I was under the impression that the buses had the GPS tracking hardware and they had SOME kind of software to track them, but that it wasn't released for public use yet? I may be misrecollecting...

NextBus is the same system that I believe EMBARK is using and will be used on the new streetcar system.

I have only been in OKC for a few years, and because of my work schedule, I have never been able to utilize the bus system here. Sometimes I would be able to get to work, but not home, or vice-versa. In a city this large, I couldnt believe when I learned that buses stopped running so early in the evening, or had no service on Sundays. I know recently there have been some improvements, but I still cant believe how far behind we are here in terms of our bus system. I know OKC has always been a car oriented city. Understandable. A lot of cities in the west and southwest are. Is our system here lacking so bad mainly because of budgets, costs? Low ridership? In the midwest where I am from ( WI and MN ) there are cities that have populations under 100,000 that have better coverage of bus routes, as well as hours that run from early morning ( 5am ) to well past midnight, and even a bit later on weekends. Frequency may be cut back on Sundays, but they still operate. Working for the hotel industry, I get asked all the time about transit options from out of towners, and they are quite unimpressed/amazed when I mention you pretty much need a taxi to get around here. It is actually kind of embarrassing. What I think we need to look at, is a map of the Valley Metro system ( Phoenix, AZ ). This is what we need to model our system after, since both PHX and OKC are set up somewhat the same as far as street grids. Again, some population density differences, but it could work. I am just talking about the bus part, not the light rail portion they have in PHX. Approx every mile is a major roadway, going north and south, as well as east and west. you have buses that only travel back and forth down all the major streets, from one end to the other, again, the north-south streets as well as the east-west streets. What you end up with is a way to transfer to a different route every mile, instead of having to travel all the way downtown to a transfer station. Our "hub and spoke" system here in OKC makes so many trips impractical that it is no wonder no one wants to, or is unable to take the bus. If I lived near, lets say, NW 23rd and Council, and wanted to get a bus to the Outlet Shoppes, I would have to ride the bus for an hour, go downtown, transfer, and ride the bus another hour to my destination, and then the same thing back. It is ridiculous. I included a pic of Valley Metro bus routes. It isn't the easiest to see, but you can clearly see the grid pattern of the bus routes. We could have a bus running the length of Penn, May, Portland, Meridian, MacArthur, etc across the city, as well as on east-west streets, Reno, NW 10th, NW 23rd, NW 39th, NW 50th etc.11536

Csjoe, it is basically an issue of historical underfunding, the Hub & Spoke design, sheer scale of the landmass that is OKC, and limited service hours system-wide.

It can only be rectified by forming the Regional Transit Authority. That is the only way to correct public transportation in this city, particularly bus, after 70 years of minimal investment.

And even then, it will be hard to justify service to the underpopulated parts of our city until density improves.

You can get involved though. Join the OKCstreetcar Facebook page and follow the progress. We might have a 2017 vote on many of these issues.

It seems as if we should restrict service to only the highest density neighborhoods with demographics indicating public transportation will be used. We don't have to serve every neighborhood.

It seems as if we should restrict service to only the highest density neighborhoods with demographics indicating public transportation will be used. We don't have to serve every neighborhood.

That's what we're already doing, and it's still a pretty deficient system.

... We don't have to serve every neighborhood.

Depends. Are there many folk in the dense neighborhoods that will use the system employed in positions located in the less dense, car centric neighborhoods?

Embark just tweeted that Tulsa's bus system was named the best small transit system in America. Ouch.

Seriously?

The full award name is "Best Small Transit System In America For Cities That Start With The Letter T" They beat out Tacoma and Toledo. In related news, Oklahoma City was just named "Best Transit System In America For Cities That Have Oklahoma In Their Name." Despite accolades like these, people continue to think we need to invest MORE in transportation. :wink:

Why won't Embark switch to a grid system? What is holding them back from making the change?

I stumbled on this article on Portland making the change back in 82 and how without it the MAX wouldn't be as successful.

