With the rebranding to EmBark, will they no longer do full advertising wraps, or will that still be available to those companies that want to purchase it?

A place that still prefers checks. I thought it was down to only Ozzie's at this point.

That's really funny. I was at Ozzie's on Sunday with friends and we were saying, "who takes checks anymore?"

Update on the metro transit bus system:


OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahoma City's Metro Transit system will launch major improvements and transition to a new name on Monday, April 28.
According to officials, Metro Transit will be known as Embark. The new identity will represent all services, including bus transit, parking and ferry. Later this spring, the transit division, currently known as Metro Transit, will launch system-wide service enhancements including new schedules and route alignments.

"The changes we are making to the public transportation system in Oklahoma City are really transformational, and the new identity illustrates the journey we as a community are undertaking together," said Jason Ferbrache, director of public transportation and parking.

The system-wide route changes focus on increasing the frequency of the bus routes, reducing passenger wait and travel time, and realigning routes for optimal connectivity and to better match demand, according to officials.

Additional improvements currently underway include new bus stop signage and technology updates that will provide real-time information on the location of buses, a new website and a user-friendly trip planner.

Officials say even more enhancements will roll out this summer including Wi-Fi on board all buses, enhanced route information at bus stops, and the start of installing more than 31 new ADA accessible bus shelters.

"Faster service is the first step to building a better system," said Ferbrache. "These system changes lay the groundwork for building a better, stronger system that can one day support major improvements such as extended hours and Sunday service."

On most routes, buses will arrive every 30 minutes. There will now only be six local bus routes with wait times in excess of 30 minutes. The changes also establish a mini "transit hub" in west Oklahoma City for improved connectivity and create a new south crosstown route to serve a growing South 29th Street corridor.

New bus schedules will be available at the downtown Transit Center starting Tuesday, April 15. The new website, embarkok.com, will launch later this week where the public may access routes, schedules, and maps.

Customer Care staff are available for personal assistance from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. by calling (405) 235-RIDE (7433).

- Metro Transit Gets New Name, To Launch Major Improvements - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | (http://www.news9.com/story/25250616/metro-transit-gets-new-name-to-launch-major-improvements)

I'm really curious about the location of the mini "transit hub" in west Oklahoma City.

This is exciting stuff!

"Oklahoma City’s public transportation system is embarking on a new journey. The bus system, which has been in existence since 1966, will be launching major system improvements Monday, April 28 and will formerly transition to a new name.

New bus schedules will be available at the downtown Transit Center starting Tuesday, April 15. The new website, embarkok.com, will launch later this week where the public may access routes, schedules, and maps." (Bus Routes Changing System Wide | METRO Transit Providing Central Oklahoma Transportation & Bus Service Options (http://www.gometro.org/2014news2))

Has anyone been able to access the new website?

When I rode the bus to work last Friday, the kindly driver said that all of the routes would be changing and that he didn't know where the [heck] he was going. I guess the new website must be running a little behind schedule. Maybe there's an app to let riders and potential riders know just where it is . . .

Seems like it took one step forward and one step back, they took out a lot of the kinks in the old lines, but added enough new area to cover that overall the system is still pretty thinly availability to most everywhere. They are still trying to cover too much area for the resources they have, all but a couple will have around 30 minutes between arrivals (60 minutes Saturday, no Sunday service), the 'high frequency' lines with 15 minute intervals is more what should be aimed for the minimum frequency between arrivals.

Route 8 saw some improvements...but, they ought to have extended the route to Wal-Mart on NW Expressway and N. Council. By doing that they might have encouraged a lot more apartment dwellers to use EMBARK.

Route 8 saw some improvements...but, they ought to have extended the route to Wal-Mart on NW Expressway and N. Council. By doing that they might have encouraged a lot more apartment dwellers to use EMBARK.

I don't recall MassTrans asking for your opinion.
Nor do I recall them asking for mine.
Want to bet that The Planners of the bus routes never ride them?

I don't recall MassTrans asking for your opinion.
Nor do I recall them asking for mine.

Opinions are like (you know what)...But, for the record, Dear Sir,
May I direct your undivided attention to the following...

