Took this on Sunday showing the tracks pretty much completed in east Bricktown. The sections on Sheridan to the west are still under construction but close to finished.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/streetcar100817.jpg

I don't know if this is the place for it, but I have to express my disappointment (read: rant) with how many negative comments I'm hearing about the streetcar. Over the past few months I've heard a number of disparaging remarks saying it is a waste of money, a "toy" for the rich people in the city to play with, etc. This morning on my way to work I had on 93.3 Jake FM and they just ripped into it -- saying no one was going to ride it except drunks, they'd have to waste more time and money pulling the tracks back up, no one even lives down there, "we're not San Francisco, we have Uber and can walk", etc. With those attitudes about the value of public transit I'm worried complaints about lack of ridership will become a self-fulfilling prophecy -- but I also thought I remembered hearing that the streetcar polled to be one of the most popular MAPS 3 projects (?). What gives? I don't know if this is necessary, but is there any way to change public perception about the streetcar and educate people about its worth? Would people see more value in it if it were more expansive and therefore practical for more people? Coming from the East Coast I'm biased toward the value of public transit but these feelings are seemingly not shared by many here. I want to see it succeed but with these attitudes seemingly everywhere I'm a bit nervous.

You know, I was shocked last week when a good friend of mine started going on about how stupid an idea it was to put in a streetcar. She questioned why the city would waste money putting back something it had spent tons of money taking out, etc. In the spirit of not getting into an argument, I just politely disagreed with her and expressed my own excitement about it. It was bizarre how much vitriol she had toward it.

You know, I was shocked last week when a good friend of mine started going on about how stupid an idea it was to put in a streetcar. She questioned why the city would waste money putting back something it had spent tons of money taking out, etc. In the spirit of not getting into an argument, I just politely disagreed with her and expressed my own excitement about it. It was bizarre how much vitriol she had toward it.

I'm starting to see more of this on social media as well.

I'm sure there will be a bigger backlash when the cars get rolling and people take the opportunity to photograph empty or nearly empty cars, which will happen at least some of the time.

You know, I was shocked last week when a good friend of mine started going on about how stupid an idea it was to put in a streetcar. She questioned why the city would waste money putting back something it had spent tons of money taking out, etc. In the spirit of not getting into an argument, I just politely disagreed with her and expressed my own excitement about it. It was bizarre how much vitriol she had toward it.

It's the mindset of Oklahomans that continues to impact the City/ States ability to move forward in a progressive manner stimulating growth and prosperity. Some people don't want change and will do all they can to impede progress.

i don't really hear the "why put in something we've already torn out" argument in my circles. the issue that i hear discussed most often is something along the lines of: "why didn't we just choose buses that would have been cheaper to buy, install, and maintain and are not physically tied to any specific route"

There is still a dominant mindset that respectable people own cars, and only drug addicts and degenerates use public transit.

i don't really hear the "why put in something we've already torn out" argument in my circles. the issue that i hear discussed most often is something along the lines of: "why didn't we just choose buses that would have been cheaper to buy, install, and maintain and are not physically tied to any specific route"

I’ve only recently discovered the concept of trolleybuses, and I was thinking that maybe we could have considered them.

I’ve only recently discovered the concept of trolleybuses, and I was thinking that maybe we could have considered them.

The issue is that permanent lines are the only way to spur development, and we've already seen countless projects pop up along the routes once they were announced and virtually all of them cited the permanent streetcar lines as a contributing reason for going forward.

The only thing I can tell people is to just wait and see. I think the general perception of the streetcar is extremely undervalued.

This is why I emphasize how important it is that the streetcar be free at the beginning and for as long as possible. People won't attempt to ever ride if there isn't a convenient way to do it. For example, ordering an Uber/Lyft from Bricktown to Midtown takes about 1-2 minutes to arrive and only costs about $6-7. If the streetcar requires annual passes or specific payment methods or is too expensive for a simple one-way ride - then the streetcar will fail. You need to make it the easiest and cheapest mode of transportation, it is the only way to win over ridership.

The issue is that permanent lines are the only way to spur development, and we've already seen countless projects pop up along the routes once they were announced and virtually all of them cited the permanent streetcar lines as a contributing reason for going forward.

