Planning, Public Policy and Management Capstone and Terminal Projects

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/1794/17

This collection includes theses and terminal projects written by graduate students in the University of Oregon's Dept. of Planning, Public Policy & Management and predecessor programs.

Browse

Browsing Planning, Public Policy and Management Capstone and Terminal Projects by Author "Arroyo"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Efficiency and Equity: Transportation Access in Fort Smith, Arkansas
    (Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, University of Oregon, 2020) Kohnke, Jennifer; Arroyo
    The City of Fort Smith is a small urban area (population 86,122) in far western Arkansas. Like many cities everywhere in the U.S., Fort Smith has a rapidly growing aging population; there are also a significant number of residents who have disabilities which makes mobility a challenge. Fort Smith is not designed compactly and is typical of mid-century suburban sprawl. Senior citizens and those with mobility issues are forced to drive themselves or rely on friends or neighbors for basic transportation needs. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effectiveness and extent of access to the public transportation system in Fort Smith, called Fort Smith Transit, for these two populations: senior citizens and the disabled. A content analysis study is performed of transportation documents and GIS ArcMaps created from U.S. Census data to show the relationship between these populations and access to the Fort Smith Transit system. Documents reference the concept of transit equity repeatedly and refer to serving the disabled or those with physical mobility challenges so there is awareness of the need to serve this population. Findings from content analysis and GIS mapping show that city residents are moving eastward within the city limits. Senior citizens and the disabled who live closer to downtown are well served by transit but Fort Smith Transit has not yet caught up with service needs for residents moving eastward. Additionally, some newly built city services lie far outside a quarter-mile buffer zone surrounding all current bus routes. Findings indicate that representatives of the disabled community have been involved in local decision-making boards but continued strides are needed to directly involve this historically disenfranchised population. Several recommendations urge Fort Smith Transit to expand its bus routes further east to address the population needs. One land use option is for Fort Smith to upzone the northeast side of the city along the Arkansas River to allow multi-family housing construction including townhomes, condominiums, and senior living centers in what is currently single-family housing zones. Fort Smith Transit and the City of Fort Smith have several options in order to address the growing needs of area senior citizens and disabled residents.