From 2013

Community Meeting Set Tuesday, May 21 | METRO Transit Providing Central Oklahoma Transportation & Bus Service Options (http://www.gometro.org/tsanotice)

Enjoy your morning cup of coffee.

Signed,

Roger Daltrey


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXDAIBvI48w

Opinions are like (you know what)...But, for the record, Dear Sir,
May I direct your undivided attention to the following...

From 2013

Community Meeting Set Tuesday, May 21 | METRO Transit Providing Central Oklahoma Transportation & Bus Service Options (http://www.gometro.org/tsanotice)

Enjoy your morning cup of coffee.

Signed,

Roger Daltrey


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXDAIBvI48w

Point well taken/Roger that. =)

The website EMBARK - Forward Together (http://embarkok.com/) is now working for me. They have a mobile app that seems to mostly consist of a way to submit maintenance issues to the city, which seems odd for a transit oriented app.

I especially like the sound of:


Developer Resources Are Coming Soon
EMBARK is working to make open source transit data available to software developers, to promote the use of transit and information related to transit.

Stay tuned, as more resources are made available they will be announced here. In the meantime, let us know what data sets and file formats would be most meaningful to you.

I emailed in the suggestion that they publish the transit data such that it can show up as travel options in Google Maps.

They did a good job on the website, it feels very modern.

Maybe it is just me. I get the notion of OKC landmarks, etc. However, if I wanted to launch what I hoped to be seen as a new, improved direction in transit, I don't think the first images I would place in front of eyeballs would be horse drawn land rush yacht/wagons and a slow-mo river taxi.

David...Thanks! It just came up for me as well.

The website EMBARK - Forward Together (http://embarkok.com/) is now working for me. They have a mobile app that seems to mostly consist of a way to submit maintenance issues to the city, which seems odd for a transit oriented app.

I especially like the sound of:



I emailed in the suggestion that they publish the transit data such that it can show up as travel options in Google Maps.

They did a good job on the website, it feels very modern.

The only knock I can see with how they handled the website transition, is at least as of today they old website is still up with all the old content and neither forwards the user to the new website automatically or provides a highly visible link/info. The name and some info from when it was being proposed is on the site but just in the rotating banner and not the first items, a link pretty late in how people scan a web page is also present but for a change this big happening tomorrow it should be in a spot much harder to miss. So it would be real easy if people were familiar with the old website to go in and get the old route map & old time schedules.

Maybe it is just me. I get the notion of OKC landmarks, etc. However, if I wanted to launch what I hoped to be seen as a new, improved direction in transit, I don't think the first images I would place in front of eyeballs would be horse drawn land rush yacht/wagons and a slow-mo river taxi.

So . . .Are you implying, Counselor, that sometimes synergy is misspelt? =)
(imagewise)
(bus driver, best ever, to me: we ain't sure where the [insert nounish sort of word] we are going next week.)

I got a response back about my email and they are apparently already working with Google to list the bus stops on Maps.

I had forgotten until I looked at their new site that most of the bus trips I have made between Norman and OKC were CART trips and not the metro bus itself. I knew some were, but looking at the schedule more closely it appears almost all were. I suppose it's a good thing no other service uses the stops I use. Who knows where I might have ended up.

Notice how every image on the Embark website are of happy, shiny white folks.

Notice how every image on the Embark website are of happy, shiny white folks.who cares?

I could be wrong, but this guy looks black.

http://embarkok.com/assets/images/homepage-carousel/boarding-bus.jpg

EMBARK - Forward Together (http://embarkok.com/)

Notice how every image on the Embark website are of happy, shiny white folks.

What on earth does race have to do with anything?

Notice how every image on the Embark website are of happy, shiny white folks.

I expect most of the close up of people are stock footage and both of the services my company have used in the past's was probably above 90% white people, believe me we wanted more diverse selection and a lot of those 10% remaining will be more like business, service or leisure shots since businesses are a much higher percent of their customer base than transit organizations. I am not sure but the photo with the bus and people at the stop, almost looks like they did some photoshoping on the bus.