Trolleybuses seem fairly permanent, they draw their electricity from the same type of overhead wires as the streetcar. In some of the cities using them they share portions of their routes with traditional streetcars.

They are not the “fake street car” trolleys we have had roaming brick town in the past.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolleybus

I wonder if they might be an option for expanding the streetcar into areas where rail isn’t practical?

One of the best things the streetcar will do is help level out the parking situation.

Currently all the major attractions and employers are concentrated in a very small area and there isn't enough immediate parking to serve everyone.

When the streetcar is complete, people can park much further away where there is plenty of parking then ride to their destination.

I was downtown around 10AM on Sunday and was trying to find a place to park to take some drone photos near the Myriad Gardens. Because Pumpkinville had just started, there were cars everywhere and it took me quite a while to find a spot.

I think people severely underestimate how many things are going on downtown and areas near this route. The streetcar will instantly make it much easier to attend events and activities or to even work down there.

You know, I was shocked last week when a good friend of mine started going on about how stupid an idea it was to put in a streetcar. She questioned why the city would waste money putting back something it had spent tons of money taking out, etc. In the spirit of not getting into an argument, I just politely disagreed with her and expressed my own excitement about it. It was bizarre how much vitriol she had toward it.


I'm starting to see more of this on social media as well.

I'm sure there will be a bigger backlash when the cars get rolling and people take the opportunity to photograph empty or nearly empty cars, which will happen at least some of the time.


There is still a dominant mindset that respectable people own cars, and only drug addicts and degenerates use public transit.


The only thing I can tell people is to just wait and see. I think the general perception of the streetcar is extremely undervalued.

This is why I emphasize how important it is that the streetcar be free at the beginning and for as long as possible. People won't attempt to ever ride if there isn't a convenient way to do it. For example, ordering an Uber/Lyft from Bricktown to Midtown takes about 1-2 minutes to arrive and only costs about $6-7. If the streetcar requires annual passes or specific payment methods or is too expensive for a simple one-way ride - then the streetcar will fail. You need to make it the easiest and cheapest mode of transportation, it is the only way to win over ridership.

So, I'm sure this is available somewhere, but what are the ridership estimates, and how are they calculated? As enthusiastic as I am about public transit in general, I (like ~95% of OKC) don't live downtown and have to drive to get there. If I do make it down there, it's likely I'll just park near where I'm going. Honestly, other than the novelty factor when it first opens, I will likely only ride it if plans take a turn and I unexpectedly have to go somewhere downtown I wasn't originally intending to go. I imagine, at best, that that is true of many people. If they have to get in their car at any point during the process they'll just drive the whole way. Of course these types of things are chicken-and-egg type deals, but outside of things like Thunder games and concerts I am genuinely curious how much regular ridership it'll see.

Now, you can generally park near where you are going. But that is going to change fast.

Downtown is rapidly filing in. All those huge expanses to the east, west and south are being developed, taking away a lot of parking and bringing in many more residents, workers and visitors.

People will soon figure out when the want to go to a Thunder game or something at the Myriad Gardens or Bricktown, they can park in less dense areas and ride the streetcar.

So, I'm sure this is available somewhere, but what are the ridership estimates, and how are they calculated? As enthusiastic as I am about public transit in general, I (like ~95% of OKC) don't live downtown and have to drive to get there. If I do make it down there, it's likely I'll just park near where I'm going. Honestly, other than the novelty factor when it first opens, I will likely only ride it if plans take a turn and I unexpectedly have to go somewhere downtown I wasn't originally intending to go. I imagine, at best, that that is true of many people. If they have to get in their car at any point during the process they'll just drive the whole way. Of course these types of things are chicken-and-egg type deals, but outside of things like Thunder games and concerts I am genuinely curious how much regular ridership it'll see.

Entertainment-wise, you are probably right. People will drive as close as possible. A lot of people who visit downtown OKC go there for specific reason, and leave immediately after. The streetcar isn't really designed for these people, unless of course they are persuaded to do something in addition to their original plan because of the convenience of the streetcar.

