1. Replace System Maps with new artwork that utilizes colors depicting routes that do not match the streetcar’s exterior colors.

Haha I can attest first hand to seeing people confused by this, rode the street car Friday and a guy I was with was like "oh, sh*t we're on the green one we have to get off!!" thinking we had just got on the southbound green bus route at the courthouse stop.
15085

Rode it this evening. Agree with many, very diverse crowd, young, older, families. Had no idea where the yellow strip was to request a stop, some of the announcements where off (now departing, we were already moving), and it would be nice to have stop announcements point out some attractions. Overall it was a positive experience.

I can't tell you how pleased I am with this new Streetcar we now have. My hope is that soon it will be the link that connects the rest of the OKC area together. It makes me feel good to know that OKC is finally learning to step it up in some areas. I have 2 thoughts that need to be addressed to whomever can make it happen or get it to the right people. I rode this the other night after the Thunder game and got off at the 11th and Hudson stop, I live about 5 blocks and decided to walk. When I got off, I was the only person around the area, and it was insanely dark. It made me wonder if I was going to make it home safely? I literally jogged quickly in shoes that were not meant to be running and I looked back every few seconds. Before people start becoming prey to criminals, can the city please address the street lights in all areas of downtown with six blocks of all stops on every corner? If crime starts happening and God forbid, a horrible violent crime that could be less likely by lighting the place up, then people will stop using this as much and the city will have the blood on their hands. It is not much to ask in providing safety for the citizens using this service.

Also, I can't even tell you the looks and remarks people made while we were going through Auto Alley and it being all lit up. I urge for whoever to make this a year round thing. I am not talking about the Christmas stuff like the poles and trees, but having each individual building lit up gives a vibrant perception and is quite infectious. It will be great for businesses and the city. In fact, I would encourage all of downtown to drastically improve its lighting up the buildings and give it a more vibrant feel and it will only encourage more visitors and future residents who want to be a part of the downtown area.

Rode last night also with a group of friends, overall great experience. I really love this for our city! The only thing I really noticed that would speed things up and that is in the drivers control is to NOT stop at EVERY stop unless there are people wanting to get off or there are people waiting to get on. With 22 stops in addition to stop lights, etc this could make some time up.

Had no idea where the yellow strip was to request a stop, some of the announcements where off (now departing, we were already moving).

Yes, note item #2 above. These issues are being resolved by EMBARK right now.

J

http://journalrecord.com/2018/12/20/streetcar-delays-prompt-request-for-450000-fix/

Rode last night also with a group of friends, overall great experience. I really love this for our city! The only thing I really noticed that would speed things up and that is in the drivers control is to NOT stop at EVERY stop unless there are people wanting to get off or there are people waiting to get on. With 22 stops in addition to stop lights, etc this could make some time up.

I wonder if this is a two fold problem. 1) they are trying to get “worst case scenario” on time performance ironed out I.e. simulating a passenger requesting a stop at every stop
2) don’t want people unfamiliar with the system missing a stop and having a sour experience.

I imagine this is an issue that will have less of an impact over time, especially given that everything they have put out therenindicates the operator will only stop when requested.

Too big to fail.

Robinson ave. Desperately needs some kind of signal prioritization or at least synchronization. It takes for ever and sometimes sits at lights that don't even have cars. It would be great if all southbound lights could be green when the streetcar is moving.

[QUOTE=baralheia;1058630 then I noticed he was carrying a Glock 17 and 6 magazines on his hip.[/QUOTE]

As a person with a CC license and carries pretty regularly, this is just absurd. There is no reason to have that much ammo on you unless your just trying to cause a reaction or you're up to no good. Sounds like the situation was handled correctly by all around as nothing caused an escalation. But the guy is a moron for sure.

As a person with a CC license and carries pretty regularly, this is just absurd. There is no reason to have that much ammo on you unless your just trying to cause a reaction or you're up to no good. Sounds like the situation was handled correctly by all around as nothing caused an escalation. But the guy is a moron for sure.