Alright alright. Look... I guess it doesn't have anything to do with anything.
I'm just sitting here with three friends. We are all bus riders. Only two of us are white. We are looking at the new website and the routes. We joke around about how hot the guy with the sunglasses is on the front page and how we've never seen him on the bus. Then we notice that he isn't even riding a normal bus (looks like a charter bus). Then as we scroll through the site it becomes a joke that all we see are white people. I'm regularly the only white guy on the bus. Then a discussion ensues about how the whole restructuring of the bus system is supposed to encourage new ridership. We had a laugh about how, from the photos we saw on the site, it appears that means "make it look fun and safe for white folks."
Super sorry to offend anyone. In reality though, a little display of diversity on a public transit website wouldn't hurt either.

I could be wrong, but this guy looks black.

http://embarkok.com/assets/images/homepage-carousel/boarding-bus.jpg

That is a shadow, look at the back of his neck and side of hand/pinky finger. His shirt alone gives a good reference to confirm the direction of the light source.

The guy looks black to me regardless of the light source. This is a dumb issue anyways. Doesn't matter if they are all white or all black, I don't care. If the service is good and they aren't discriminating anyone with it

http://i.qkme.me/3p6g04.jpg

I DEFINTELY don't want to weigh in on the race/lighting/pinky issue, but I WILL say this: his cap is dumb looking as all hell.

I DEFINTELY don't want to weigh in on the race/lighting/pinky issue, but I WILL say this: his cap is dumb looking as all hell.

What does that even mean?

It means that the guy has terrible taste in caps, I suppose.

I could be wrong, but this guy looks black.

http://embarkok.com/assets/images/homepage-carousel/boarding-bus.jpg

And,hopefully, Flu Smart as well.

The guy looks black to me regardless of the light source. This is a dumb issue anyways. Doesn't matter if they are all white or all black, I don't care. If the service is good and they aren't discriminating anyone with it

http://i.qkme.me/3p6g04.jpg

OH MY GOD! is right.
It was a joke. My buddies and I had a laugh... followed by a super interesting conversation on diversity in advertising. Which isn't, Mr. Panda, a "dumb issue."

Alright alright. Look... I guess it doesn't have anything to do with anything.
I'm just sitting here with three friends. We are all bus riders. Only two of us are white. We are looking at the new website and the routes. We joke around about how hot the guy with the sunglasses is on the front page and how we've never seen him on the bus. Then we notice that he isn't even riding a normal bus (looks like a charter bus). Then as we scroll through the site it becomes a joke that all we see are white people. I'm regularly the only white guy on the bus. Then a discussion ensues about how the whole restructuring of the bus system is supposed to encourage new ridership. We had a laugh about how, from the photos we saw on the site, it appears that means "make it look fun and safe for white folks."
Super sorry to offend anyone. In reality though, a little display of diversity on a public transit website wouldn't hurt either.

I've noticed this also - in OKC, everybody I see waiting for a bus is black, and as you said, you're often the only white guy on the bus. Here in OKC, it appears that the bus system is for poor people that don't have cars, and it's mainly black people riding it. In Chicago, *everybody* rides the bus, every color, every race, every age, *everybody*. Here in OKC, I'm guessing that people care so little about mass transit because "everybody has a car, you have to here" and that's why it sucks. In other cities, mass transit is seen as necessary and part of the urban fabric, so it gets funding and works better than here. Not sure the bus system will ever get much better here, cars are too ingrained into our community (yeah, I know the multiple reasons, sad that massive corporations screwed things up way back). I guess EMBARK wants to downplay that it's pretty much poor black people that ride the buses here. :sofa:

EMBARK using white people in their ads is no different than 95% of McDonalds commercials featuring black people. The whole reason to advertise is to attract consumers that aren't already a customer. To make in roads into other demographics you have to feature those people using your product. It is all part of expanding mass transit to all people and there is nothing wrong with that.

I used to have a very narrow view when it came to transit.

I thought only poor blacks used it. I was truly ignorant (and admittedly somewhat racist about it) of what "the bus" or mass transit meant. I was at one point actually opposed to the streetcar in OKC.

I visited Cleveland for work, and on my off time I rode the train into the city, and found people of all races, social backgrounds, and economic conditions rode mass transit.

