We'll, that would certainly force the residents of OKC to learn how to use them lolol!!!

Hey, I ain’t no psychologist but sometimes exposure therapy is the best way for folks to work past their anxieties, lol.

If it hasn’t already it will be.

Unfortunately, IMHO, yes it is becoming less and less of a controlled access facility. In my OKC plans it would be a full freeway from I-44 to Denver. Traffic would disperse and then depending on routing a southeast connection would carry the the same interstate designation to Texarkana to connect with I-20 and I-49.

Realizing of course this will likely not happen(at least the OKC portion) it would be nice to see some intersections converted to interchanges. Better for all modes of transit. Hell, I wouldn’t mind tolling the overpasses for cars to fund free BRT.

DEN to OKC lnterstate YES!

NW Hiway tolls? No! NO! and HE** NO! (totally kidding PluPan! :) )

Yeah, I saw one stuck behind a bunch of people at the NWX/Classen interchange lol. I really wanted to stop and see how long it took for that turn. I'll get to see it regularly though as I hit that intersection between 15 and 30 times per week.

When the signal priority is fully implemented, the new pedestrian signal at 42nd St will turn red to allow the bus to make an easy right-to-left lane slide across NB Classen. Then the left turn signal at Classen/Expressway will turn green to allow the bus to go straight through as it approaches. We should see the testing of that implementation over the next four weeks.

Five more days! Noticed they also installed new sidewalks on Classen in the Asian district just north of NW 23rd as part of this project, which is great to see.

While it is somewhat over the top for a bus line, I will admit they're really pulling out all the stops for marketing (at least for those who follow the BRT social media pages): https://www.facebook.com/RapidBRT/videos/1375415656378497

Five more days! Noticed they also installed new sidewalks on Classen in the Asian district just north of NW 23rd as part of this project, which is great to see.

While it is somewhat over the top for a bus line, I will admit they're really pulling out all the stops for marketing (at least for those who follow the BRT social media pages): https://www.facebook.com/RapidBRT/videos/1375415656378497

Yes! I'm pretty pumped for this. I will be a regular user. I saw the bus effortlessly jump the red light using the right-turn only/bus only lane at Penn/Expressway yesterday.

The Hefner lake bus stop off Meridian where they installed the new stop signs already has massive potholes caused by the buses using the turnarounds. Those roads are so weak and they are constantly patching them. Let’s just redo them already.

The Hefner lake bus stop off Meridian where they installed the new stop signs already has massive potholes caused by the buses using the turnarounds. Those roads are so weak and they are constantly patching them. Let’s just redo them already.
Probably will need to use concrete.

They did just redo a lot of right lanes on Classen, so that might be in the works.

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/mysocialpinpoint/uploads/redactor_assets/pictures/c4010d4786a159d66c7379c5544e6a4131b13ffd0bfdeac3c2 ac8d48e38560c4/72705/MAPS4_LandingPage-HOME.png

MAPS for BRT Alternatives - Bus Rapid Transit growth. If you would like to take the BRT survey, please clink on the link below: V V V V

https://engagekh.com/maps-4-brt-alternatives-analysis/home?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

.

It blows my mind that we have no bus connection to the airport and that's not even under consideration here. How do we not at least have a bus/shuttle between the airport and downtown?

It blows my mind that we have no bus connection to the airport and that's not even under consideration here. How do we not at least have a bus/shuttle between the airport and downtown?
https://www.rtaok.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/230816_PR_RTABoardUpdate.pdf It’s okay

https://www.rtaok.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/230816_PR_RTABoardUpdate.pdf It’s okay

"equity" considerations to plan transit .. what a joke

"equity" considerations to plan transit .. what a joke

Providing public transit to lower economic groups is kinda one of the primary purposes of public transit. Its not gender equity or preferred pronouns.

Got to ride the new BRT today. It's certainly a bus. The seating is extremely brown and the ride is smoother/quitter than the diesel buses. Going from the Transit Center to Penn/Expressway took only a couple minutes slower than driving, so the priority signaling is working I guess? I can't explicitly tell yes or no, maybe during peak traffic.

