• The average annual number of traffic fatalities in Northwest Arkansas between 2017 and 2021 was 43, according to the Arkansas Crash Analytics Tool.

• The region’s gross domestic product growth was 1.3 times higher than that of the nation, according to the Northwest Arkansas Council State of the Region, 2021.

• Demand for trucking is forecast to increase by 50% over the next 20 years, according to the Arkansas State Freight Plan, 2020.

• The average annual hours lost to traffic congestion in the region is 33 hours per driver and the annual cost of congestion per driver is $677, according to a 2020 TRIP study. TRIP is a private, nonprofit organization that researches, evaluates, and distributes economic and technical data on surface transportation issues.

• The annual safety cost per driver in Northwest Arkansas, which is defined as the cost of traffic crashes, was $198, according to a 2020 TRIP study.

• The average delay from sitting in traffic for the region was 32,200 hours per year, which was worse than regions of similar size, according to a 2012 study by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. The study also found that 40% of the traffic delay was caused by less than 10% of the region’s roadway mileage.

Source: Northwest Arkansas Regional TSMO Plan, 2023