As we move into the second half of the decade, ORT continues refining Northwest Arkansas’ regional public transit system to better serve our riders and partner communities. Following another productive budget season, ORT worked closely with municipalities to review what’s working well and where thoughtful improvements could make an even bigger impact. One area of focus was our On-Demand Transit (ODT) service, the app-based option introduced in 2018. While ODT remains a popula

At Ozark Regional Transit, we provide safe, reliable, and efficient transportation for Northwest Arkansas. As our fleet grew and our service demands increased, we knew we needed a better way to manage inspections, maintenance, and reporting. Paper forms and spreadsheets just weren’t cutting it anymore- especially when accuracy, transparency, and compliance matter so much in public transit. That’s why we turned to Fleetio. Why We Needed a Change Before Fleetio, our maintenance

Ozark Regional Transit recently hosted a conference with students from Helen Tyson Middle School, providing insight into ORT’s services and operations while exploring innovative ways to connect the community to its local history. The students presented a creative project concept for America 250, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. The students proposed their project idea, “Mapping NWA History Through Transit” which would create an interactive digi

Ozark Regional Transit (ORT) is growing and moving forward faster than ever, with over 200,000 rides already recorded this year—the earliest point in a given year for this milestone to have been reached in our history—places us on pace to set a new all-time ridership record in 2025. To keep up with this momentum, ORT is prepared to install 20+ new bus shelters around the region in partnership with participating municipalities. Installation will be on a first-request and...

Several trends in public transit are cumulating in increased overall ridership on the service. In 2023, the Ozark Regional Transit Authority’s Board of Directors made the decision to re-institute fares on the On-Demand Transit model. This model is a ride-sharing model very similar to other private ride-sharing services but with a reduced cost to ride; only $1.25 per passenger, per trip. It was noted that the most cost-effective model, being the Fixed-Route service, should be