Streetcar

[midtownokcer]

I actually think CC/OMNI tourists will be its best calling, and numbers will go up once they open

I think you're right. The spike in June had a lot to do with the Beta convention at the Cox for what seemed like 10 days long. The trains were packed for those two weeks. I rode it around 8-9pm on a Monday night during the convention and it was packed full of conference participants, most of whom got on or off at the Fed. Courthouse stop/Memorial stop to visit the Memorial.

[CCOKC]

I have seen a few people from out of town not realize that the Fed Courthouse stop is also a stop for the Memorial. I can see how the map on board is deceiving since there is only one stop called Memorial. An announcement or something on the line map to say this stop also serves the Memorial would be helpful. If I overhear a group talking about visiting the Memorial and they don't get up to get off at the Courthouse stop I will inform them to get off instead of riding all the way around to get off at the Memorial stop.

[Urban Pioneer]

I have seen a few people from out of town not realize that the Fed Courthouse stop is also a stop for the Memorial. I can see how the map on board is deceiving since there is only one stop called Memorial. An announcement or something on the line map to say this stop also serves the Memorial would be helpful. If I overhear a group talking about visiting the Memorial and they don't get up to get off at the Courthouse stop I will inform them to get off instead of riding all the way around to get off at the Memorial stop.

Thanks for your input. We are adding it to our list to the voice artist and it will be recorded and automated.

[Johnb911]

I have seen a few people from out of town not realize that the Fed Courthouse stop is also a stop for the Memorial. I can see how the map on board is deceiving since there is only one stop called Memorial. An announcement or something on the line map to say this stop also serves the Memorial would be helpful. If I overhear a group talking about visiting the Memorial and they don't get up to get off at the Courthouse stop I will inform them to get off instead of riding all the way around to get off at the Memorial stop.

Great stuff. I had that thought while riding 'It would be nice to see some points of interest listed somehow next to the map or something for folks that aren't necessarily familiar with where they are. Exit here for the OKC Memorial and Museum. Exit here for the art museum and civic center. Exit here...'

[Bullbear]

I agree that would be nice.. like similar systems where it says this is the courthouse stop, also servicing etc

[Urban Pioneer]

I have the same opinion about the stop in front of The Melting Pot in Bricktown. That stop technically equally serves the Santa Fe Station Intermodal Hub. To not say so is a mistake. I have conveyed this to them as well. If you are traveling from one of the stops within Bricktown to Santa Fe Station, then the far designated stop on Reno makes sense. To force people through inadequate information to make the loop through Bricktown if they are coming from somewhere ahead of the stop on the line simply doesn't make sense. I've been told this will be corrected as well.

[Timshel]

Another one to consider is announcing that people can get off at the Century Center stop for Thunder games on the southbound trains from midtown.

[OKC Guy]

Anyone have the Aug rider numbers?

Also saw this tweet but not sure how to post them here, some cool old pics of original SCs in OKC.


The Lost Ogle
@TheLostOgle
Helping clean out my grandfather’s house and I found some old photos, including one of the old OKC Streetcar. I bet
@stevelackmeyer
is jealous.
https://mobile.twitter.com/TheLostOg...59262640381952

[David]

[Pete]

[OKC Guy]

Those are not good numbers for Aug. Also has an error on header for bottom chart it says July hope that person is not doing the counting. Plus missing some days

I think once OMNI and CC open they go up.

[Teo9969]

Those are not good numbers for Aug. Also has an error on header for bottom chart it says July hope that person is not doing the counting. Plus missing some days

I think once OMNI and CC open they go up.

August was brutally hot and I imagine downtown in general was relatively dead that month. We should see a large uptick in September and October with better weather and Scissortail opening.

[OKC Guy]

August was brutally hot and I imagine downtown in general was relatively dead that month. We should see a large uptick in September and October with better weather and Scissortail opening.

In the winter “just wait for spring and better weather its too cold now”

In the spring “just wait for summer its too wet now”

In summer “just wait for fall its too hot now”

Prediction for fall:
“Everyone is in school or busy just wait for winter”

It shows declining numbers trend.

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^ LOL so true

[catch22]

It’s fair to take into account external factors when examining the performance of something that relies on pedestrian traffic.

Also, this is a long term investment. It may take 5-10 years for population density to establish itself around the line.

I would say it’s been successful thus far. I bet the ridership numbers are some of the highest in the state when compared to bus ridership. I’m sure there are some bus routes that beat it - but I’m sure there are more bus routes that have less ridership than there are that have more.

[OKC Guy]

It’s fair to take into account external factors when examining the performance of something that relies on pedestrian traffic.

Also, this is a long term investment. It may take 5-10 years for population density to establish itself around the line.

I would say it’s been successful thus far. I bet the ridership numbers are some of the highest in the state when compared to bus ridership. I’m sure there are some bus routes that beat it - but I’m sure there are more bus routes that have less ridership than there are that have more.

