The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) will hold a series of public meetings on Tuesday, September 23rd and Thursday, September 25th, between 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The purpose is to seek input about a new statewide rail plan and the possibility of extending high-speed passenger rail service. The two meetings are listed below.
Tuesday, Sept 23, 2014 |
Arkansas Transit Association |
Transit Safety & Resource Ctr. |
620 W. Broadway Street |
North Little Rock, AR |
Thursday, Sept, 25, 2014 |
River Parks Events Building |
121 Riverfront Drive |
Fort Smith, AR |
Members of the public are encouraged to attend a meeting and to submit comments. Those attending will be able to watch a short presentation that will repeat throughout the duration of the meeting. The study teams for the statewide rail plan and the high-speed passenger rail study will be available to provide information and answer questions.
As the state’s rail planning agency, AHTD has the responsibility to coordinate the development of statewide transportation plans including preparation of the Arkansas State Rail Plan. The plan is an important step in charting a direction for freight and passenger rail in the state and is required for Arkansas to be eligible for existing and prospective federal rail funding. More information about the plan as well as the opportunity to submit comments are available at www.arkansasrailplan.com.
At the same time, AHTD is studying the feasibility of high speed rail in the state. The High-Speed Passenger Rail Feasibility Study consists of the evaluation of extending the South Central High-Speed Rail Corridor from Little Rock to Memphis, preparation of a service development plan for the existing Little Rock to Texarkana corridor, and a study of possible impacts of high-speed passenger rail service on Arkansas’ highway system.