To answer your questions about regular ridership, the main answer is downtown workers. I would say something like 90%+ of the workforce in the CBD is parking in a garage or lot somewhere, and it is not feasible to walk to your car to drive to midtown for lunch. Not only do you waste valuable lunchtime walking to and from a garage, you also deal with parking @ the destination. The streetcar opens up a whole new ballgame with lunch crowds for CBD workers.

It should be fine. More people than ever are downtown, not only for visiting, but living and working. The numbers are growing by the day. Don't forget, tourism in OKC is booming, especially in Bricktown -- and they are unbiased. The new Convention Center and Omni hotel will anchor yet another point along the route. The route is filled with anchors of all kind: tourist, recreational, business, government, residential.

Even if the Streetcar isn't a smashing success in terms of ridership, it will, and is already guiding development along a fixed line. Higher intensity along this one path will encourage connectivity and walkability between the downtown districts that otherwise would take a longer time without a focused area.

There are transit minded people who will use the street car if Embark finds a way to create a few bus lines that work in conjunction with the street car, and has similar hours. I'd love to take the 005 downtown (the other direction goes up to Mercy), which has a stop within 500 feet of my house. I need the following though:

1. Service from 7AM to 1AM for both streetcar and bus.
2. For Streetcar, maximum 10 minute frequency during peak hours and 12 minute frequency for non-peak. For bus routes: minimum 15 minute frequency from 7AM to 9AM and 3PM to 6PM. Times could increase up to no more than 20minutes until midnight (except on weekends, when they should be 15 minutes during peak "go out" times).
3. A Bus stop around Plaza Court, but on the street car line.

If I could leave my house at 6:00PM, get on the bus at 6:05, arrive to 10th/Hudson at 6:20, hop on the street car at 6:30, arrive at CHK Arena @ 6:40, that doesn't seem so bad to me...and that would really be sort of the maximum.

I probably wouldn't do that today (unless I wanted to drink a lot)...but in 5 years when traffic/parking starts to really become a hassle, why not? Beats a $10-$15 round trip for Uber. More time, sure, but I can hang out with my friends.

https://twitter.com/dtOKCbuilds/status/918187927590629376


Downtown Development‏
@dtOKCbuilds
Before you know it, you'll be boarding the @OKCStreetcar right here! New platform in @_Bricktown.

#okc #streetcar #transit #maps3

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DL4PCUOVoAAogYB.jpg

There is still a dominant mindset that respectable people own cars, and only drug addicts and degenerates use public transit.

This, this and more of this.

Not exactly related, but my wife and I live five blocks away from our church. About once a month, when we have the time, we walk to church with out toddler daughter. We have to cross NW 23rd Street, so that can sometimes be an issue, but not usually on Sunday mornings. I can't count the number of people who would stare at us when we walk wondering what is wrong with us. Again, it's the perception issue and what people think of walking or taking public transit in Oklahoma.

I definitely get looks when I sit at the bus stop by work at 5pm and all the traffic is going by at a major street.

To be fair, it's not just an Oklahoman issue - it's a car-centric design issue. I'm fortunate to be able to travel a lot and I've been in so many places across the U.S. that are neither walkable nor have a walkable culture. Oklahomans so often think that political and cultural problems are unique to the state that are actually common elsewhere. Oklahoma needs a better walkable culture, but that will result from more walkable environments. 23rd has only recently started transitioning into a more walkable street so it's not that surprising people are surprised. But I bet you people aren't surprised if you're walking north along Walker from 10th to 13th street. It's not because there are different people living there, it's because the area is walkable. While culture and views can and should change, the primary problem is poor streetscaping and design.

When we moved from Germany to western Oklahoma we would still walk to the store that was a mile or so away. People would pull over all the time wondering if we needed a ride.

Whenever I visit Germany my daily steps jump from just under 10,000 to almost 20,000 without even trying. Everything is just so much more pedestrian oriented. And it doesn’t feel like I’m doubling my steps because walking is just so natural there.

There is still a dominant mindset that respectable people own cars, and only drug addicts and degenerates use public transit.
Here in LA, that isn’t that far off from the truth. Not saying there aren’t good working class people and even wealthy millennials who use it, but there are tons of drug addicts and homeless people who make the experience bad. I have a car now and still transit and bike almost everyday. I deal with it all the time.