Human Transit: portland: the grid is 30 years old ... thank a planner! (http://www.humantransit.org/2012/08/portland-the-grid-is-30-thank-a-planner.html)

There was a tweet about Houston recently making the change, covering more ground with zero cost increase. But it's not that they JUST went to a grid, they did some demographic analysis to make sure the parts of the grid that were covered were where people lived and worked, which is the kind of thing being looked at for the NW corridor BRT.

http://www.okc.gov/news/2015_10/OKC_Transit_Gets_Smarter.html


OKC Transit Gets Smarter

EMBARK Adds Wi-Fi to Buses and Launches Open Data Portal

(Oct. 15, 2015) – Now Oklahoma City transit customers can say Hi to Wi-Fi. EMBARK recently added free Wi-Fi on all buses, allowing users to check email, text and access the internet. Riders will also enjoy new mobile tools that make navigating the Oklahoma City transit system even easier. Through a partnership with Google Maps, transit users can now easily plan their journey and know exactly when the bus is coming in real-time – all from their mobile device.

“This new technology will make it easier for customers to use the system on the go,” said Jason Ferbrache, EMBARK Administrator. “The improvements are part of EMBARK’s commitment to make transit the best transportation choice for our community and visitors alike. With the addition of free Wi-Fi and the availability of real-time information through mobile apps like Google Maps and Moovit, it’s more attractive than ever to board the bus, relax, surf the web, text your friends and leave the hassle of driving to us.”

Google Maps allows riders to easily plan their journey by entering a destination to view the quickest route options and real time departure schedules. Users can also plan future trips by adjusting the departure and arrival times or clicking on the stop nearest to them to know when the next bus will arrive.

"We are pleased to welcome EMBARK to Google Maps. This partnership shows EMBARK’s commitment to Open Data and best serving and attracting riders who depend on technology for their everyday needs,” said Matt Wong, Strategic Partner Manager at Google. “Together we can provide useful and accurate information to help people quickly get to where they want to go.”

This is the first time Open Data has been available for Oklahoma City transit information. Static and real- time transit information is now available to developers and the community through EMBARK’s developer portal found on embarkok.com. By making EMBARK’s real-time data publicly available, third-party developers such as Google Maps, Moovit, and others are able to enhance and broaden the range of useful tools for Central Oklahoma’s public transit commuters.

Over the course of the next 12 months, customer information panels will be added to EMBARK bus stops, detailing how to check the real-time status of their bus via SMS or text. Users may simply text “EMBARK” followed by the three-digit route number and stop number separated with a space. Route and stop numbers can be found at each stop and at EMBARK - Forward Together (http://www.embarkok.com).

No wi-fi at the transit center though, when I asked on twitter. Just FYI.

Awesome, they're doing something other cities did 10 years ago, yep, that's about the right timeline... At least they're actually doing it.

Honestly, I would rather be able to get to my destination in 30 minutes as opposed to 1 hr 15, instead of enabling wifi on every bus.

That really is the biggest limiter for me using the system. I can get to work in 15 minutes by personal vehicle or 1hr and 15 by bus. I know you have to allow more time with a bus system by that is ridiculous. The system needs to be completely overhauled like Houston did for no extra money. Embark said the reason they haven't done that is because of money. Maybe they don't know Houston didn't pay anything.

Honestly, I would rather be able to get to my destination in 30 minutes as opposed to 1 hr 15, instead of enabling wifi on every bus.

That really is the biggest limiter for me using the system. I can get to work in 15 minutes by personal vehicle or 1hr and 15 by bus. I know you have to allow more time with a bus system by that is ridiculous. The system needs to be completely overhauled like Houston did for no extra money. Embark said the reason they haven't done that is because of money. Maybe they don't know Houston didn't pay anything.

The bottom line is we need more transit funding. We need significant, permanent funding.

I think that if they are just going to funnel the additional they do receive into a system that isn't working (like they've recently done), instead of overhauling it, then they shouldn't receive more.