Carry should be banned on the streetcar. Visably brandishing a weapon only causes unease among some and can lead to an overreaction to a minor incident. A shooting on the streetcar will all but kill ridership

Carry should be banned on the streetcar. Visably brandishing a weapon only causes unease among some and can lead to an overreaction to a minor incident. A shooting on the streetcar will all but kill ridership

I'd agree that open carry should be banned. Concealed carry is a different story to me, but I understand your thought process. Sadly it'll likely happen at some point as some people just have no sense.

http://journalrecord.com/2018/12/20/streetcar-delays-prompt-request-for-450000-fix/

Thanks for this, Jeff. I really appreciate you clearly stating the problem, understanding what the outcome of failing to address the problem is (loss of trust in the system), and what the solution is (signal prioritization). I hope the committee got the message and allocates the funds.

http://journalrecord.com/2018/12/20/streetcar-delays-prompt-request-for-450000-fix/

Good work! This quote...:


Todd is responsible for the oversight of all the city’s MAPS projects. He said he’s trying to be responsive to the committees’ requests but urged patience. In the case of the streetcar, for example, one week is too soon to tell what’s truly needed.

Honestly, what does he think will change to make these delays disappear? As Urban Pioneer has stated, this was clear before the streetcar opened and is even more clear now that it is open. It will also be clearer next week. There's a reason why rider after rider on this thread is commening on the need for signal prioritization.

I've got to be honest, I am completely bewildered. I would buy him drinks, send him flowers, or even resign from the committee if that made a difference. That is how important this issue is. And quite frankly, if he is telling the Mayor or anyone else "let's wait and see" he is selling them a bill of goods. We've asked for this regularly for nine years. There's plenty of empirical data at other systems that show that you don't screw around with these timing issues. We've got a ton of goodwill from the public right now. A simple phone call or email telling me that it will be on the next committee agenda (ALL 21 signals) will get me and the others to shut up about this.

As a person with a CC license and carries pretty regularly, this is just absurd. There is no reason to have that much ammo on you unless your just trying to cause a reaction or you're up to no good. Sounds like the situation was handled correctly by all around as nothing caused an escalation. But the guy is a moron for sure.

I've gone through the CC training but haven't yet applied for my permit... and my reaction is the same as yours, and that's why I laughed at him. If you're unable to take care of business with the first 17 rounds, what makes you think 100 more will help? Given the circumstances, I'm 100% sure he was just trying to cause a reaction that he could film and I'm glad nobody - including Embark staff - took the bait. That said, I think the only Embark employee on the whole thing was in the cab, and I didn't see a police officer at all the entire time I was riding it.


Carry should be banned on the streetcar. Visably brandishing a weapon only causes unease among some and can lead to an overreaction to a minor incident. A shooting on the streetcar will all but kill ridership

In a general sense, these concerns are why I'm not a big fan at all of open carry by the general public. I have no issue with lawful concealed carry, though. That said, to the best of my knowledge, it's unlawful to carry - open or concealed - on public transport in this state. I know at one point there was an effort to change that, but I'm honestly unsure if it came to pass. if I'm not mistaken, however, the only thing they can really do about it is ask you to leave (same as if you carry in a business that does not allow firearms) - but if you refuse to leave, then it's trespassing and that invites heavier consequences. But yes, I agree with you - especially in this critical period where the perception of the streetcar's usefulness is being built in the public's eyes, an incident involving firearms on the streetcar would spell certain doom for ridership, I'm afraid. Now, I truthfully don't know exactly how likely that is, but it is a concern.

IMO this would be a good time for y'all to be contacting your council people to let them know your thoughts on signal prioritization. I have definitely emailed mine.

Rode last night also with a group of friends, overall great experience. I really love this for our city! The only thing I really noticed that would speed things up and that is in the drivers control is to NOT stop at EVERY stop unless there are people wanting to get off or there are people waiting to get on. With 22 stops in addition to stop lights, etc this could make some time up.

Comment. I wonder, since there is other SC’s on the route, if they speed up one car it could create 2 problems. It may start to catch up to car ahead and then less people get on thus meaning less stops needed and getting even closer to car ahead. And if it starts to catch up it leaves a bigger gap to the next car. So if car 2 is catching car 1 then gap between car 2 and 3 will be huge and might cause an unintended problem.

My guess is if one looks at the overhead picture and can imagine all cars spaced out evenly this may be why they still stop at each one?

The trick is to get all of them moving faster yet in sync.

I cannot believe this has not been addressed/fixed before go live. I mentioned this several pages back that timing will make or break this system. Its why bus system can’t draw riders its never timely.

This appears to be more “touristy” driven than “daily user riders”. Meaning it looks great and cost a lot but will never be reliable for workers or even events. Crowded events will always slow it down too.