I am against the streetcar. I think it’s cool. I think it will be cool it use it, but I don’t like how the track is only one way(yes I get urbanized points and he makes good ones, but I still wish it were two way) and I don’t like the fact that it doesn’t have its own ROW(shares it with automobile traffic.

I wish if they had to build rail downtown, they went with elevated rail or subway. Now I know a subway would be cost prohibitive for the lack of density and ridership. I wish they would have placed BRT with its own lanes and in certain cases it’s own dedicated roads. Then if/when ridership was high enough, it could be converted to rail.

Roads can widened in certain areas to allow for new BRT lanes and stations and then converted to rail. In the case heavy of urban areas, tracks could be elevated and linear parks or bike paths be placed on the ground.

I think street cars are a fad and are more novelty than functioning as a real transit. That even seems to be the case in San Francisco’s streetcar where you just take it for leisure but if you really need to get somewhere you usually connect with MUNI or BART. Yes, I’m aware that seem of MUNIs track shares with automobile traffic, but a lot of that is HOV only and some of it is slowly being removed. In fact, some streets in SF are eventually going to be BUS and pedestrian only.

That being said, I hope the streetcar succeeds and I will do my best to use it. Drunk people will use and probably trash it. It happens in every city. New Orleans, Dallas, LA, Las Vegas, SF, from my experience. You can’t stop it. But that’s public space in general. I can’t say I haven’t been guilty of being stupid on occasion and acting a fool on transit before. Hopefully the city will try to make sure it doesn’t happen.

Now, you can generally park near where you are going. But that is going to change fast.

Downtown is rapidly filing in. All those huge expanses to the east, west and south are being developed, taking away a lot of parking and bringing in many more residents, workers and visitors.

People will soon figure out when the want to go to a Thunder game or something at the Myriad Gardens or Bricktown, they can park in less dense areas and ride the streetcar.

Hopefully commuter rail with park and ride will get more people from the suburbs to ride into downtown used to transit.

It's the last day to take the poll about fare options, apps, etc. and the chance to be a part of a focus group. https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/5cc129dca0f946bbb27cc0214d0dc220

I am taking part in the focus group on Monday afternoon on fare prices. What are everyone else’s thoughts?

I am taking part in the focus group on Monday afternoon on fare prices. What are everyone else’s thoughts?

A few few years back my mom went to Portland and she told me that the downtown circular was free. That would be great here, except that there are only a couple of spokes with the starter system. Until more spokes are added, I do believe a minimal charge should be fine. I'm talking in the neighborhood of 25 cents from and to any pickup/drop off point on the downtown circular until other spokes grow. Until then, in today's world, that seems pretty justifiable.

OH and beyond the circular... as long as it's a hair cheaper than an Uber and they don't mind traveling roundabout between the farthest distances on the line, then charge that rate until further notice. You can't plant seeds w/o water.

A few few years back my mom went to Portland and she told me that the downtown circular was free. That would be great here, except that there are only a couple of spokes with the starter system. Until more spokes are added, I do believe a minimal charge should be fine. I'm talking in the neighborhood of 25 cents from and to any pickup/drop off point on the downtown circular until other spokes grow. Until then, in today's world, that seems pretty justifiable.

OH and beyond the circular... as long as it's a hair cheaper than an Uber and they don't mind traveling roundabout between the farthest distances on the line, then charge that rate until further notice. You can't plant seeds w/o water.

FWIW, the proposed options during that survey were $1 for a single ride, $1.75 for a ticket valid for 2 hours, and then I think a daily unlimited or a weekly unlimited pass for more (I forget).

I'm torn between the first two options but think I'd prefer $1. It's an easy amount, and the number of times I'm going to take the streetcar multiple times within a 2 hour window is probably pretty limited that saving $0.25 for 2 rides is going to be much rarer than losing $0.75 on only one.

When we moved from Germany to western Oklahoma we would still walk to the store that was a mile or so away. People would pull over all the time wondering if we needed a ride.

Whenever I visit Germany my daily steps jump from just under 10,000 to almost 20,000 without even trying. Everything is just so much more pedestrian oriented. And it doesn’t feel like I’m doubling my steps because walking is just so natural there.