It's great that they started two nights routes, but those are pretty much the same routes that they have during the day with some alterations. And they still don't function very well.

http://kfor.com/2016/06/14/embark-link-proposing-cutting-routes-due-to-budget-cuts/

I'm a little confused on what the Link service is that is being cut. It looks like you can reserve pickup at your home? So, basically a cab type service?

they are cutting the night routes.

Not the night routes we think of (e.g. 23N, 11N, etc), it's those shuttle bus looking things that are for more specialized service that aren't even labeled since they are run by an external operator. You see them sitting at the bus station at night waiting to be dispatched.

They have a similar service in Denver. Not sure how to be eligible to use it, or how the fares work...

I think you call a number and they dispatch a driver to pick you up directly.

Embark to get strategic help

By: Dale Denwalt The Journal Record August 29, 2016

OKLAHOMA CITY – Metro officials will get help from a national nonprofit to plan land use near transit stops.

Smart Growth America picked Oklahoma City’s public transportation agency, Embark, as one of nine entities to receive technical assistance. Experts will visit Oklahoma City to help plan and manage transit projects using zoning, land use, low-cost housing and commercial development.

Some of those experts will meet with the public Tuesday in northwest Oklahoma City.

Embark has said there are places in the city that could be explored in the project, linking transit stops with mixed-use or other kinds of development that could encourage more use of the transit service.

A press release from the agency identified examples like 23rd and Classen Boulevard, Pennsylvania Avenue and NW 50th, and two other stops along Northwest Expressway.

Cathy O’Connor, president of the Alliance for Economic Development, said those areas have tremendous potential.

“One of the things that is challenging is we don’t have a lot of very dense development,” O’Connor said. “Even though in an area like Northwest 23rd and Classen, there’s development there but it’s not very dense.”

She said there are different ways planners might direct development.

“There’s the carrot and the stick,” O’Connor said. “Sometimes through the city’s development guidelines they can encourage a certain development. Then other times, we can proactively seek out developers for certain kinds of development.”

The meeting Tuesday will be at 6:30 p.m. on the third floor of 50 Penn Place.

Embark spokesman Michael Scroggins said the planning will focus on both future and existing stops.

“What it’s really aiming to do is further develop a corridor,” Scroggins said.

In the future, Embark could operate a transit service that looks like a bus but operates like a rail car with fewer stops and, possibly, dedicated lanes.

“Maybe there’s a pharmacy” at the stop, Scroggins said. “It could be that there’s an eatery nearby or a small grocer. Those things are all built and planned with transit at the forefront.”

OKC to add more CNG buses to Embark fleet

By: Sarah Terry-Cobo The Journal Record December 15, 2016

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City’s transit agency will soon offer smoother, cleaner rides to passengers. Embark received a $2 million federal grant to purchase six new compressed-natural-gas-fueled buses. The money helps the agency upgrade more of its fleet faster than it would be able to do otherwise, said director Jason Ferbrache.

CNG vehicles help provide more price stability and improve air quality, he said.

“The goal is that we’re all living in a healthier community,” Ferbrache said.

The Federal Transit Administration recommends public fleets replace municipal buses every 12 years. Ferbrache said 18 Embark buses, or about 20 percent of the fleet, are past their useful life. The agency has eight CNG buses in its fleet, six of which were added in the fall.

Eric Pollard, Central Oklahoma Clean Cities coordinator with the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, said Embark is among state transit agencies moving to cleaner-burning, alternative-fueled vehicles in fleets.

Driver and bus operations employee Ashley Goodrich said CNG-fueled buses are quieter and smoother than the diesel-fueled counterparts. The engine isn’t as noisy, so it’s easier to hear passengers. That’s important because it helps her be able to communicate with a rider who may need directions, or those who may be hard of hearing. It also helps drivers more easily detect potential disturbances.

The CNG buses are lower to the ground and drive differently. But the ride is smoother and safer, she said.