This was confirmed in later travels to LA, Chicago, San Fran, etc. Because of travels and actually using the system, I have become a huge fan and proponent of mass transit. And my knowledge and understanding has outgrown and matured past the narrow viewpoint I once had.

This is where the streetcar will do wonders for OKC and the bus system. Many in Oklahoma are very turned off at the idea of riding mass transit -- it wasn't until I rode a train in a city 1,000 miles away that I began to understand the benefits of it. I have never been on a city bus until AFTER I was introduced to mass transit via a heavy rail subway car in CLE. With the streetcar here in OKC, people won't need to be in a city 1,000 miles away without a car for a month to experience mass transit that is useful to them. Many will start out just wanting to go for a ride downtown on a Saturday afternoon. Or maybe decide to try it after they parked in Midtown to eat at Louie's before the Thunder game, and decide instead of driving and trying to park at the arena -- that they'll just hop on the streetcar.

They will slowly begin to warm up to the idea -- the ability to pass increased bus funding will be much easier. People will have some base level knowledge and understanding of what mass transit is. And they will be more likely to support transit initiatives. And like JTF has said in the past, pretty soon every district nearby downtown will be begging to have a streetcar route and the citizens will want to make it happen.

It's easy to vote against something you have no knowledge and understanding of, it's hard to vote against something you know is beneficial and useful.

Don't feel bad catch22 - it isn't just you. I ride the Skyway in downtown Jax every chance I get and all I hear from my fellow suburbanites is how it is only for poor blacks. My experience has been that ridership cuts across all race, age, and income brackets. However, part of the stigma comes from one the largest stations (and main city bus station) being called Rosa Parks Station. While Rosa Parks was a courageous woman, the name carries with it a preconceived notion for a lot of people. It is the only station named after a person. I can't help but think if it was called Ronald Reagan Station how the perception of everyone would change.

I've been on the 007, 008, and 023 buses today. I have to say, I'm loving the new schedules. I haven't waited more than 5 minutes each time.

OH MY GOD! is right.
It was a joke. My buddies and I had a laugh... followed by a super interesting conversation on diversity in advertising. Which isn't, Mr. Panda, a "dumb issue."it's a dumb issue to me. There are other things that we can spend our time on that are much more worrisome.

Email I received from OCCC had this in it


Improvements include:
· An increase in services to OCCC
· Increased frequency with a bus arriving at the college approximately every 10 minutes
· Additional routes are being added. In addition to the South May route, there will be one that uses Western. Some of you that had to go to the downtown transit center will no longer have to – you will have more direct service.
· Routes 12 and 13 will come to the college.
· A new online journey planner is available to help you plan your trip in advance at embarkok.com

good news for people

I used to have a very narrow view when it came to transit.

I thought only poor blacks used it. I was truly ignorant (and admittedly somewhat racist about it) of what "the bus" or mass transit meant. I was at one point actually opposed to the streetcar in OKC.

I visited Cleveland for work, and on my off time I rode the train into the city, and found people of all races, social backgrounds, and economic conditions rode mass transit.

This was confirmed in later travels to LA, Chicago, San Fran, etc. Because of travels and actually using the system, I have become a huge fan and proponent of mass transit. And my knowledge and understanding has outgrown and matured past the narrow viewpoint I once had.

This is where the streetcar will do wonders for OKC and the bus system. Many in Oklahoma are very turned off at the idea of riding mass transit -- it wasn't until I rode a train in a city 1,000 miles away that I began to understand the benefits of it. I have never been on a city bus until AFTER I was introduced to mass transit via a heavy rail subway car in CLE. With the streetcar here in OKC, people won't need to be in a city 1,000 miles away without a car for a month to experience mass transit that is useful to them. Many will start out just wanting to go for a ride downtown on a Saturday afternoon. Or maybe decide to try it after they parked in Midtown to eat at Louie's before the Thunder game, and decide instead of driving and trying to park at the arena -- that they'll just hop on the streetcar.