If the city doesn't gut the frequency I could find myself using BRT often, at least for the weekly grocery run.

was the bus full of passengers? did you ride it round trip?

Got to ride the new BRT today. It's certainly a bus. The seating is extremely brown and the ride is smoother/quitter than the diesel buses. Going from the Transit Center to Penn/Expressway took only a couple minutes slower than driving, so the priority signaling is working I guess? I can't explicitly tell yes or no, maybe during peak traffic.

If the city doesn't gut the frequency I could find myself using BRT often, at least for the weekly grocery run.

Thanks for the review.

I'm going to ride it sometime this week just to get a feel for it.

was the bus full of passengers? did you ride it round trip?

Used it a couple times so far, there's definitely less people per bus than your average route - but unsure what to make of that since there's so many of these buses out during their 12min interval windows. For comparison sake, the BRT certainly feels more crowded than the streetcar outside of events and conferences. I'm no route planner but there's definitely some room for improvements. The outbound Penn/Expressway stop has you perched with no easy way to go to the nearby mall, the sidewalk just leads to the intersection, no ramp or stairway down the pretty steep drop-off onto the road next to Mall's parking lot, no pedestrian right of way in sight either.

Having a stop right next to a grocery is really nice, I was planning up a whole trip this week until I realize I was out of something. Just went spur of the moment, got what i needed and got back in under half an hour. Despite living downtown and without a car I rarely use the bus, but BRT feels like that will change, as long as the bus frequency remains where it currently is. The 12 minute interval frequency also stops after 7pm, which feels a smidge too soon, and intervals slow down to half an hour between buses. Apparently regular night buses are operating at hour long intervals though, so any change is good change, just not what I'd call "rapid".

Here’s a hint, get rid of the ridiculous jig jigged route around Baptist and keep it straight along NWE. Bonus points if they can build a pedestrian bridge for NW bound riders. That would also allow eliminating at grade crosswalks entirely along NWE for better traffic flow.

I so do not understand why OKC has these jig jigging at the end of routes, seems so small time. Why not just run a route to Baptist or better yet, let pax cross the street. It can be done without the bus operating like a school bus. Sad to see that also included in the brt. Shocked they didn’t have it turn to ocu or the plaza before continuing down classen. Should have an extension all the way to Surry Hills “PnR” but hopefully that is in the cards.

Working at Baptist, I would love the PnR from surrey hills!

Coming home last night, getting off of I-44 @ NWX/Classen (Belle Isle) and seeing the stops on either side of the street lit up at midnight was one of the more bizarre experiences as a lifelong OKC citizen who has also traveled. It made OKC feel like it has doubled in size from even 5 years ago.

Got to ride the new BRT today. It's certainly a bus. The seating is extremely brown and the ride is smoother/quitter than the diesel buses. Going from the Transit Center to Penn/Expressway took only a couple minutes slower than driving, so the priority signaling is working I guess? I can't explicitly tell yes or no, maybe during peak traffic.

If the city doesn't gut the frequency I could find myself using BRT often, at least for the weekly grocery run.

The rapid transit buses have a different look than the normal buses. Are the lights inside the bus blue or are the windows blue?

The rapid transit buses have a different look than the normal buses. Are the lights inside the bus blue or are the windows blue?

Blue lighting

Also has overhead USB ports above the seats

Kind of surprised the downtown route had a stop near Broadway and main

From there it goes to the main transit terminal

So if I need to get to the more downtown than the bus terminal it's actually a good idea

They should just turn every major intersection on NW Exwy into large roundabouts. Same for 39th, Classen, Shields to 44th, and Lincoln through the OU Medical District.

my god I'd love this, the intersections are why I literally do absolutely everything I can to avoid using it completely.

They should just turn every major intersection on NW Exwy into large roundabouts. Same for 39th, Classen, Shields to 44th, and Lincoln through the OU Medical District.
Yes, especially Lincoln by OU Health!

my god I'd love this, the intersections are why I literally do absolutely everything I can to avoid using it completely.

