City Council adopts MAPS 4 EMBARK Bus Rapid Transit route
07/02/2024

Oklahoma City Council voted today to approve a 17-mile route (locally preferred alternative) for the new MAPS 4 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor in northeast and south Oklahoma City.

The route will serve key destinations, connecting communities and resources, and expand equitable mobility options for residents.

BRT is a high-frequency, direct bus-based transit service that operates like light rail. The approved route establishes a BRT corridor connecting the Adventure District in northeast Oklahoma City to SW 89th Street and S Portland Avenue near the industrial logistics hub where the Amazon fulfillment facility is located.

Key community destinations and employment hubs along the corridor include Metro Tech, Ralph Ellison Library, Automobile Alley, the Innovation District, Capitol Hill, INTEGRIS Southwest Medical Center and Oklahoma City Community College.

The approved route, which could be constructed in two phases, will include 26 stop locations, each with a northbound and southbound station, and is projected to serve 2,700 weekday riders, connecting to approximately 50,000 jobs.

"The recommendation was developed based on the input we received through community engagement and extensive analysis of the corridors,” MAPS Program Manager David Todd said. "Now that we have a locally preferred route, we can move forward with this project that will address the transportation needs of our residents and enhance connectivity across Oklahoma City.”

The BRT buses will travel along a combination of mixed traffic and dedicated lanes including business access and turn (BAT) lanes and center-running lanes.

BRT stations typically include amenities such as lighting, shelter, monumental signage, ticketing kiosks, real-time arrival information, level boarding and more. Rapid BRT buses arrive every 12-15 minutes on weekdays.

“Thanks to robust community input and the efforts of the consultant team, the consolidation of two previously separate corridors into a single 17-mile route allows for a significantly enhanced customer experience when both phases are operational,” Director for EMBARK Jason Ferbrache said. “Customers traveling from NE OKC to SW OKC will no longer need to transfer buses. The corridor integrates seamlessly with established areas of our community such as NE 23rd while introducing transit access to new areas of the city including SW 59th.”

The route was developed based on input from residents across Oklahoma City at 19 public events and 15 pop-up events, as well as an online and map survey. Feedback focused on the need for reliable service, access to healthcare and educational facilities, connections to employers, service in key districts and neighborhoods and support for disadvantaged populations.

MAPS 4 includes $61 million to build the EMBARK-operated BRT corridor connecting south and northeast OKC. The City will leverage MAPS funds to apply for federal grants. Construction is scheduled to start in 2028.

This will be Oklahoma City’s second BRT route. Learn more about RAPID.

Stay up to date on MAPS 4 Transit projects and other MAPS 4 projects at okc.gov/maps4.

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt070224a.jpg

start in 2028?? I'm thinking construction should start next year and be done in time for 2026 service date. Am I missing something?

Why do we need to wait 4 years for it to start?

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Among other things (which I'm sure include elements like traffic and environmental studies, possibly some land acquisitions, etc), MAPS is pay as you go. Meaning the tax dollars have to be in the bank before they are spent. Other MAPS projects are in line in front of these routes. Federal grants will also take time.

I wonder if they will change these routes if the RTA vote fails. Maybe that's why it's later on the MAPS priority list.

Article in the Oklahoman. Highlights below:

After one year of operation, the BRT route along Northwest Expressway has seen an average of 1,220 riders per day. According to Jesse Rush, director of Oklahoma City's public transportation system EMBARK, only 1,000 riders per day were expected when the service launched in December 2023.

Earlier this year, the Oklahoma City Council unanimously approved a 17-mile route for the planned MAPS 4 BRT line in the city's northeast and southwest sides.

The city's voter-approved MAPS 4 program included $61 million to build the new BRT line connecting northeast and south OKC, and the city will leverage MAPS funding to apply for federal grants. The approved BRT line could be constructed in two phases starting in 2028, will include 26 stop locations and is expected to connect to an estimated 50,000 jobs.

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/local/2024/12/10/how-many-people-use-bus-rapid-transit-okc/76824314007/

^

BRT is clearly the way forward in the core.

There certainly isn't much (any) talk about expanding the streetcar.

^

BRT is clearly the way forward in the core.

There certainly isn't much (any) talk about expanding the streetcar.

Agreed. Combine that with RTA and we have the start of a pretty good public transit system. Several decades late, but at least it is starting.

^

BRT is clearly the way forward in the core.

There certainly isn't much (any) talk about expanding the streetcar.

True, but that's at least partially because BRT was planned way better than the streetcar and its nonsense route. If the streetcar actually helped people get to places then I suspect people would think about it differently.