What is going to happen when you have to start to pay to get on? Do you scan a ticket somewhere or have to show it to someone? I see this slowing things back down if everyone getting on has to scan a ticket of some kind.

Honor system

What is going to happen when you have to start to pay to get on? Do you scan a ticket somewhere or have to show it to someone? I see this slowing things back down if everyone getting on has to scan a ticket of some kind.

As I understand it - Urban Pioneer, please correct me if I am wrong - it will work like ticketing on the DART Light Rail system works. Basically, you purchase your pass at the kiosk on the platform before boarding. Once you board, you may be asked for your ticket by an EMBARK employee, and you must present a valid ticket if that occurs. Not everyone will be asked for their ticket, and it'll basically be at random.

save paper/frustration/time and use the app (Token Transit). I've literally been standing at the fare station on a bus and bought and presented my pass to the driver without missing a step or delaying other passengers.

nm

So i had the experience of riding again, Thursday night with a friend visiting from Portland, and Friday night with my wife. In the first instance, we used the train to visit numerous watering holes. On Thursday night there weren't a ton of people out in general, but the trains were more than half full -- and they moved much quicker. You can already see the difference in one week.

Last night, we took several trips as my wife hadn't ridden yet, and every train was absolutely packed. It was incredible. And people are already beginning to learn the route system and stops. There were people getting on and off at basically every stop.

My Portland friend said OKC's streetcar is better than theirs, with nicer trains, but most importantly, a well designed series of stops. He said there are too many stops in Portland's streetcar and in our case, the spacing is good.

People need to call their council member and tell them we need to get the signal prioritization for the remaining traffic lights. Once that is done, the system will work very well.

Also, the Sunday service should run at least until 9 p.m.

And, this should be fare free going forward. Period.

Me too. I guess the signal prioritize that we heard about was just on the "wish list". Hopefully this gets added in the coming months.

This makes the streetcar pretty worthless during major events if its just stuck in traffic.

There is signal prioritization, just not enough.

Oklahoma City has 3 times as much streetcar rail miles as Kansas City. We will have time to evaluate expansion on a 'go' or 'no go' decision with regards to other districts like the OUHSC and the Boathouse District.

We need to work on the kinks in the current route loops before we consider an potential expansion.

OKC did go full throttle with the streetcar, now let's give it an opportunity to develop along the loop and work.

Even if we decide to expand, it will take several years to do so. No reason not to plan now. We can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Rode the streetcar yesterday 12-22-2018. Good experience as we started out with breakfast at the I-HOP. Rode the Clear Sky Blue car which took us on the 2-mile Bricktown loop--the car was 3/4 full. This car didn't update you on the next stop or the one we left.

Upon its return to IHOP, we arrived just in time for the Rosebud Red car which took us thru the entire 6.9 mile loop.

There were a group of what appeared to be 5 younger adults 16-22 years of age on the downtown bird scooters, one darted right in front of the streetcar near the downtown I-HOP as it was making its turn toward the Bricktown Ballpark--he bounced the curb. Thankfully, the streetcar was fully loaded moving about 10 mph; these rail vehicles can't stop on a dime like regular vehicles. The young man laughed as he barely escaped a date with death.

The bird scooters will be a concern once the streetcars aren't at full capacity; especially with riders who want to flirt with death on these scooters--the streetcar will involuntarily accommodate your date with death.

Please note that the Rosebud Red streetcar did announce the upcoming stops which also appeared on the screen. Some departing stops were announced as well. Safety announcement to move back as the doors were closing...

The Oklahoma City Streetcar is in a good position to be a success. Didn't see any of the Bermuda Green cars on the track throughout our experience.

dupe

I missed a car yesterday and immediately grabbed a scooter and beat the train I missed to my destination, which got me thinking there should be a scooter zone at each stop. city should work with the scooter vendors on making that happen. would help for those times when the last mile solution doesn't actually get you to your destination.

...Also, the driver was in an isolated compartment booth with door separate from passengers (no apparent interaction). You could see the driver if you were in front of the streetcar before it departed or after its stop.

Noticed a steel like bar to hang a bicycle near the middle of the streetcar were there was a poll for a number of people to use when the car is crowded or over capacity.

I missed a car yesterday and immediately grabbed a scooter and beat the train I missed to my destination, which got me thinking there should be a scooter zone at each stop. city should work with the scooter vendors on making that happen. would help for those times when the last mile solution doesn't actually get you to your destination.

Come on shawnw; you are joking?