They will slowly begin to warm up to the idea -- the ability to pass increased bus funding will be much easier. People will have some base level knowledge and understanding of what mass transit is. And they will be more likely to support transit initiatives. And like JTF has said in the past, pretty soon every district nearby downtown will be begging to have a streetcar route and the citizens will want to make it happen.

It's easy to vote against something you have no knowledge and understanding of, it's hard to vote against something you know is beneficial and useful.

Good post catch22. We live in OKC and drive to work, but neither of us are opposed to public transit (especially when we vacation). We rode the rail from SeaTac Airport to downtown Seattle late on a Thursday night, and we absolutely stuck out like a sore thumb, but you know what, people aren't on the train to rob you, they're just trying to get somewhere. It was a good experience and a hell of a lot cheaper than a cab.

Below are pictures of Denver's new downtown bus station. They already have decent ridership but having such a nice station should make it even better. I think this is the future for mass transit in this country, elevating it for all types of people not just the poor. If the bus is clean and convenient and terminated into this I would consider taking it.

http://denverinfill.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/2014-05-09_DUSGrandOpeningP2-11.jpg
http://denverinfill.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/2014-05-09_DUSGrandOpeningP2-06.jpg
http://denverinfill.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/2014-05-09_DUSGrandOpeningP2-09.jpg
Courtesy of DenverInfill Blog (http://denverinfill.com/blog/)

It's very nice but it's certainly much more than a bus station.

Some of this sounds very familiar to suggestions we've seen here:

Houston's Plan to Get an Amazing New Bus System for No New Money - Eric Jaffe - The Atlantic Cities (http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2014/05/houstons-plan-get-amazing-new-bus-system-no-new-money/9078/)

The pictures of the new Denver Bus Terminal/Union Station (http://denverinfill.com/blog/) remind me of what OKC could do with our Cox Convention Center after our new convention center is built. OKC can build one of the region's best bus terminals using the Cox Center building. Plus we can keep the arena for hockey, simultaneous events needing a second arena, or events not requiring the seating capacity or the rental expense the Chesapeake Arena.

If engineers approve the weight bearing of the Cox Convention Center floor, intracity buses could occupy the West section of the center, intercity buses could be stationed in the East section with the arena between the two sections. If engineers calculate the convention floor is not sufficiently strong, even with reinforcement, we could possibly drop the floor about 6 feet in the parking level, and the buses could use the parking level as a transit station. But I hope the parking area could be maintained as is so that the convention center's parking garage can continue to be used as parking for downtown events, as parking for our bus & train & streetcar transit, and as a public downtown tornado shelter.

We could (should) build a tunnel between the Santa Fe Station & the new bus station underneath E.K. Gaylord Drive. The OKC Concourse (underground tunnels underneath much of downtown OKC) already connects to the Cox Center. Alternatively, a skywalk could be built to connect the two buildings. There is a proposal to build a walkway between the Santa Fe Station and Bricktown underneath the railroad tracks as part of the Santa Fe Station reconstruction/refurbishing.

I know when I've traveled to cities with indoor bus terminals (like Grand Central Station in NYC), I've been impressed by the efficiencies of scale, safety & aesthetics. Our bus travelers both intercity & intracity would avoid inclement weather & have more options centralized in one place. Our present bus station is an eyesore with many riders milling around outside waiting for their next bus. Also, as OKC's bus service is extended into the late evening, the indoor facility would be safer for riders and much closer to the Chesapeake Arena & Bricktown.

For the last 4 years, I've purchased & used a 30 day senior (Special Services) bus pass (usually each summer) for which I have posted critiques of our continually improving bus service in the OKCTalk Transportation section. In addition, I ride on many of the free days scheduled each summer including a couple of days two weeks ago when the new Embark bus routes were introduced.

I just dream of a totally indoor bus station to benefit all OKC bus riders.

The pictures of the new Denver Bus Terminal remind me of what OKC could do with our Cox Convention Center after our new convention center is built. We can keep the arena for hockey, simultaneous events needing a second arena, or events not requiring the seating capacity or the rental expense the Chesapeake Arena.

