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How Fort Smith plans to address public transit for the day of the eclipse

"It allows us to make sure our passengers get to their destination in a timely manner."

FORT SMITH, Ark. — City leaders say Fort Smith is expecting big crowds of people for the total solar eclipse on April 8. With so many people in the area, Fort Smith Transit is working to prevent as much traffic congestion as possible. 

Rather than regular service, they'll only be providing demand service throughout the entire day. 

"It allows us to make sure our passengers get to their destination in a timely manner. They won't miss any connections or have long wait times," Gregory Carthon with the department said.

To do so, the department will be using smaller white cutaway buses.

"If there are any detours or anything of that nature, we're able to maneuver those white buses a lot better compared to our large size buses that are typically 40 to 35 feet long," Carthon said.

The department says they transport around 1,000 people a day but expect many more for eclipse day. 

"All our staffers will be on hand. We are actually running more white buses than normal for this particular event," Carthon said. "We'll have six to seven buses out there and some reserved in case we need more."

Fort Smith Transit will charge a special fare of $1.00 per trip and all passes will be accepted.

If you need to schedule a ride, you can call (479) 783-6464 to schedule a ride before Friday, April 5 at noon. 

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