IMHO wouldn't advise anyone to attempt what you just said you did.

I think for the most part folks agree that the micro transit option is more helpful than hurtful. if I get off a streetcar and my destination is still a block or two away and I'm running late, what's the downside to having the option of grabbing a scooter from that stop to finish my journey?

p.s. in case it came across wrong, I didn't race my streetcar to bricktown side-by-side, I took a different route. was just making the point that a scooter bailed me out when I was in a timing jam, meeting someone and still made it on time.

OK, that's fair enough. You said you were able to catch up with the streetcar; why didn't you just ride the scooter to meet someone at the destination?

The streetcar rollout will be a period test & challenge up until January 5, a period where we integrate ridership on the streetcar with regular traffic.

If you're not careful, you may meet more than just someone; it may very well be an undertaker & your maker. STAY COOL, BE SAFE...

I live close to two streetcar stops. Basically the order of operations is if I don't encounter a scooter while walking to the streetcar, I take the streetcar. In this case there was a scooter a block over so when I missed the streetcar I walked to the scooter.

OKC STREETCAR HOLIDAY HOURS!

Christmas Eve December 24th 6am - Midnight
Christmas Day December 25th 11am - 7pm
New Year's Eve December 31st 6am - 2am
New Year's Day, January 1st 6am - Midnight

PARENTS! Being a dad myself, I gave a bit of thought to the schedule. We have had trains at near capacity this past week at nearly all hours. Christmas might actually be a great day to come out with the kiddos if they are stir crazy later that afternoon. With many shops closed, I would anticipate that Christmas will a be a great day to simply enjoy the ride and see our city in a completely new way! Our streetcars are stroller and wheelchair friendly with complete level boarding and plenty of room for such devices. Come on out! -Jeff

Wife and I rode the entire streetcar route Saturday evening. It was a standing room only event. It was fun to hear those standing near me, obvious guests to OKC making the 'ooooh....awwww' sounds as we progressed on the route. It will be interesting to see the amount of riders 30 days from now.

My wife and I went out on Christmas Eve riding the streetcar from the Library to Midtown for some light last minute shopping. After finishing up downtown we decided to go to Penn Square since we didn't find a few last minute items. I really wish we had some sort of galleria mall or more shopping in the core. I love all of the local places, but both my wife and I mentioned that it wold be nice to come downtown, and have both great dining and shopping options, as well as being able to walk and use the street car the whole day instead of having to load and unload the baby seat and stroller and drive through traffic and find parking every time we go somewhere new.

This question may be for a completely separate thread, but when will DT OKC start seeing more retailers such as H&M, CVS/Walgreens, Apple/Best Buy, Coach/Burberry/other hi-end stores, Nike/UA/Adidas, or something like department stores? Are the urban gallerias still viable entities? Is DT OKC still not there in terms of residents to support such shopping outlets? To me it seems with the streetcar we could definitely see a return of some big retailers to the DT core.

Wife and I rode the entire streetcar route Saturday evening. It was a standing room only event. It was fun to hear those standing near me, obvious guests to OKC making the 'ooooh....awwww' sounds as we progressed on the route. It will be interesting to see the amount of riders 30 days from now.

I was in town this weekend and took a drive around Downtown to look at the activity and lights. We had the occasion to meet up with the streetcar as it was going through Bricktown and it was totally packed. Tons of people around Bricktown over to the Myriad Gardens even though there wasn't a Thunder game. Also, I was happy to see the business and restaurants along Broadway/Auto Alley looking very busy. The streetcar has bright train lights so it really added to the active atmosphere in the area.

Rode the streetcar for the first time on Christmas Day and it was very cool to see the reactions of driver and pedestrians as it passed by. The entire loop took about 45-50 minutes...there was light traffic and light ridership due to it being Christmas Day, but the driver still stopped at every platform, and we also held at the Dewey stop for about 5 minutes (not sure why). So I could definitely see how the timing will likely speed up in the future.

If there are multiple streetcars on the circular, it is necessary to maintain a schedule and spacing so the cars don't bunch up because one got held up for one reason or another. The light rail here in Denver has to do this frequently to maintaining the spacing. This can include stopping momentarily between stations or longer stops at stations.