If engineers approve the weight bearing of the Cox Convention Center floor, intracity buses could occupy the West section of the center, intercity buses could be stationed in the East section. If engineers calculate the convention floor is not sufficiently strong, even with reinforcement, we could possibly drop the floor about 6 feet in the parking level, and the buses could use the parking level as a transit station. But I hope the parking area could be maintained as is so that the convention center's parking can continue to be used for downtown events and parking for our bus & train & streetcar transit.

We could build a tunnel between the Sante Fe Station & the new bus station. The OKC Concourse (underground tunnels underneath much of OKC) already connects to the Cox Center. Alternatively, a skywalk could be built to connect the two buildings.

That's not a terrible idea but a bus terminal would not need nearly that much space.

It's very nice but it's certainly much more than a bus station.

Exactly. Take a look- RTD - Union Station (http://www3.rtd-denver.com/UnionStation.shtml)
Calling the new Union Station in Denver a "bus station" is like calling the Grand Canyon a ditch.

or calling coach rivers a lil' bit miffed.

Enhanced bus service, more police proposed for Oklahoma City | News OK (http://newsok.com/enhanced-bus-service-more-police-proposed-for-oklahoma-city/article/4869412)


City Manager Jim Couch added $2.2 million to his proposed 2014-15 budget Friday, saying Oklahoma City can afford to begin evening bus service and maintain the pace of growth in the police force.

Running buses until midnight on Embark routes 11 and 23 would mark the first time in recent memory Oklahoma City has offered riders evening transit service.

Service ends now around 7:30 p.m.

ljbab728...Thanks for posting that article. Now that I KNOW who controls the purse strings, I'll be contacting the City Manager in the coming week.

Enhanced bus service, more police proposed for Oklahoma City | News OK (http://newsok.com/enhanced-bus-service-more-police-proposed-for-oklahoma-city/article/4869412)

I can't believe people aren't talking about this. This is what everyone has been begging for.

I think it's awesome and I hope it's the first of many steps.

Personally I think (and have long thought) they also need to have a district circulator route that goes between BT, MT, Plaza, Western, Uptown, AA, DD, and around again, with at least two, and possibly three buses on the route for good headways. And I mean one that is not free like the 50 is, it's revenue should support itself to some extent. But it's something that, if it ran evenings, I think would be heavily used. I know I would use it. Portions of this route can be phased out as streetcar reaches each district.

I can't believe people aren't talking about this. This is what everyone has been begging for.

And just think, this is happening even though Mick got elected instead of you know who. :)

EMBARK Announces Service Improvements: SW 29 to Receive 30-Minute Weekday Service

OKLAHOMA CITY – Beginning Monday, January 26, EMBARK will make system enhancements to the bus system including increased frequency, additional stops, later service and minor schedule adjustments to improve schedule adherence.

Specifically, the changes will include:

Minor schedule adjustments on routes 002, 005, 008, 009, 012, 013, 014, 018, 023 and 038 that will help schedule adherence.
Route 011 will now operate every 30 minutes on weekdays until 7 p.m.
Routes 011 and 23N will operate until midnight. Between 7 p.m. and midnight, frequency will be every 60 minutes. The new 23N route is similar to 023, but will serve Automobile Alley and the Transit Center weeknights. The new route will operate in lieu of the weekday route 023 starting at 7 p.m.
Additional stops are being added to routes 011 and 23N. Both routes will extend to the Reno Mini-Hub, Downtown Transit Center and connect with EMBARK Link stops.
Existing EMBARK Link designated stops have changed and seven new designated stops have been added.
“Research and our local experience has shown increased frequency leads to increases in ridership,” noted Jason Ferbrache, EMBARK Administrator. Since the changes that took effect in late April, average daily ridership has increased 8% over last year for the same period. “It makes service more convenient for current riders and helps simplify bus use for new riders. When you can walk to a bus stop and know you can catch a bus every 30 minutes, it takes out some of the guess work and our new mobile tools make it easier to plan your trip.”

The increased frequency and evening services are the continuation of service enhancements identified in a study conducted by an international transit research firm Nelson\Nygaard hired by the City of Oklahoma City and the EMBARK board to review and make recommendations for improving the public transit system.