I would counter with us always having weather events. And double counter had we invested the same $140,000,000 into buses that buses would have a much higher ridership. And can adjust routes much easier based in growing/changing service areas.

I have stated it will be good for tourists and when OMNI/CC open thats its best calling card. Also operating/replacement costs will skyrocket as it ages and buses not nearly as much.

It looks cool in city brochures though which is good for advertising OKC to outsiders.

[catch22]

I would counter with us always having weather events. And double counter had we invested the same $140,000,000 into buses that buses would have a much higher ridership. And can adjust routes much easier based in growing/changing service areas.

I have stated it will be good for tourists and when OMNI/CC open thats its best calling card. Also operating/replacement costs will skyrocket as it ages and buses not nearly as much.

It looks cool in city brochures though which is good for advertising OKC to outsiders.

Just the nature of the game. OK has a volitile
climate for much of year. That’s going to impact sidewalk interaction.

It makes it harder to judge months with no previous comparisons. In a few yearss it will be easier to see the data in a useful once you can get some averages established. I agree, convention center will certainly help the numbers. But again, we are putting the cart before he horse trying to say what a successful ridership number is without more data to go off of.

Sure it does look good in brochures - just like the arello views of free flowing highways. Just give it time

[dcsooner]

Visiting Oklahoma again this week with spouse. Rode streetcar to show her my big city state capital on Tuesday. We were the only riders. I think the streetcar currently has several issues relative to ridership.
1. Not enough events held DT throughout the year (example New Orleans a city of comparable size)
2. Not enough workers in DT OKC
3. Not enough residents of the DT core
4, Not sufficient businesses along route
5. Still a car dependent city
6. Found it to still be agonizingly slow ( could walk a block or so faster (esp when the car has to stop to recharge battery)

Like has been said, currently a novelty rather than a true transportation option

[OKC Guy]

I ran some rough numbers. We avg in a given month 18.4 hours of operation per day. Math is on prior page.

In Aug this shows 29 days of data so 526 hours of operation.

26,480 riders divide 526 hours of ops = average of 50.3 riders per hour.

We have 5 cars running all the time so this means we avg about 10 riders per car per hour for the month.

Wonder what our operating expenses are per car per hour?

[jerrywall]

Man, I can't wait until I start getting those royalty checks rolling in from the sidewalks and streets outside my house...

We do expect other forms of transportation and infrastructure to be profitable right? Or is that only for ones we don't like?

[OKC Guy]

Man, I can't wait until I start getting those royalty checks rolling in from the sidewalks and streets outside my house...

We do expect other forms of transportation and infrastructure to be profitable right? Or is that only for ones we don't like?

I hear this a lot.

1. Over 95% of citizens will never use SC.

2. 100% will use roads in one way or another

3. Downtown still has streets this was laid over them

4. SC routes cannot be changed

5. Luxury mini buses would have been way more cost effective and been able to change routes to adapt faster to changing dynamics of downtown

6. SCs were here before and fell out of favor

7. Its not about making money its about best use of dollars. Buses could have covered this easily for 3% or less of the cost. That 97% of $140,000,000 is now not able to be used on other downtown projects. Imagine the Aquarium we could build for that money. Or other items listed in MAPS 4. Thats the point, SC is an unneeded expense when other/better/cheaper methods existed.

So a way to look at is the SC kept other important projects from getting funded.

Just wait 10-15 years when we have to replace a car. What is the cost of one? We have 7

[jedicurt]

it is still very very early to start pulling any "trends" from the data... won't really be able to happen until you can start comparing a month year to year... that is when "Trends" start to appear.

[jerrywall]

So we should stop putting in those bike lanes now?

1. And?

2. But not the roads in front of my house... and especially not my sidewalk.

3. And? Still have capacity issues.

4. This is a feature, not a bug.

5. See #4.

6. I guess we don't need sidewalks then.

The long term benefits of these type of investments have nothing to do with some sort of financial return. They're part o the whole chicken and egg scenario as this city is growing for the future.

[Anonymous.]

Remove the fares. Promote it as free and convenient transportation.

The demographic we need to capture is persons and groups calling Lyfts and Ubers. Go from Midtown to Bricktown between 7pm and 2am on Fri-Sat and you will see thousands of 21-40 yr olds jumping in and out of cars going from place to place. These are your riders who are patronizing hot establishments.

I have many friends in this demographic who have never ridden the streetcar or even know the route. This needs to change before it is too late.

Make it free and promote it to the people who are already patronizing businesses along the route, period.

[jerrywall]

Make it free and promote it to the people who are already patronizing businesses along the route, period.

I'd be all for this, even though the cost is low enough, and they don't really seem to enforce the ticketing, that it might as well be free now. I sort of figured the price is there to deter camping. I like that Edmond's busing is free (although there's been noise about that changing).