OKC Regional Transit System

[shawnw]

"Regional Transit Authority of Central Oklahoma (RTACO)"

shall be henceforth known as "our taco".

[catch22]

"Regional Transit Authority of Central Oklahoma (RTACO)"

shall be henceforth known as "our taco".

I have a beef with this, and a chicken.

[Hutch]

"Regional Transit Authority of Central Oklahoma (RTACO)" shall be henceforth known as "our taco".

The first draft of the RTA Indenture had the name "Central Oklahoma Regional Transit Authority", but representatives of COTPA didn't like it because of the similarity to their name. So, it was revised to RTACO by the Task Force, with nobody thinking about the acronym. Since then, the humor has begun. Flaming Taco's can be the logo placed on the sides of all buses and trains. The slogan will be "Transit is the spice of life". LOL!

Seriously though, the RTA can choose an operational name at a later date. It could even remain as EMBARK. RTACO will just be the title shown in the trust indenture.

[HOT ROD]

i think OCART is even better. Oklahoma City Area Regional Transit corporation.

[TheTravellers]

i think OCART is even better. Oklahoma City Area Regional Transit corporation.

C'mon, go ahead and prepend General to it for GOCART.

[citywokchinesefood]

C'mon, go ahead and prepend General to it for GOCART.

GOCART is the best name, and they should be sad for not thinking of it.

[the michigander]

So is the RTA for rail or buses or both I'm confused.

[citywokchinesefood]

So is the RTA for rail or buses or both I'm confused.

It would hopefully be the integration of all different forms of transit across the metro. The light rail lines, street car, busses, bike lanes and trails would play off one another to better connect the metro. At least that’s what I think the idea is.

[Teo9969]

Forgive me if this is elsewhere but there are now 5 or so substantial transit threads: Do we know when the most likely time period for when a vote will be put to the region for a funding mechanism?

[d-usa]

If it doesn’t end up GOCART it will be a missed opportunity.

[jedicurt]

i'm still on the MORT train... Metro of Oklahoma Regional Transit. it makes me think of all the Bort nameplates at Itchy and Scratchy World!

[Plutonic Panda]

IMO, they should just call it Metro like it used to be.

[okccowan]

I vote for GOCART.

[baralheia]

The first draft of the RTA Indenture had the name "Central Oklahoma Regional Transit Authority", but representatives of COTPA didn't like it because of the similarity to their name. So, it was revised to RTACO by the Task Force, with nobody thinking about the acronym. Since then, the humor has begun. Flaming Taco's can be the logo placed on the sides of all buses and trains. The slogan will be "Transit is the spice of life". LOL!

Seriously though, the RTA can choose an operational name at a later date. It could even remain as EMBARK. RTACO will just be the title shown in the trust indenture.

Hutch, no matter what the operational name is, when the RTA takes over for regional transit, I will be sorely disappointed if there isn't a flaming taco sticker somewhere on at least some of the vehicles. Even if very small, that would be a great easter egg, lol.

[Hutch]

Great joint study session this morning between OKC City Council/staff and the COTPA Board/Embark staff to review the RTA trust indenture.



OKC City Council votes on the indenture next Tuesday. Transit supporters are encouraged to attend and show your support.

[David]

Mayor Holt just finished posting a brief twitter thread summarizing the RTA up to this point, starting here: https://twitter.com/davidfholt/statu...33634278350848

[soonerheart]

Let’s say I live in OKC and along with thousands of others want to take the train to an OU football game….Will the system have the capacity to load and move 10,000 fans after a game and back to OKC within an hour or so after the game? If not most fans will revert to driving.

For an OU game how will it be determined who has a seat and who doesn’t… If it's first come first serve and you’re left standing around for very long many people will go back to driving after only one try.

A reservation system with a very large waiting area in a control heat/ AC environment seems appropriated for an OU station for large events and games.

Similar conditions might exist for Thunder and other downtown OKC / Norman/ OU events.