In late April 2014, EMBARK launched the first phase of changes that included increased frequency of bus routes, reduced passenger wait time, reduced passenger travel time and routes that better match demand. EMBARK is making technology improvements which include a mobile trip planner, SMS real-time bus arrival info, new bus stop signage and on-board Wi-Fi.

New schedules and a list of the changes can be found at: Winter 2015 Service Changes - EMBARK (http://embarkok.com/alerts/winter-service-changes)

Why does the bus system not run on May Avenue between 63rd and Memorial? That is such a hot bed of retail I would think that would be a no brainer? Is it because part of it is considered The Village or Nichols Hills?

Why does the bus system not run on May Avenue between 63rd and Memorial? That is such a hot bed of retail I would think that would be a no brainer? Is it because part of it is considered The Village or Nichols Hills?

The Village limits encompass May from Britton to Hefner, but May's not part of Nichols Hills at all, surely something could be worked out with The Village, or just don't stop between Britton and Hefner (which would be weird, but not out of character for OKC's half-a$$ed bus system).

The Village limits encompass May from Britton to Hefner, but May's not part of Nichols Hills at all, surely something could be worked out with The Village, or just don't stop between Britton and Hefner (which would be weird, but not out of character for OKC's half-a$$ed bus system).

I know the new Uptown Grocery going in just north of Britton on the west side of May is considered The Village, that's why Pete can't get permits for them, so I think both sides of May are considered The Village in a few parts. You are correct that they could just not stop in that area. I am not sure what they can do with that.

I know the new Uptown Grocery going in just north of Britton on the west side of May is considered The Village, that's why Pete can't get permits for them, so I think both sides of May are considered The Village in a few parts. You are correct that they could just not stop in that area. I am not sure what they can do with that.

Yep, here are The Village's limits, all of May from just north of Britton (The Village said the light at Britton/May is OKC when I asked them about the crappy timing on it) to probably just a bit south of Hefner.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+Village,+OK/@35.569094,-97.5580185,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x87b21b70eadee173:0x28f14 ee201cfde58

Beaming to buses: Embark to offer Wi-Fi service

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record July 10, 2015

OKLAHOMA CITY – Embark bus riders will be given access to Wi-Fi Internet service by this fall under an agreement with Satellite and Wireless Solutions.

The Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority approved the deal Friday. It is expected to increase the bus system’s value to riders, particularly businesspeople and college students who have work to do, COTPA spokesman Michael Scroggins said.

“At one time, air conditioning was considered an amenity on public transportation,” he said. “Expectations of service levels change over time.

“That’s one of the things we heard from people who don’t currently ride the bus,” he said. “‘We might consider it if you had Wi-Fi so we can take back the time that we lose during the ride.’”

Cleveland Area Rapid Transit has been providing free Wi-Fi for about two years, CART spokeswoman Vicky Holland said. The 15-bus, fixed-route system that services the University of Oklahoma and the rest of Norman connects to Embark.

“The biggest feedback we got was from the commuters to Oklahoma City,” she said. “We run four times a day to Oklahoma City; they run back and forth twice. So those people who are on the bus the most really appreciated the Wi-Fi. The 70 percent of our riders who are OU students or faculty said getting Wi-Fi was important to them also.”

Satellite and Wireless bid $89,000 to provide enough units for 59 buses and three years of service, the lowest price of four submissions. The company’s proposal also included the option to purchase up to 26 additional units with five years of licensing and support and three years of security. A rebate lowers the final cost by $4,400. The high bid in the group was $650,000 by AEM Group.

The project will be funded 80 percent by a federal Department of Transportation grant and 20 percent by the city budget. The deal will provide opportunities for revenue generation through online ads, Scroggins said. With the exception of agreement to typical terms of use, the system will be free to the public.

Sorry for being lazy if this has already been discussed.

That being said I just spent the weekend in Vail and surprisingly used their bus system to get around town. The bus system is synced to an app called NextBus. It was real time and it showed the busses in motion on a map and showed how long til they get to the stop and when the next one comes after that, ect. It was also at DIA for the trains.

Does OKC use an app like this? If not I hope they at least use it for the streetcar. It was very easy to use and very helpful.