover and it's fairly sparsely populated for a project of that sort. I don't even think light rail of that sort would work in areas much larger like Nashville or Memphis.
But say in 15 or 20 years, when the population is a lot bigger, and traffic woe's are worse than ever, along with more businesses, and such.
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Anybody have any thoughts on The Light Rail System or a Regionwide Bus Serivce?
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Good job Matt, you've really been beating me to the punch lately.
I would like to see that area get developed. I know RemusCal would like to see that area become a highrise area for Fayetteville.Thanks Mith.
I myself would love to see highrises in that area, because I know that Fayetteville really hasn't been developing around I-540 like Rogers has, and Fayetteville has a lot of potential.
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I'm going to hold off my vote until I understand things a little...
Where would the light rail stops be? Where would the western bypass be? The Eastern parkway?
I've always thought it would be nice to have another N-S limited access highway on the east side of things.
East Springdale is a rapidly expanding area. Eastern Fayetteville is growing too. Not so much in eastern Rogers.
But anyway, it would be nice to have 540 split in two and you could go on one side or the other of the cities. A 412 bypass could intersect them in the middle and go out to the airport.
I've been thinking that the university could use a Monorail. I don't know what it is, but I just like monorails. I think it could do kind of a figure 8 and could make getting to football games a lot easier. Just a silly idea but wouldn't that be cool.
Just a thought.
There are 10 Proposed Light Rail stops including: 1 in Greenland(Why, I don't know?), 1 or 2 in Fayetteville, 1 in Springdale, 1 in Lowell, 2 in Rogers, 1 in Bentonville at Wal-Mart HQ, 1 at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, and another one along the path. It's supposed to cost between $550 Million Dollars and 1.2 Billion. They want to start on it now, because when the time is ready for one, say 15 or so years, it will be too expensive to build one. Basically a giant loop from Greenland up past Bentonville, to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport and back down. It would run along The Arkansas/Missouri Railroad, and could spark urban development of type around it.
The Western Bypass would start somewhere in Fayetteville, and go west near Siloam Springs I believe, and past the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, and up to the proposed 1-49 Interstate near Arkansas/Missouri Border.
The Eastern Parkway I don't know much about, but I do think It would run along the Eastern part of the Four Cities. My opinion is that I won't happen for a long time because land is too mountainous to develop an interstate or bypass.
As far as the monorail in Fayetteville, I could never see a monorail simply do to the fact of the sheer price-tag on it. But, I could see something in the way of a historical-street car project like Little Rock has Done just on a smaller scale.
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Hmmm, that's a tough one. There's stuff I'd like to see but I guess I'd have to stick with what I think should be done first and what is needed the most. That's to widen I-540 to 6-8 lanes. Many of the other plans are very interesting and I hope we get to see some of the others also somewhere in the future.
Yeah, I should have voted to widen I-540 to 6-8 lanes, but the Light Rail to me was the one I wanted most. Feasably, though, the I-540 improvements are probably what's going to happen first in the future.
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That Sam's is supposed to have a liquor store attached to it too.
True, which would make it the only Wal-mart establishment in the state to sell liquor.
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Another note about Fayetteville Mith.
Arkansas Business reported that 140 acres of development next to the future site of Sam
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Which proposed Transportation Program would you most likely see happening in Northwest Arkansas in the future?
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Welcome lefty!
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I live in Rogers.
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Hey, my name is Matt. I just found this website on the internet about a few weeks ago and decided to sign up since it discusses many things that I myself have been keeping track of for years. Me I live in Rogers, and I always love to hear about what is going on in other parts of Arkansas.
I would like to see that area get developed. I know RemusCal would like to see that area become a highrise area for Fayetteville.
Fayetteville, Arkansas
in Northwest Arkansas
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My bad, I guess I was misinformed. One of the papers said it would be the only one in the state to sell liquor.