“Some of the diesel buses are 15 years old, so if you hit just the right pothole, it could make a difference in how your bus drives,” Goodrich said. “It could knock out your air conditioning or something else.”

CNG-fueled buses put off less harmful exhaust, too.

Diesel tailpipe pollution can contribute to smog and contains cancer-causing chemicals, according to a 2007 study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. Exposure to those fumes can destroy lung tissue and damage DNA, and has been linked to low birth weight and high blood pressure, among other health problems.

Pollard said there are clear public health benefits from moving away from older diesel vehicles. He works with a local coalition of government and private stakeholders that are transitioning fleets to alternative-fuel vehicles. The Clean Cities program is a nationwide initiative backed by the U.S. Department of Energy, with the goal of working toward reducing air pollution and improving fuel efficiency.

Pollard said Embark’s directors have demonstrated leadership for years to improve air quality by increasing ridership and adding more alternative-fueled vehicles.

Ferbrache said the six new CNG buses are custom-designed and should be delivered by 2018. Adding more CNG vehicles to the fleet provides more fuel price stability, because diesel prices historically are more volatile.

“That makes it easier to create a budget and allocate resources,” he said.

Michael Scroggins, Embark spokesman, said the Federal Transit Administration changed its funding formula for its bus replacement grant program. The federal agency still provides money, but applicants must compete and show need. Embark competed against 236 applicants in 47 states.

We were advocating for this years ago. Glad it came to fruition. Note these ideas are proposed in detail in the "About" section- www.mtpokc.com

Some good news here: expanded routes and expanded nighttime service. Will also add Sunday service soon.

http://m.newsok.com/article/5586547?fb_comment_id=1938972749510104_19405714860 16897&comment_id=1940571486016897#f34c031460095e4

So fantastic

It's not a done deal yet but at least Embark is pushing for it in next year's budget. So glad to hear this!

I would love to see EMBARK normal TRANSIT service be as follows:

Local City bus (to-from downtown and crosstowns)
*M-F 4:30am-11:30pm
*Sat 6am-11:30pm
*Sun 8am-8pm
*OWL Bus M-Th 11:30pm-1am, F-Sat 11:30-3am, Sun 8pm-12mid

Commuter Bus/Rail routes should run: M-F 6am-8:30am, 11am-1pm, and 4pm-7pm rush hours, Sat 10am-8pm, and for few hours prior-during-after events (example, Seattle used to have Seahawks commuter bus to the suburbs back before SoundTransit; in addition to regular local bus in the city). Frequencies depends upon the suburb/transit needs to downtown and/or destination.

- DOWNTOWN TO EDMOND (to be replaced with Commuter Rail)
- DOWNTOWN TO GUTHRIE VIA EDMOND
- DOWNTOWN TO MIDWEST CITY VIA DEL CITY (to be replaced with Rapid Streetcar and BRT)
- DOWNTOWN TO SHAWNEE VIA CHOCTAW
- DOWNTOWN TO NORMAN VIA CROSSROADS (to be replaced by Commuter Rail)
- DOWNTOWN TO MUSTANG VIA WRWA
- DOWNTOWN TO EL RENO VIA YUKON

EXPRESS ROUTES (LIMITED STOPS)
- DOWNTOWN TO TINKER
- DOWNTOWN TO OU CAMPUS VIA NORMAN
- DOWNTOWN TO MOORE
- DOWNTOWN TO EDMOND

Streetcar should run:
*M-F 6am-10pm
*Sat 9am-10pm
*Sun noon-8pm

and up to an hour before and after major events/conventions downtown.