I've hoped on the StreetCar several times now. The start/stop is convenient enough for me because the Transit Center platform is right outside my office. However, three times now I've had to call EMBARK on the same homeless guy who sets up camp under the platform shelter and randomly starts screaming at people passing by or wanting to get on/off the streetcar. I had to call again yesterday (around 10am). It was over an hour before someone showed up and got the homeless man to clear away all his belongings and leave the immediate area. While this will probably be an ongoing issue at different platforms, if response times can be a bit quicker, the activity will probably mostly be discouraged.

Regardless.... For my needs, the streetcar simply continues to prove to be an oddity that doesn't actually improve any of my efforts regarding getting around downtown OKC.

By the time I wait for a Streetcar to arrive and ride it's painfully slow stop and go pace - then reboard and either ride basically the entire route back to my original platform, or get off and hoof it 3-5+ blocks back to the office, it just adds way more time and accomplished nothing. Literally, there is no way a group of us from work could ride the streetcar ANYWHERE to eat and be back within an hour. However, we could simply walk or take our car and do it much much quicker (and saved the $10 it would cost 5 of us to go and return in fares alone).

Beyond lunch, my other regular activities include going to either the Main YMCA on 4th street, the Main Street Y, the courthouse, the police station, the jail and to visit my wife at her office for lunch. Same problem..... Using the streetcar would take far longer and require me to walk further than if I simply drove my car and parked. If the weather is nice I'm going to walk or scooter and that's still going to be faster (cheaper if I walk, a bit more expensive if I scooter).

Curious what others who work downtown think as far as utilizing the Streetcar for getting around on a daily basis?

For me, it's just something I do if I have time to kill and it's new.

Not trying to be a downer, just trying to understand it's intended purpose and for whom. Maybe it's like Bricktown. I love that we have it. It serves a intended audience well. I get that I helped pay for it. But I don't ever utilize it and intentionally avoid it. Maybe the streetcar is just my Bricktown.

If there are multiple streetcars on the circular, it is necessary to maintain a schedule and spacing so the cars don't bunch up because one got held up for one reason or another. The light rail here in Denver has to do this frequently to maintain the spacing. This can include stopping momentarily between stations or longer stops at stations.

That is correct. We have a "real-time" map in our Control Center that dispatch uses as their Positive Train Control. The same system (US Fleet Tracking transponders) is what generates the estimated arrival times. If one streetcar is being slowed or accelerated, dispatch will instruct operators to dwell at certain locations... particularly "end-of-line" stops on the extremities being Dewey / 11th and Scissortail Park stops. These locations are designed as dwell zones as stopping is in an isolated lane and does not affect automobile traffic. It is at these locations that we exchange operators, bathroom breaks, etc. Scissortail is also where we can take on additional battery charge if needed.

I am working pretty aggressively on getting the remaining funding for additional Signal Priority equipment. This equipment will not only help increase timeliness, but it will help us ensure that the live displays on the pylons project more accurate arrival estimate information. It is pretty awesome to see the system so broadly embraced by the public.

Everything was done well, but as of now it’s the worlds largest Christmas tree train set, going around in a circle.
Could a flange lubricator be installed on the trucks, like the BNSF uses on locomotives? A spring loaded stick that lubes the flanges and could help reduce profiling the worn flanges on a wheel lathe.

I am cautiously optimistic about the streetcar, and I really think it has been implemented as well as it could be here. I've ridden it about half a dozen times now, and will probably buy a monthly pass in January so I can see how it operates once it's no longer free.

That said, I do have some concerns. As others have said, it's still too slow for me to really use during lunch, unless I just happen to catch one right at Leadership Square. If I can get one within a couple of minutes, then it's faster to take the streetcar to Bricktown than it is to walk. But otherwise I'm spending more time just to ride it. I'm hoping that signal prioritization (super-duper important) and a little more practice will make the system faster.

I also have a parking spot in a garage right in the center of the streetcar route. I thought it would be great, because I can park and then hop on the train to go to my destination. But actually what it means is that it's not all that far of a walk to get to most places on the route, and for the places that are too far to quickly walk, I can usually find parking closer to my destination. Now, if I want to go to Bricktown on a Thunder game night, when the Bass Pro lot is crammed full, then I may think the streetcar is a godsend. I haven't used it for that yet. But I'm not sure I'll end up using it quite as much as I originally thought. And a lot of that is due to the convenience of already having a parking pass downtown. If I had to park in the big Toby Keith/movie theater lot whenever I came downtown that would be different.

Right now, I would call it "situationally useful" for me. It can be convenient, if I'm going to the right place at the right time.

