Posted on 07/03/2021 5:22:35 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The state of Arkansas embarked on its biggest highway construction program ever undertaken by the Arkansas Department of Transportation, and the people couldn't be more excited.
"Arkansas is a small state with a population of just three million, but this project touches every corner of the state, with a total of 36 projects in 19 corridors," said Keli Wylie, administrator of the CAP Program and alternative project delivery administrator.
The goals of the Connecting Arkansas Program include improving transportation connections between cities; increasing capacity by widening highways to four or more lanes; improving safety; and easing congestion. Supplementary aims of the program are to support more than 40,000 jobs; drive economic development by making Arkansas locations more desirable to companies to locate and conduct business in; and provide a revenue source for new highway projects.
Innovative Funding Plan
In 2009, the 87th Arkansas General Assembly passed Act 374 to create a Blue Ribbon Committee on Highway Finance. That committee was charged with figuring out a way to finance transportation improvements and to propose highway finance legislation for the 2011 session.
What the committee came up with was a constitutional amendment to levy a temporary sales-and-use tax. The idea received bipartisan approval and was added to the 2012 statewide general election ballot. Arkansas voters approved Ballot Issue No. 1: a constitutional amendment that added a half-cent sales tax for 10 years with proceeds going to improve the state's intermodal transportation system, including projects to widen and improve about 200 mi. of highways and interstates. Taxes are not raised on groceries, medicine or gas. The tax will end after 10 years when the bonds are paid off.
(Excerpt) Read more at constructionequipmentguide.com ...
PING!
Anybody, anywhere, trust the politician that said this?
They should have adopted Virginia’s “pay as you go” approach. It’s worked so well here.
No sales tax is ever temporary. Otherwise, this is really going to help growth and the Arkansas economy. When I was young, it was said that every $1 of infrastructure spending stimulated $8 in economic activity. I don’t know what that ratio is, but infrastructure (done right) is still a valuable civic investment.
This is smart of Arkansas to do. It will help the state very much.
Oklahoma, rub your two legislative and administrative brain cells together and look East.
Arkansas ranked in the top five in in a 27 state study on on time and on budget highway construction projects. Oklahoma ranked nearly dead last.
Oklahoma taxes everything except corporations. Even groceries and other essentials for daily living. Arkansas does not. We save nearly 10% on groceries by making a 30 mile drive and have dinner every two weeks leaving and entering the state wide speed bump that is Oklahoma roads on our trip.
Oklahoma, where does the money go? It is widely dispersed in trinkets that amount to close to nothing. The only response I ever get from questions to our politicians is, “we need more money”. Not one thin dime until they account for what has already been taken.
We have owned their I 40 and ASP bond issues. Bonds pay, A rated or better with insurance, with 4% coupon. I went for the long bonds and they will probably call them in 2022. These new bonds out long will only be 2% I bet since the 10 year is 1.45%-ish
Ever Barney Fag,the Congresscritter who represented that district opposed it...saying,at one point,"it would be cheaper to raise the city than to lower the highway".
They need to finish I-49 so I can get to the Ozarks much quicker.
We Texas drivers just love the Indian Nations Turnpike. As a coincidence, my wife is driving on it today up to Kansas City for a mission trip with our church.
The road to nowhere also known as Hugo, Oklahoma or would that be Paris, Texas?
No those politicians will be gone by then and the money will be needed elsewhere
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all those okie county commissioners gotta get there cut
I’d like to know how they are going to do the 412 expansion.It’s four lanes already with the highway right up to the sidewalks of businesses.
***Oklahoma ranked nearly dead last.***
I watched the slow rebuilding of the dangerous Hwy 33 between Tulsa and Siloam Springs AR.
1971 they pushed a double land road to Catoosa Then in another five years to Inola. Then in another five years to Chouteau. And that was it. 15 years total.
The rest of the dangerous road was still two lane.
Then someone mentioned making the rest a turnpike which will start bringing in MONEY instantly. In 5 years it was in and running.
I noticed the same with the CIMARRON TURNPIKE. In 1970, two lane road in that area. 1971 new Turnpike!
Then there is the non-existent rest areas. Where a rest area-gas station gift shop used to be on the Cherokee Turnpike is...nothing. They even bulldozed the area clean.
That has been apparent to me every time I have taken highway 69 from Big Cabin to Durant. That road has some smooth stretches but also some terrible areas. A possible reason for the lack of highway improvements may be that the eastern half of the state has a lot of Native American reservation land which probably does not pay property taxes.
If you’re thinking of the Bella Vista bypass, it should be done sometime this fall.
And all points in between. My two most recent times were up to the Grand Lake of the Cherokees and to Tahlequah to watch my son play football against Northeastern State.
No, I am talking about the interstate that will one day run from Texarkana to Fort Smith. It already is in place north of Fort Smith and from Shreveport to Texarkana. The only problem is a little thing called the Ouachita Mountains.
They can use prisoners on a chain gang to help.
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