When I walk to Wal-Mart for not quite a mile, nobody asks me if I want a ride. That's fine, since I need the exercise. The street has a sidewalk on one side, so I doubt drivers would be surprised that someone would be there. From the crime threat, I doubt picking up strangers happens as much these days.

I was in the focus group. Did I see you there warreng?

I was picked to be a part of the focus group, unfortunately I had meetings I couldn't get out of that day. The lady I spoke with on the phone was pretty adamant about the street car wouldn't be free to ride. I wonder if operations on Sunday were discussed.

That is going to be really disappointing if the streetcar doesn't start out as free. Especially considering the construction bids came in low, and instead of (maybe not allowed to?) using the excess funds to subsidize early operations, we opted for an additional car.

Mark my word, the streetcar's early success with people thinking to try it or not - will heavily depend on cost. If you make it free for a year - it gives everyone a solid chance to at least get around to trying it out for something. Holidays, Sporting Events, Varying weather seasons, etc.

Can anyone share what was discussed at the focus groups, or is that information supposed to stay private? I'm curious what people had to say about fares.

They have started work on 10th street for the track.

From the MAPS 3 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MAPS3OKC/posts/1675189535878571

Track going inside the maintenance facility:

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/23154866_1675187919212066_7677197615144554317_o.jp g?oh=40752fc2ce78a1017dab88ae02a04915&oe=5AAC19B0

Inside the storage and maintenance facility:

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/23004462_1675188135878711_2218146709454069911_o.jp g?oh=07109f573f4d132f188e8a7e65ed8188&oe=5A75BB82

Hudson south of Reno:

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/23213419_1675188252545366_6837615511085543353_o.jp g?oh=b8ef8415f2161fc196e98eff3d55fdf1&oe=5AAD8246

Non-revenue track on Hudson:

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/23213116_1675188442545347_6012306837991626514_o.jp g?oh=526a7c26c1155097f6ddd04966caaaba&oe=5A6CBB8A

SW 3rd (OKC Blvd) between Harvey and Hudson:

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/23154731_1675188675878657_8072780450226847358_o.jp g?oh=d3850ef91500b1ee1fe5c13eb6c4b684&oe=5AACFA36

Reno between Mickey Mantle and Joe Carter:

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/23004458_1675188825878642_3459655220297166034_o.jp g?oh=3e23a46f09d9c8d5b624610c4489fb2e&oe=5A6B69C1

Hudson between Sheridan and Main:

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/23120137_1675189105878614_5741810022685335633_o.jp g?oh=cabc08c0a999d765beaa9bbb3a0d2c54&oe=5AA34B83

Hudson between SW 2nd and Reno:

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/23213464_1675189372545254_6905964571667085043_o.jp g?oh=d6702141e474f42b70112a3d5b78f139&oe=5A6E69AE

Is there going to be traditional road striping between the car lane and the street car lane to show people that there are 2 lanes available? Reason I ask is because in the few places where you can drive on the rails, you can tell people are already confused and clogging it up on one lane thinking they cannot be on the street car lane. I feel like striping it would help. That and some education on the news when this opens up cause I know it's going to be confusing at first.

Can anyone share what was discussed at the focus groups, or is that information supposed to stay private? I'm curious what people had to say about fares.

Nothing definitive was determined. It was mostly about asking for public input about specific things like fares/passes. We did discuss a free period. They asked what would be a fair free period length. Sunday service was brought up. The main issue is that they fear getting sued if they have Sunday streetcar service but not sunday bus service and they can't afford Sunday bus service with their current budget. I suggested that they just do the night bus service on Sunday, meaning the four routes that have service at night, have them run on Sundays as well (but all day obvs). That way they could at least have SOME bus service on Sunday and it wouldn't be as hard on the budget.

There's going to be a significant public education process once the empty cars are in testing in the spring. Or perhaps in the lead up to that.

Too bad we're laying all that track... https://www.dezeen.com/2017/11/06/worlds-first-driverless-trackless-train-launches-china-zhuzhou-transport-design/

trackless doesn't help with TOD like rail is said to.

trackless doesn't help with TOD like rail is said to.

What is TOD?

Transit-oriented Development

trackless doesn't help with TOD like rail is said to.

The studies I've seen were based on bus vs rail. Which is this?