[PaddyShack]

Let’s say I live in OKC and along with thousands of others want to take the train to an OU football game….Will the system have the capacity to load and move 10,000 fans after a game and back to OKC within an hour or so after the game? If not most fans will revert to driving.

For an OU game how will it be determined who has a seat and who doesn’t… If it's first come first serve and you’re left standing around for very long many people will go back to driving after only one try.

A reservation system with a very large waiting area in a control heat/ AC environment seems appropriated for an OU station for large events and games.

Similar conditions might exist for Thunder and other downtown OKC / Norman/ OU events.

I think the train going from OKC to Norman for OU games will always be packed. People won't mind standing for the 30 min or so ride just so they won't have to deal with parking around OU or the pre/post game traffic.

[dankrutka]

A transit system doesn't have to serve everyone to be successful. Markets and human behavior are fairly predictable. If Amtrack increased trains between OKC and Norman on gamedays then riders would respond accordingly. If the lines are too long, people will avoid it. I don't think you'll find a 10,000 person line at any point. But, if it served more people then that would be a good step in the right direction.

Also, I vote for either GoCART or Our Taco. Both are fantastic.

[CloudDeckMedia]

I'm interested in transit route information being made available on Apple and Google Maps as it is in other cities. For example, if you open Maps in your iPhone right now and ask directions from Children's Hospital to the Chesapeake Arena, you'll be given options to Drive, Walk, Transit & Ride (Uber, Lyft). If you select "Transit," it offers no options except to walk. This is fixable.

[soonerheart]

I think the train going from OKC to Norman for OU games will always be packed. People won't mind standing for the 30 min or so ride just so they won't have to deal with parking around OU or the pre/post game traffic.

When we consider the non-student average age group who attends OU football games or other OU sports/ events I pretty sure that not very many of them (who often have health issues) are going to want to walk from the stadium all the way to the rail road tracks east of the Duck pond and stand around in the heat, cold and wind….Almost all of these people can make arrangements to park much closer and would continue to do so if the system is slow/time wasting and keeps people out in the elements to long. There are many commuting students and employees who would feel the same…

I don’t want a commuter rail / transit system that targets poor people for its ridership. It needs to be as user friendly as possible for everyone from the very start even if it cost significantly more.

[Ross MacLochness]

I'm interested in transit route information being made available on Apple and Google Maps as it is in other cities. For example, if you open Maps in your iPhone right now and ask directions from Children's Hospital to the Chesapeake Arena, you'll be given options to Drive, Walk, Transit & Ride (Uber, Lyft). If you select "Transit," it offers no options except to walk. This is fixable.

Hmm really? I used Google maps to find a bus route just yesterday.

[dankrutka]

When we consider the non-student average age group who attends OU football games or other OU sports/ events I pretty sure that not very many of them (who often have health issues) are going to want to walk from the stadium all the way to the rail road tracks east of the Duck pond and stand around in the heat, cold and wind….Almost all of these people can make arrangements to park much closer and would continue to do so if the system is slow/time wasting and keeps people out in the elements to long. There are many commuting students and employees who would feel the same…

I don’t want a commuter rail / transit system that targets poor people for its ridership. It needs to be as user friendly as possible for everyone from the very start even if it cost significantly more.

I park on Main Street every time I go to an OU game. Lots of people park pretty far away. I don't think this would be a big change for many people. Moreover, if people were so worried about the weather then why do thousands of people tailgate before every game?

Again, if more trains were made available to OU on gamedays, there would be a market there.

[baralheia]

Hmm really? I used Google maps to find a bus route just yesterday.

I just checked and Embark doesn't appear to have stopped sharing transit data with Google; on my Android phone I can get transit directions from Children's to the 'Peake no problem. Even includes delay info. Maybe it's an Apple thing?

[mugofbeer]

Fill me in since I am out of town. ls there seriousctalk about reviving the old interurban to OU/Norman or is it just something that could be done? l was at the Duck Pond last weekend and it only seemed 3 blocks or so from the stadium. Most people park that far on football Saturdays