Metroplan has released its study on starting an express bus service at peak hours between Conway and Little Rock. With two stops in Conway and three in North Little Rock-Little Rock (ending at the Capitol), the service would travel I-40.

Fares wouldn’t cover the cost. Government subsidies would be required for capital and operating costs — 35 to 62 percent of the cost in the startup phase, or more than $218,000 a year, depending on fares and operator.

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The route would target “choice” riders — people who aren’t dependent on public transit but would use it if available. (Think, in your dreams, of the privately operated “Google buses” that transport workers from San Francisco to tech behemoths in Silicon Valley every day. )

The study recommends a four-year startup implementation and then a build-out in subsequent years.

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Here’s the full report. The route is to bring Conway residents to Little Rock to work. A reverse route wouldn’t be feasible because there’s no Conway transit service to link incoming Little Rock commuters, the report said. 

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