"...the so-called rail bus follows markings painted on the road, instead of conventional rail tracks."

I think this just highlights the silliness of human nature and TOD. Knowing that the city could change the route by just repainting the markings could be a psychological barrier to people wanting to develop along a particular route.


I like the idea of a streetcar, but I do wonder if a track based system will quickly become outdated. I'm imagining an automated driverless system that automatically adjust its route based on current demand. The riders would than have an app on their phone that directs them to a particular spot along the route for pickup. Kind of like a hybrid version of uber.

And a lot of it is social stigma. Riding a bus is not cool, but make the "bus" longer and on a track, all of the sudden its cool.

...

And a lot of it is social stigma. Riding a bus is not cool, but make the "bus" longer and on a track, all of the sudden its cool.

This opinion is not shared by many billions of people all over the world who ride buses as their daily commute (Chicago, as one instance that I'm personally aware of).

This opinion is not shared by many billions of people all over the world who ride buses as their daily commute (Chicago, as one instance that I'm personally aware of).

I generally prefer rails as they don't have to stop like buses in traffic. Road the bus many years in Norman to class and back. It was pretty nice to not pony up 250 bucks for parking.

I generally prefer rails as they don't have to stop like buses in traffic. Road the bus many years in Norman to class and back. It was pretty nice to not pony up 250 bucks for parking.

Except that our rails will still have to stop in traffic like a bus... However they will have traffic signal priority AFAIK.

Just saying... our "modern" streetcar doesn't seem very modern compared the Chinese version. And regarding TOD, exactly where is our modern rail being laid that isn't already developed? It may speed up the filling in of some missing teeth along the route. Whoop de do.

Just saying... our "modern" streetcar doesn't seem very modern compared the Chinese version. And regarding TOD, exactly where is our modern rail being laid that isn't already developed? It may speed up the filling in of some missing teeth along the route. Whoop de do.

I've already been down this road. Everyone will just beat you up for questioning the project. At this point it is what it is, hopefully it turns out better then I expect and is successful.

Back on track so to speak.... for those that aren't local, there's is rail in the ground in midtown. The Walker traffic circle is all torn to hell and rail is in.... will try to get pictures later.

https://freepressokc.com/okc-streetcars-get-stuck-traffic/

I was at one of the other focus groups. The main points I took away from it were concerns on operating hours (particularly Sundays) and cost (most folks wanted/expected it to be free). The facilitators told us that the lack of Sunday operations and that fares would be required were already decided and that if we wanted to change them we needed to lobby our City Councilors. (Incidentally, when the bus riders in the room mentioned that we do not currently have Sunday bus service the tone regarding Sunday streetcar service changed quickly.) On fares, it seemed pretty clear that the room wants Embark to bundle streetcar fares into the current bus fare system at no additional cost. It also felt like most folks supported Embark implementing some sort of "pay in app" feature or contactless/NFC payments at the streetcar stops. On fare amounts, the discussion settled on "the cheaper the better". People were generally opposed to the idea of $X.XX/hour, preferring instead a fixed cost round trip (something like $1.00 each way). It also sounded like the first possible expansion on the City's radar is the OU HSC area, not Capitol Hill or Uptown. That was a surprise to me. We were also asked about how we would envision using the streetcar. Most responses were lunches for downtown workers, or Thunder games/restaurants for downtown residents. There was some concern (not from me) that the streetcar could shift cars out of downtown garages and into street parking in Midtown/HH.

Seems like a mistake to me not to offer Sunday, at least in some capacity. I'd imagine there are more people out and about on the weekends and that would be where you would get most of your ridership. I may be wrong. I figure Friday and Saturday evenings are your most used. I tend to prefer just to pay for what I use, so having it per ride would be my preference since they aren't doing it free, at least even for an intro period. Also I could see it being more beneficial to the OUHS area, bringing people in for lunch during weekdays. I tend to think that's more beneficial than expanding to Capitol Hill, but it might be a wash.

Sunday ridership ESPECIALLY critical for visitor and convention business. Cannot be understated how much the ability to access downtown fully on foot (via streetcar) will bolster efforts for conference/convention bookings and enable spread of visitor dollars throughout all of downtown's districts. Visitor business is one of the main ways our city attracts new dollars to our economy, including sales tax, the main funding mechanism for our City government. Also, if we want the streetcar to encourage/enable more downtown residential, we need seven day service.