Local bus frequencies:
# M-F: 4:30-6:00 every 0:45, 6:00-8:30 *MAX, 8:30-10:30 every hour, 10:30-1:30p every 0:30, 1:30p-3:30p every hour, 3:30p-5:00p every 0:30, 5:00p-7:00p *MAX, 7:00p-8:00p every 0:30, 8:00p-11:00p every hour, and 11:30 last from downtown.
# M-TH OWL: every hour, and 1:00 last from downtown
# F OWL: every hour, 3:00am last from downtown
# Sat: 6:00-11:00 every hour, 11:00-2:00p every 0:45, 2:00p-5:00p every hour, 5:00p-6:30p every 0:30, 6:30p-11:30p every hour
# Sun: 8:00-11:00 every 1.5 hour, 11:00-5:00p every hour, 5:00p-6:00p every 0:30, 6:00p-8:00p every hour
# Sun OWL: 8:00p-11:00p every 1.5 hour, 12 mid last from downtown

*MAX - maximum available frequency based on rush hour crush loads (this will vary as the downtown amenity and city/metro population and transit use grows)

Nice in depth take. Mine is a bit more simple and some low priority lines would have exceptions but my preferred hours would mostly be 24 hour service and with rail and heavy or light rail would need to be quad tracked like in NYC in order to provide 24/7 service or it would have to shut down for a few hours during certain weekdays with low ridership. I think that is the best transit system to have so its closer to a personal car being that it is always available with less restrictions.

That however isn’t happening anytime soon(LA still hasn’t done that with a few exceptions and Gold Line is 24/7 now but as I mentioned I know NYC heavy rail is double tracked which makes 24/7 service easy to perform repairs no heavy rail in LA is quad tracked) but I would advocate for most of not all lines to operate on the same schedule with a few exceptions. I’d have bus and rail(that’s street car, light and heavy rail) operating M-T 4am to 2:30am and F-S 4:30am to 3am. Some high priority bus lines such as BRT would operate 24/7.

I’m not familiar with OKC bus routes so again I’ll overly simplify it. Peak hours I’d have some buses running as high as every 5 minutes and low every 30. Off peak they’d run as high as 10 mins to every hour. BRT would be every 3 minutes during peak and 10 minutes off peak. Light and heavy rail would be every 5-7 minutes during peak and 10 -15 minutes off peak.

For commuter rail it’s hard to tell but I’d run service from 4am to 2am all week with weekdays having 2-4 trains per hour during peak hours(number of trains would vary based on how many people end up using it once it’s open but I’d start it out at 3 trains per hour) and off peak hours during the day I’d run 1-2 trains per hour. After 10pm I’d have 1 train per hour. Weekends would have 2 trains per hour during the day and 1 train per hour after 10pm. If ridership is high than maybe have a smaller express train around 1-2am during Friday’s, Saturday’s, and Sunday’s from 1am-2am. Though OKC doesn’t really have a nice Sunday nightlife scene, that could change. The number trains per hour would largely depend on ridership but I do think it will play a role on how many users it ultimately gets so hopefully they start out with a high number even if projected ridership is low. Transit isn’t there to make money.

As much as I am happy that you are looking at transit options, we don't need 24/7 heavy rail. The car is simply too easy to use here outside of peak traffic congestion times. Commuter rail with heavy frequency during peak commutes while evenly spread service throughout the day would work perfect for a city our size for the considerable future.

Essentially need 4x hourly service from 6am to 8am from Edmond and Norman to OKC, with 1-2x hourly the rest of the day until 4pm, where it should switch back to 4x hourly until about 6pm, where it can resume hourly service until 10pm.

Even then, that would be a likely stretch on what we can afford and BNSF would allow us to run on their tracks.

I wonder if BNSF would be interested in operating the commuter line itself? I know they operate certain commuter rail lines in other cities.

that's why in my transit idea, I have commuter rail separate from local with CR/bus having much less frequencies with higher capacity. I also include some Express bus options (high capacity, single site) to downtown which has not been discussed.

I find it particularly ridiculous that there are little to no available transit options between OU and downtown OKC. I mean, students from the major university can't get to the major city's downtown on transit (unless it's during rush hour, and even then it's only two buses).??? Ridiculous.

In my idea, I have OU-Downtown OKC Express bus throughout the day depending upon demand. This could also be useful for students/faculty going between OU-Norman and OU-OKC campuses - horrible that the transit company doesn't offer this; I suspect OKC is the only major city in the nation with a major university in its metro that isn't easily connected to its downtown. ...