Classen at NW Expressway used to be a traffic circle... not sure when it was torn out, but the dream isn't too far from reality.

I've been taking advantage of the free fares on BRT this month and let me say...I LOVE IT. I've treid off and on to take the bus to work downtown from the near northside (I live off Classen) and it is always a pain. Irregular bus schedules and then it drops me at the Transit Center where I still have to walk 5 blocks to my office. Easier just to drive.

But the predictable and frequent BRT buses make it so nice. I roll over to the BRT stop whenever I feel like it and at most I have to wait 15 minutes, usually less. I could make this a lot more predictible for myself if I used the app to track the buses but I am too lazy for that. The buses are clean and comfy and they make two additional downtown stops past the Transit Center, one of which is only a block from my office.

I am a fan.

I've been taking advantage of the free fares on BRT this month and let me say...I LOVE IT. I've treid off and on to take the bus to work downtown from the near northside (I live off Classen) and it is always a pain. Irregular bus schedules and then it drops me at the Transit Center where I still have to walk 5 blocks to my office. Easier just to drive.

But the predictable and frequent BRT buses make it so nice. I roll over to the BRT stop whenever I feel like it and at most I have to wait 15 minutes, usually less. I could make this a lot more predictible for myself if I used the app to track the buses but I am too lazy for that. The buses are clean and comfy and they make two additional downtown stops past the Transit Center, one of which is only a block from my office.

I am a fan.

God I'm so jealous.

If the Paycom office were downtown, I would probably sell a car (or at least drastically reduce my cost of owning 2 for my 2 adult+1 child family)

Took it for the first time this afternoon from 36th to Midtown - I liked it!

Any ridership numbers? Anytime I see a bus there only a few passengers, even at rush hour.

Busses aren't meant to be full every time they're on the road. Is your car full every time you drive?

I’m not sure if there’s any statistics but I recall Embark saying not long ago that it was their best performing route.

I've seen a bunch of people waiting at the stops -- more than I've ever seen at a regular bus stop.

Average ridership of 1,000 - 1,200 per day according to this (https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/inside-okc/rapid-success-okc-s-first-bus-rapid-transit-system-exceeds-expectations/) VeloCity article.

Average ridership of 1,000 - 1,200 per day according to this (https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/inside-okc/rapid-success-okc-s-first-bus-rapid-transit-system-exceeds-expectations/) VeloCity article.

Good deal. Hopefully the other two future routes will be successful as well.

Average ridership of 1,000 - 1,200 per day according to this (https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/inside-okc/rapid-success-okc-s-first-bus-rapid-transit-system-exceeds-expectations/) VeloCity article.

I wonder if this number shows no loss in traditional routes or is at the expense of those routes.

I wonder if this number shows no loss in traditional routes or is at the expense of those routes.

I'd have to think that the 005 has been affected. Anyone travelling between Downtown and Classen/NWX would surely take the 200 (Rapid) instead of the 005.

I wonder if the 005 would be the first place you could try out a transfer. Have the 005 go down from the stops at 42nd or the stops in front of Valliance Tower up to Mercy. If you need to go from Mercy to downtown you just transfer from the 005 to the 200 or vice versa. If that is piloted and proves to be successful, I think we could begin finding ways to make our transit system more effective. This could also great hep us understand the value and needs of the next routes and how they need to be strategically mapped to encompass multiple routes.

Busses aren't meant to be full every time they're on the road. Is your car full every time you drive?

People have the same take on the streetcar being a "failure" because they don't see it full of people. ..

Providing public transit to lower economic groups is kinda one of the primary purposes of public transit. Its not gender equity or preferred pronouns.
Here we go with the political crap again.

Providing public transit to lower economic groups is kinda one of the primary purposes of public transit. Its not gender equity or preferred pronouns.

