ARKANSAS, USA — Election Day is less than two weeks away, and while getting to the polls may be easy for some, for others, it can pose a challenge.
On Nov. 5, or the day of the general election, Fort Smith said that the city is offering free rides on their public transit system.
“Really what we're hoping to do through this is make transportation not a barrier for many of our citizens,” Public Affairs Manager for Fort Smith Josh Buchfink said. “We want our citizens, our residents, to get out and vote and to make their voices heard, and so we don't want transportation to be an issue for people.”
Buchfink said the city has done similar initiatives in the past and he added they have seen successful results.
In Northwest Arkansas, Ozark Regional Transit (ORT) said it is available to help those with disabilities get to their polling locations free of charge.
“It's complimentary,” ORT’s Public Information Officer Jeff Hatley said. “If you have an ADA qualifying disability, you already have paperwork on file with us and all that, then, as long as it's within the ADA service area, we will take you directly to that location.”
ORT services various cities in Washington and Benton counties.
Hatley said ORT is on track to hitting a record number of riders this year. He said they have been growing year after year the last few years.
While there are polling locations along the fixed bus route, for the cost of $1.25, Hatley said ORT can take riders directly to the polls through their on-demand service.
“The on-demand transit, if you schedule a ride to a certain polling place that's within the service area, they'll take you directly to the polling place,” Hatley said.
For more information on bus routes, and times, as well as how to schedule a pickup with ORT click here. For Fort Smith’s public transit system, click here.
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