It's not a done deal yet but at least Embark is pushing for it in next year's budget. So glad to hear this!

And that is now a done deal. Expected to start in January.

Sunday bus service starts THIS Sunday (tomorrow, the 27th). Who gonna ride?

I'm planning to...

Was noticing there are two bus threads but it's the other one that's getting more updates. Recommend locking this one. Here's the link to the other...

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=42263

This is a great step in the right direction. I hate to be a half glass empty kind of guy, but it’s kinda off putting that OKC is only now getting Sunday bus service. Glad to see this step anyways.

Embark will take over CART(Cleveland County Bus Services):


NORMAN, Okla. – City leaders in Norman have approved a contract with EMBARK to operate the city’s recently acquired public transit system.

“Great cities provide quality public transit options for their residents. While this change was unexpected, we were successful in maintaining service throughout the transition,” said Mayor Breea Clark. “I look forward to working with my Council colleagues and Norman residents on improving the current service and creating a public transit system that better serves our community’s needs going forward.”

EMBARK will take over the operation of fixed-route service from CART beginning on Aug. 3.

Officials say CART will continue to operate paratransit service until Oct. 1., which is when EMBARK will assume that responsibility.

Throughout the August 5 – October 31 transition, fares will not be collected on either fixed-route or paratransit service.

“Our top priority throughout this transition process has been to ensure that Norman residents who depend on the bus system would not see a change to their level of service,” said Public Works Director Shawn O’Leary. “We are pleased that we’ve been able to work out an agreement with the cooperation of CART and EMBARK to achieve that goal with no gaps in service.”

- https://kfor.com/2019/07/30/embark-to-take-over-public-transit-service-in-norman-from-cart/

That's a pretty big step!!

One step closer to GOCART...

Greater Oklahoma City Area Regional Transit.

Definitely feels like a good development for the eventual growth of EMBARK into the regional transportation system.

I rode the bus today. Had some work done on the car, bus line right there and I live not far from the downtown bus station. Wasn't bad, everyone was masked, drivers polite, I used the Token app for my fares. Granted, I wasn't in a hurry, nice weather out, but it was fairly easy to do. I could have taken an Uber, but I wanted to try this.

Good for you! Glad you tried it!

^^ Thanks. Growing up in Philly (like you) I was raised taking public transportation, I've no qualms. Really never had a reason to here until now, and it was available.

Yep, took two buses and a train to get to school my last couple years of high school in Philly, so I get it.

Embark unveiled their first electric bus:

https://twitter.com/oklahomatransit/status/1385309931491020800?s=21

very nice. hopefully we got more than just one. ...

As much as I like the idea of Embark getting electric buses, I would rather see them go in the direction of creating an intrastate high speed rail line or subway, namely a line running from Norman to Stillwater (North to South), and from Chocktaw to Yukon (East to West), with OKC being a centralized hub, And then have the same system running from Collinsville to Bixby (North to South), and Fair Oaks to Sand Springs (East to West) with Tulsa being a hub. Then connect the two hubs with a high speed rail to cut the travel time from an hour and a half to 45 minutes or less.

The problem is that there's too little options getting from one place to the other. Broadening the transportation system would allow for not only those other cities in between the named extremities to link up better and provide an ease of transport, freeing some traffic up between stops and encouraging better pedestrian accommodations of the cities involved. It would also promote job growth and population increase due to the ease of access between towns. Having buses through the state will help, but it won't completely solve the issue of travel time and traffic. A rail line is less likely to have interruption aside from snow and frost issues, which hinders road traffic anyways. Might as well have more than just the option of driving everywhere.

Awesome forward thinking ideas...need to be aggressive in securing infrastructure funding!