So what about the thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and ........ of "upper" economic groups that ride public transit in NYC, Chicago, Seattle, SF, etc.? Where do they fit into your absurd reasoning? :rolleyes:

So what about the thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and ........ of "upper" economic groups that ride public transit in NYC, Chicago, Seattle, SF, etc.? Where do they fit into your absurd reasoning? :rolleyes:

I don’t think mug was implying public transit is only for lower economic classes. It goes without saying, anyone that takes public transit comes into the equation of how to best operate. You know this but for many in the lower economic classes, public transit might be the most viable or even only option, whereas many in higher economic categories can afford other methods without having the same level of financial burden but prefer the convenience public transportation offers in large cities. Acknowledging that it’s a benefit or necessity for one economic class more than another doesn’t disqualify the importance of any other group, nor does it qualify it as a method only for that most important group.

People have the same take on the streetcar being a "failure" because they don't see it full of people. ..

The streetcar is a failure because it's so slow between the route/frequency it's often just as fast to walk between where you would otherwise be riding it

Here we go with the political crap again.

Oh, stuff it Rover. My statement is one of experience using public transit for over 20 years and common sense. Outside the very largest metro areas where they have outstanding public transit, find a public transit system where ridership is dominated by middle and upper class (except, possibly, Seattle where the geography and demographics might skew the numbers).

I am also backed by the report Commuting by Public Transportation: 2019 that states ....... transit commuters tended to earn less than other workers. Outside of the seven transit-heavy metros, 44.4 percent of public transportation commuters earned less than $25,000 annually, compared to 31.3 percent of all other commuters.

So what about the thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and ........ of "upper" economic groups that ride public transit in NYC, Chicago, Seattle, SF, etc.? Where do they fit into your absurd reasoning? :rolleyes:

See my reply, above. I don't think OKC falls under the same urban classification as any of your examples so please show proof of where the study l cite and l am wrong.

The streetcar is a failure because it's so slow between the route/frequency it's often just as fast to walk between where you would otherwise be riding it

I keep seeing this and wonder, how fast do y'all walk?? I'm an avid walker and walk all the time from Midtown to Downtown and back, and sometimes Midtown to Bricktown and back, with the streetcar beating me.

I keep seeing this and wonder, how fast do y'all walk?? I'm an avid walker and walk all the time from Midtown to Downtown and back, and sometimes Midtown to Bricktown and back, with the streetcar beating me.

Depends on where you are going obviously and how close you are to a stop. I lived at the Park Harvey for about 10 years which is between 2 stops and would generally go to Midtown or Bricktown.

Let's say I'm going to Fassler. It's a 3 minute walk to the library stop, 11 minutes on the streetcar and another 3 minute walk from the N Hudson stop so 15 minutes total. Walking there directly is 0.8 mi so 15-20 minutes. Keep in mind the streetcar being 15 minutes total is only if I get to the stop right as the streetcar is arriving. In this scenario it's not even worth trying to time it and just walk there directly which would take the same amount of time. If I can find a scooter nearby it's obviously going to be way faster. On the way back it makes more sense because there's a stop right outside Fassler and it's a straight shot to the Leadership station so would actually be worth taking in that scenario.

Going to Bricktown is similar. Going to Yucatan. 3 minute walk to Leadership station, 4 minutes on the streetcar to Mickey Mantle stop, 4 minute walk to Yucatan so 11 minutes. Walking there directly 0.6 mi so closer to 15 minutes. Again, unless I time it perfectly not even worth the difference. On the way back it's even worse because you have to loop south on the streetcar towards Scissortail and come back north on Hudson. Best case scenario is about 16 minutes total. Again might as well just walk.

The real killer is the frequency and the route potentially looping out of your way depending on where you are or needing to go. I would say in your scenario Midtown to Bricktown is far enough you are probably better off taking it. Anything around a mile or less walking is about the same or faster. If there was more frequency and the streetcar didn't have to stop at lights even with the current route it would be more competitive.

^Thanks for the response! I live 5 blocks north of the 11th & Hudson stop and, as you said, is best in my scenario to utilize the streetcar. I have taken it to every Thunder game I've been to this season, take it to see a movie in Bricktown, take it to meet friends, other events, etc. In other words, when I'm not walking for exercise, I rarely drive myself to downtown and Bricktown nowadays, and I highly value the streetcar for that.