All of that said, the equity issue is very legitimate. Our transit customers are so underserved already due to decades of poor land use decisions that it is pretty difficult to look regular users in the face and tell them the streetcar gets Sunday service while they do not. I completely get that. It is a puzzle that will require some creative thought, be it sponsorship or other solutions. If the streetcar is truly going to positively influence the growth of Oklahoma City's transit commitment, this is the jumping off point.

I didn't think of it in the focus group, but I'm wondering if they could do a scaled-back Sunday service. Probably a good percentage of the visitors are in the convention center/Bricktown area. Maybe outside sponsorship could provide enough funds to run just the Bricktown loop on Sundays at double the normal headway (half the normal cars) and for a reduced set of hours?

I think the equity issue is also tied into bus/streetcar fare bundling. Shouldn't raise the price of the bus for regular users because downtown is getting a new 'toy'. (I don't see it as a 'toy' but I think a lot of folks do, sadly.)

I didn't think of it in the focus group, but I'm wondering if they could do a scaled-back Sunday service. Probably a good percentage of the visitors are in the convention center/Bricktown area. Maybe outside sponsorship could provide enough funds to run just the Bricktown loop on Sundays at double the normal headway (half the normal cars) and for a reduced set of hours?

I think the equity issue is also tied into bus/streetcar fare bundling. Shouldn't raise the price of the bus for regular users because downtown is getting a new 'toy'. (I don't see it as a 'toy' but I think a lot of folks do, sadly.)

Definitely, a new toy or novelty for our city that should spur growth & development along its routes as mentioned, a dollar one way seems reasonable.

Sunday service? Could be provided when we have large conventions in town where conventioneers may want to dine in other areas like Bricktown or Midtown; or attendees could be provided Sunday streetcar tokens.

http://www.brookvillecorp.com/Files/Admin/News%20Photos/Oklahoma-City---BROOKVILLE-Liberty-Streetcar-WebRes.jpg

Anxious to see this project come to fruition.

I'm sure the streetcar construction has been frustrating for motorists downtown but I have to say, as a pedestrian it's been incredible. When NW 6 and Robinson was closed a few days ago, it was amazing how quiet/easy to cross the street it was in a couple-block radius around that intersection (it made NW 6 and Broadway less intimidating to navigate, especially). Currently Robinson is closed between NW 4 and 5, and that makes an impressive difference in terms of how much quieter and more pleasant a walk through the Memorial is.

One of the thoughts I had this week is one of the benefits we could offer potential convention groups is complimentary use of the streetcar. That could be a token, or much easier a promo code for the app (NFC) use. This would have many benefits including hotels being used further away but along the streetcar route, and more importantly spur economic development along the route.

Sunday service has to happen, but maybe could be scaled back when there isn't a lot happening downtown. In terms of fares, most cities with transport do have fares. Offer a one time use rate of .50 or 1.00, Offer a one day pass for 3.00, offer a 3 day pass for 5.00, a week pass for 10.00, and a monthly pass for 25.00. Then put signs onboard that say $200 fine if no ticket and call it good! Make sure the app works well though and it will be much easier. Also, make sure the app works smoothly and quickly as nothing is more annoying than putting in information for 10 minutes just to get a pass.

i don't understand why OKC is having such a difficult time with the Sunday service. Nobody is asking for crush loads on most Sundays when there's mostly nothing going on. All they have to do is have bare minimum headways (maybe one trip every 30 min) during the most dead times then have higher frequencies as the day progresses (or events begin to start).

It is ridiculous to have a streetcar (let alone bus system) and not have at least minimum frequencies on Sunday; when most people likely might be able to 'peacefully' enjoy/use it (thereby being an economic generator on what otherwise is the slowest day/time of the week).

It has been said already that the city is worried they will be sued if they just run a Sunday streetcar and not the bus service. They don't have the budget to expand bus service to Sunday's so therefore they are having to explore other means to make a Sunday streetcar service possible. It's not just as simple as snapping their fingers and declaring it a good idea and it happening.