As much as I like the idea of Embark getting electric buses, I would rather see them go in the direction of creating an intrastate high speed rail line or subway, namely a line running from Norman to Stillwater (North to South), and from Chocktaw to Yukon (East to West), with OKC being a centralized hub, And then have the same system running from Collinsville to Bixby (North to South), and Fair Oaks to Sand Springs (East to West) with Tulsa being a hub. Then connect the two hubs with a high speed rail to cut the travel time from an hour and a half to 45 minutes or less.

The problem is that there's too little options getting from one place to the other. Broadening the transportation system would allow for not only those other cities in between the named extremities to link up better and provide an ease of transport, freeing some traffic up between stops and encouraging better pedestrian accommodations of the cities involved. It would also promote job growth and population increase due to the ease of access between towns. Having buses through the state will help, but it won't completely solve the issue of travel time and traffic. A rail line is less likely to have interruption aside from snow and frost issues, which hinders road traffic anyways. Might as well have more than just the option of driving everywhere.

Just don't see where the ridership is coming from for all of this. I'd love to see it, and if we can secure Fed funds to make it happen, then hopefully a build it and they will come type situation.

If we're footing the bill - the route just needs more beating hearts per square mile to justify it.

Also, not sure how getting some electric buses is really going to impact the economics here. Electric buses are hundreds of thousands of dollars discussions and a system like this is hundreds of millions of dollars discussions. I'd guess the price tag would get close to $10B.

FYI as of this weekend the 18 is now 30 min headways on weekdays and now has weekend service. It was one of the last routes without 30 minute headways.

As someone that has had to take this route to get to two different medical places (that are in locations I'm not super comfortable riding my bike to, and generally I've been willing to ride just about anywhere), this will be helpful. The first time I took it I didn't realize it was only hourly and I got stuck somewhere (inadvertently took the last bus) and had to Uber back. New headway will be helpful. Also I recently tried to donate blood at the Lincoln center but there was no weekend bus route so I rode my bike but then couldn't lock up anywhere (no racks nearby and not even a good fence or pole to use) and they wouldn't let me bring my bike inside, so I just left. In the future I'll be able to use this Rt 18 option. (Rt 10 goes to the 50/Portland blood center but is more of a commitment on a weekend whereas the Lincoln site is just a mile away).

A grid plan is being floated in an Embark survey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OKCMovesScenarios

17154

Wow that looks really cool!

I think it is a good start. But a true grid system would be just that, going up and down, back and forth on the major streets; people would transfer downtown or at a cross grid if they need to go to a different part of the city. This is still focused on a few destinations, missing lots of people in the process. I think they should be grid routes + routes going to destinations from downtown - that would be a comprehensive bus system.

I do like that they are showing an Airport Express route for travelers FINALLY!!! Now just also need a local 24/7 Airport route with lots of stops along the way for people working there and an option for travelers when the Airport Express isn't running. Also need service not just until midnight on weekdays but past midnight OWL routes M-Sat, and midnight on Sunday.

Bigger link the the route image, assuming there isn't a referrer error for people not currently looking at the survey: https://surveymonkey-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/survey/311739195/262d6f7a-2745-4ae1-a9c6-82391e48b6cd.png

They really should add a new NE route hitting up the apartments at 122nd and Broadway extension, the social security office, the apartments at memorial and boulevard, and connecting the Tulsa to OKC commuter lot at I-35. All of that could be served by one route.

There's currently a route that goes to SSN, it's just not a daily/regular route, which is annoying

Yeah it really needs to be a daily route. The social security office ideally should have been built downtown anyways but that’s another conversation for another day. There’s a few clusters of apartment complexes in the area that could benefit from a new route too. Connect it to downtown running busses straight down Penn. Nichols Hills folks might be exposed to the busses but oh well.

Also, did they change the routing of NWE BRT? I thought the proposed route went straight over SH-74 but now it is snaking around Baptist Hospital and meandering rather than continuing straight down NWE.

Technically that "alternative" around baptist was one of several presented at the various public meetings

The Village City Council puts the brakes on the Embark public transit proposal
https://okcfriday.com/city-puts-the-brakes-on-embark-proposal-p17170-92.htm