I'll be really curious to see how the streetcar is being used in 6 months, and then in 5 years. Six months is enough time for the kinks to be worked out and for downtown workers to have integrated it into their routine. If it's still being used by a moderate amount of people, I'll consider it a success. Five years is enough time for new development to spring up along the route. Maybe some parking lots will fill in, increasing density and making the streetcar itself more valuable.

--

Two suggestions. One, I think an app on your phone or a website showing the location of each streetcar downtown would be incredibly helpful. Or at least allow people to see the arrival times of the next streetcar at each stop. I can take my lunch whenever I feel like it. If it's 11:47 and I'm getting ready to go eat, it will help me a lot if I can see when the next train arrives at the stop down the street. If it's going to arrive at 12:05, then I can get up from my desk in about 10 minutes and make it there with a couple minutes to spare. If it's arriving at 11:53, I need to go to lunch now. Same thing when I'm at the restaurant. Say it's cold outside and I'm a nice comfy booth at Abuelo's. I've already paid, and I'm finishing off some queso and they've already brought me my to-go drink. I can leave at any time. But I don't want to wait outside for very long. If I know when to time my exit, it will be much more convenient for me. And I think that convenience will really increase ridership.

Second, I think this system will really benefit from expansion into nearby areas. The faster we expand it the better, honestly. Any expansion we make should be a double track system that covers more distance and has less frequent stops. Right now it appears to be a tourist and downtown visitor circulator, and it's often faster to walk since it loops around on itself. But if it can travel a good distance from downtown at speed, then it really gives you the ability to leave your car behind.

This question may be for a completely separate thread, but when will DT OKC start seeing more retailers such as H&M, CVS/Walgreens, Apple/Best Buy, Coach/Burberry/other hi-end stores, Nike/UA/Adidas, or something like department stores? Are the urban gallerias still viable entities? Is DT OKC still not there in terms of residents to support such shopping outlets? To me it seems with the streetcar we could definitely see a return of some big retailers to the DT core.

I don't think we're all that far away from seeing some of that. Some might not be sold on the idea of high end retailers coming downtown, but right now, I'm guessing by the fact that we have a consignment handbags shop in the Robinson Rennaisance, that retail space is relatively inexpensive.

If the foot traffic stays up and the redevelopment of First National happens along with the Omni, I could see retail becoming a strong presence downtown. We'd be much better set up for it than places like KC's Riverside District, which doesn't have a streetcar, but does have a very strong retail presence.

Has anyone put out a Streetcar route map that has all the food and shopping options along the route clearly marked?

This seems like marketing 101 to me, but I can't find one anywhere.

I know the streetcar is still free for another couple weeks. But has anyone else downloaded the Embark app and associated fare app, Token Transit?

Honestly the Embark app is really bad. It is basically pointless for the Streetcar and doesn't even have a map of the route. It has a map of the bus routes that is difficult to find and the only streetcar related information existing on the app is the run-time schedule.

The Token Transit app is actually really easy to use. But has no information about the streetcar specifically. It just simply makes it really easy to buy and present your fare.

I have already voiced my concern about not having the streetcar be free for an extended period of time (even indefinitely). But this app situation could be a total nightmare. Like others have pointed out, we need a dedicated app to purchase the fare and also see a live GPS view of the streetcars. Basically the Uber or Lyft app is what is needed.

I fear for the success of this entire project because we will soon go from virtually 0 entry barriers (free, no risk) to multiple barriers (cost, poor reliance, poor app interface).

And if the mobile app experience is going to be this bad, just imagine the kiosk situation. I don't know about anyone else, but since it is free right now - I haven't even looked @ the kiosks to know what they do other than display X Minutes until arrival. Creating annoying problems that can be solved by copying an existing app model is a recipe for getting people to look elsewhere. I can order a Lyft or Uber in about 30 seconds and see exactly where and when my driver is arriving. People will avoid the streetcar if they cannot get a similar experience.

As a frequent bus rider the Embark app is useless. I use TransitApp and Token Transit for the fares of course. I actually haven't tried to use TransitApp for the streetcars yet but presume it would work for those as well as it does for buses.

Incidentally, having used transit in many cities, I have never had an "Uber like app experience" with anyone else's transit system/app. You get their mobile fare app to buy passes. You use something like TransitApp. All is well...

I know the streetcar is still free for another couple weeks. But has anyone else downloaded the Embark app and associated fare app, Token Transit?