Do they have plans to expand the current route into Bricktown, etc?

^^^^^^^
The Broadway and Main stop is one block from Bricktown. In a couple of locations a BRT stop is literally across the street from a streetcar stop. The point of this route is to be as direct and frequent as possible, and to link this route to facilities such as the transfer center and the street car. To be clear I am saying this as a Bricktown stakeholder: adding additional zones and stops to this route would defeat the purpose of it.

Agreed. there are varios transit modes that need to be considered rather than expecting every route to be like a local bus with stops everywhere.

I will admit, the NW BRT does appear to be operating like a Bus Rapid Transit than just the bus system that OKC should be having as I was expecting. BRT has very infrequent stops, the least in fact outside of Commuter Bus. TBH, there isn't really any reason for the NW BRT to have stops more stops downtown other than the Transfer Center and perhaps next to Amtrak.

To me, you have the following levels of transit bus:

* ParaTransit and Shuttle bus: door-to-door service, primarily for elderly and dense locations (access wise)
* Local bus: frequent stops
* Express bus: less frequent stops, operates during peak and/or rush hour periods
* BRT: even less frequent stops, operates without a set schedule with more frequent headways during peak/rush hours
* Commuter bus: least frequent stops, operating long distances between nodes (typically downtown and suburb)

It would be most efficient for OKC to adopt such a service level, today we have three levels but we really need Commuter bus. I also think we should revise the current Express bus route, removing the circle towards the capital and just have it run from downtown transit center-to-Amtrak-to-Norman, passengers could transfer to local bus to complete the trip. This is most efficient and provides the best use of facilities. On that note, OKC should look at purchasing coach, articulated, and/or double height buses for the non-local routes and stick with the 40' and articulated for local routes.

Has anyone else experienced some oddness caused by the traffic signal prioritization for the buses? I regularly go through the NW Expressway and Portland light. When a bus from north bound Portland turns left onto NW Expressway, the light then either skips the green for the traffic traveling straight on Portland, or is only green for 5-6 seconds.

Has anyone else experienced some oddness caused by the traffic signal prioritization for the buses? I regularly go through the NW Expressway and Portland light. When a bus from north bound Portland turns left onto NW Expressway, the light then either skips the green for the traffic traveling straight on Portland, or is only green for 5-6 seconds.

Have noticed the same thing at NW Expressway and Penn. The short cycle really backs up traffic on NW Expressway.

These are the next extensions of the BRT that are being considered:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt060324a.jpg

This looks like confirmation the commuter train station will be at 13th street

Do we have any stats yet on the ridership for the first line? I feel like I see people sitting at the stops for it fairly commonly, the other day I got off I-44 at exit onto NW Expressway to go over to the OnCue and there were three or four people waiting for the northbound bus.

^

I don't know the numbers but you have to think this system will be very popular with workers, as it's fast, reliable, and inexpensive.

This is important because we have so many working class people downtown, Baptist/Deaconess, at Health Sciences, and note the southern line runs all the way to the two massive Amazon warehouses by the airport. The planners clearly know this is a big area of need.


I often am in those areas on Sunday mornings in order to take photography with few people around. And I'm always amazed at how many workers are hustling to the hotels, restaurants and other businesses while a lot of people are still in bed.

Man, if those 2 developments on 13th street (The Hub and the old Dolese lot) ever get built, that 13th street hub will be very popular!

These are the next extensions of the BRT that are being considered:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt060324a.jpg

Wish this also connected to the airport while we are waiting years for a light rail line to be approved and built

The area along 59th street would benefit from a streetscape project.

BRT seems to be a better mode for the "preferred" light rail alignment down Reno and Meridian. I'm still of the opinion making the light rail connection from the airport to downtown with the fastest travel time and therefore fewer stops. One of the other routes would serve that need well. However, BRT would be great along Reno, etc. if streetcar isn't likely to be extended that way.

:yeahthat: