Study urges light rail metro transit
Champion needed to compete with other cities

By Ja’Rena Lunsford
Business Writer


Oklahoma City is behind some of its peers when it comes to a light rail transit system, but it's not too late for the metro area to get on board, according to a study revealed Wednesday.

The 12-month study detailing Oklahoma City's options in light rail travel was revealed during a Greater Oklahoma City Chamber meeting.

Tom Shelton, senior transportation planner for Carter & Burgess in Dallas, said city leaders must focus on transportation if they want to get Oklahoma City in motion.

"There is no reason why this can't happen," Shelton said.

Shelton said Oklahoma City's transit system is only able to meet one-third of the city's transportation needs, reason enough to push for a light rail system.

"Metro Transit is really challenged with providing enough service," he said.

The Fixed Guideway Transit Study examined a variety of transportation systems including commuter rail transit, streetcars and bus rapid transit, a light-rail on rubber tires.

Each system will require millions of dollars in capital and operating costs. A modern street car system would require $3.2 million in operating costs and $83.2 million in capital, according to the study.

Bus rapid transit systems require $35.7 million in operating costs and $40.2 million in capital.

Shelton said federal funding coupled with financing strategies such as a sales tax increases or city bonds would make any of the systems attainable.

He said many of the transit systems in other cities are financed from sales taxes.

Roy Williams, the chamber's president and chief executive officer, believes the public would support some sort of increase if it is for a cause they believe in and value.

"The public has shown that they will support good ideas if it meets those criteria," Williams said.

He said an expanded transit system is necessary for the city to meet its residents' needs and remain a player in the competitive standard-of-living market.

"If we are going to compete with our peer cities, we have to have a transit system," Williams said.

The study indicated Oklahoma City's population size can support a wide-spread transit system, Shelton said.

Cities with smaller populations have surpassed Oklahoma City in the race for the rail. Little Rock, Ark., with a population of about 185,000, and Kansas City, Mo., with about 445,000 people, both have light rail systems.

Oklahoma City's population is more than 530,000.

Shelton said the difference between those cities and Oklahoma City is that they had a champion, an individual who stepped up and kept the transit plan in focus and on schedule.He said finding a champion is Oklahoma City's next step.

If one is found soon, Oklahoma City could have a bus rapid transit system running downtown by 2013, Shelton said.