Razorback Transit Reduces Services for Fall Semester

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Due to a $165,000 reduction in federal funding of the Razorback Transit system bus service will be reduced beginning in the fall semester. The university is actively seeking reconsideration of this funding decision. In the meantime, Razorback Transit riders will note the following changes in the level and frequency of service.
Razorback Transit will scale back daily service by eliminating the Blue and Brown route relief buses that serve the campus, effective August 23. The relief buses were used for three hours each weekday morning to assist buses already on the routes during peak riding times. The Gray route is being modified to pick up some Blue route passengers during these peak hours.

Beginning August 28, Razorback Transit will operate only two buses for its Saturday service, from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. The buses will serve most of the same stops that the four routes served last year. However, the frequency of stops will be once every hour instead of every 30 minutes. Saturday service will not be provided on home football game days.

Razorback Transit had operated four bus routes from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

"The reduction in funding is the result of action taken by the Policy Committee of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Transportation Study group," said David Martinson, associate vice chancellor for Business Affairs. "The committee voted in July to shift these funds to a transit system serving other parts of Northwest Arkansas. The university has appealed the funding reallocation and continues to seek reconsideration of the action.

"Until that process is complete, however, we will work to accommodate all of our on- and off-campus passengers and provide them with the best public transportation available," Martinson added.

The funding distribution between Razorback Transit and Ozark Regional Transit, a second public transportation provider in Northwest Arkansas, was 50/50 for fiscal year 2004. For fiscal year 2005, distribution was reallocated to 60 percent for Ozark Regional Transit and 40 percent for Razorback Transit.
Razorback Transit route maps and bus schedules are available on campus at the Transit and Parking Department, the Administration Building and Hunt Hall lobbies and the Arkansas Union Information Desk. Maps and schedules are also available at the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce on Mountain Street, inside all Razorback Transit buses and on the UA Web site at http://www.uark.edu/depts/parking/to/to.htm.

For more information about how you may become involved in seeking a reversal of the funding decision, contact Razorback Transit at 575-3304 or by e-mail at transit@uark.edu