Honestly the Embark app is really bad. It is basically pointless for the Streetcar and doesn't even have a map of the route. It has a map of the bus routes that is difficult to find and the only streetcar related information existing on the app is the run-time schedule.

The Token Transit app is actually really easy to use. But has no information about the streetcar specifically. It just simply makes it really easy to buy and present your fare.

I have already voiced my concern about not having the streetcar be free for an extended period of time (even indefinitely). But this app situation could be a total nightmare. Like others have pointed out, we need a dedicated app to purchase the fare and also see a live GPS view of the streetcars. Basically the Uber or Lyft app is what is needed.

I fear for the success of this entire project because we will soon go from virtually 0 entry barriers (free, no risk) to multiple barriers (cost, poor reliance, poor app interface).

And if the mobile app experience is going to be this bad, just imagine the kiosk situation. I don't know about anyone else, but since it is free right now - I haven't even looked @ the kiosks to know what they do other than display X Minutes until arrival. Creating annoying problems that can be solved by copying an existing app model is a recipe for getting people to look elsewhere. I can order a Lyft or Uber in about 30 seconds and see exactly where and when my driver is arriving. People will avoid the streetcar if they cannot get a similar experience.

The ticket kiosks that have been installed all seem to be under an orange cover with some stops still not having one installed yet.

I echo comments about a real time app showing locations. I used the one in Vail a few years back and it was awesome. Maybe not a big deal to wait when it's warm, but when it's cold and you have kids it can be a bit trying.

I echo comments about a real time app showing locations. I used the one in Vail a few years back and it was awesome. Maybe not a big deal to wait when it's warm, but when it's cold and you have kids it can be a bit trying.

Agreed - plus, with Uber having this ability, they've set the bar and proven it's possible.

I'd love to walk out of a Bricktown restaurant/movie/etc., be able to look at the Streetcar app and go "Hey, we've got 15 minutes, lets grab a fresh coffee as we head to the platform." Or, "Lets not all head out of the warm office yet to grab a streetcar for lunch until the car is closer."

Uber is a multi-billion dollar entity with the resources to put out a top notch app like that. Most transit entities have limited development budgets and probably rely on partnering with existing apps and rebranding.

Uber is a multi-billion dollar entity with the resources to put out a top notch app like that. Most transit entities have limited development budgets and probably rely on partnering with existing apps and rebranding.

Embark does already have real-time data for their busses. While they don't show a real-time map of the exact location of every bus, their system does have the ability to calculate wait time (including any delays) for any given bus stop. This is available both on Embark's website and on Google Maps. We also know that Embark has this data for the Streetcar as well, but aside from being displayed on the streetcar kiosks, that data doesn't appear to be available anywhere publicly... yet. I'm positive it's coming, it just hasn't gone live yet.

Uber is a multi-billion dollar entity with the resources to put out a top notch app like that. Most transit entities have limited development budgets and probably rely on partnering with existing apps and rebranding.

We're talking GPS, not rocket science (wait.... never mind) - something that's been around a long time and I can buy over the counter for next to nothing. It's in all of our phones. Oh yeah, and it's already been confirmed the street cars utilize fleet tracking currently. SO, your point is moot.

I wonder if it is a security issue having a GPS map of mass transit trains?

I wonder if it is a security issue having a GPS map of mass transit trains?

I sincerely doubt it.

So why are we wanting a GPS map of the trains? I have honestly never seen this used anywhere. Vienna, London, Paris, Barcelona, NYC, etc. It is always just a time until next train/streetcar arrives.

So why are we wanting a GPS map of the trains? I have honestly never seen this used anywhere. Vienna, London, Paris, Barcelona, NYC, etc. It is always just a time until next train/streetcar arrives.

Because it's possible, and being able to tell when the next streetcar will arrive can help me plan how to use it. Particularly if I don't have to wait at a terminal to do it. If I can check where the cars are, I can decide which stop to walk to.

I echo comments about a real time app showing locations.

Can't Google Maps do this? I use it for buses in Denton and I can literally watch the bus roll up on the app to the minute. It shows me whether the bus is running early, on time, or late. It's all super easy.

So why are we wanting a GPS map of the trains? I have honestly never seen this used anywhere. Vienna, London, Paris, Barcelona, NYC, etc. It is always just a time until next train/streetcar arrives.

Commuter trains, subways, and other non-street metros run on more regular schedules than buses or streetcars that run on streets with cars. It's completely reasonable to want real time updates for a streetcar.