Under Congress’s new Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, Oklahoma is set to receive millions of dollars in mass transit funding. At an Oklahoma WatchOut event in December, transportation leaders in central Oklahoma gathered to discuss challenges and goals for the area’s transit system.
Jason Ferbrache is the administrator of Embark and director of Oklahoma City's Public Transportation and Parking Department. He insists Oklahomans are ready to start using more mass transit services.
“On our fixed route bus system, we’ve seen about a 9.5 percent increase in our passenger trips,” Ferbrache said.
“So that tells me there are people using our bus system now that haven’t used it before, and I think we’re going to see that same trend when we look at the modern streetcar and, in the distant future, with rail as well.”
Ferbrache says since implementing enhancements to the local bus system in 2014, more people have taken advantage of the fixed route system.
He says his agency is currently looking to provide more upgrades, including using compressed natural gas and eventually electric-powered busses for the Oklahoma City fleet.
Lauren Branch, executive director of NewView Oklahoma, a nonprofit organization that assists the blind, says the capital city still has a long way to go in improving its options for mass transportation.
“The Oklahoma City area is still, per-capita, one of the lowest funded transit systems in the country. If you go to sister cities of our size, they put way more money into transit than we ever think of doing that,” Branch said.
She says the limited service on nights and weekends also hinders people’s ability to experience the robust nightlife in central Oklahoma.
KGOU is a community-supported news organization and relies on contributions from readers and listeners to fulfill its mission of public service to Oklahoma and beyond. Donate online, or by contacting our Membership department.
