Citizen group seeking improvements to public transit

By Jeff Harrison
Midwest City Beacon

A group of citizens are working to improve public transportation in the east metro.

The Alliance for Public Transportation wants to increase the frequency of EMBARK bus services to the area and make changes to the routes and add a park and ride lot.

The citizen group has been meeting with officials from EMBARK, Midwest City, Oklahoma City, Del City, Spencer, Oklahoma County, Oklahoma City Housing Authority and SSM Health. They have raised concerns about bus service in the area and provided recommendations.

Larry Hopper is a member of the Alliance for Public Transportation. He worked for Embark for more than 20 years as a planning director and wants to use his expertise to help improve public transportation.

“We don’t have any money or benefit in this, we’re just trying to improve public transportation and get the community interested and help persuade leaders,” Hopper said. “Public transportation benefits more than just disadvantaged people. It can help people commute downtown, park and ride, and make it easier for a household to get by with one vehicle.”

The east metro is served by Embark bus routes 15 and 19.

Route 15 serves Midwest City with trips to and from downtown Oklahoma City every 80 minutes. The city of Midwest City pays $225,000 annually for the route and Rose State also contributes $23,000.

Route 19 primarily covers far northeast Oklahoma City and Spencer, including a public housing complex and clinic near NE 36th St. and Hiwassee Rd. The route has been funded by Oklahoma County and Oklahoma City. County officials said effective July 1 they will no longer provide $150,000 annually for the service due to a change in state law exempting counties from funding social services.

APT believes the two routes could potentially be combined into a longer Route 15. That could include eliminating service to the public housing and clinic. People traveling to the public housing or clinic could potentially use a “micro transit” or rideshare option.

Hopper said they suggested extending Route 15 to Spencer Rd. and NE 36th St., which would connect Spencer, Star-Spencer High School, and help students get to Rose State.

APT wants buses to run more frequently. Route 15 runs every 80 minutes and is one of only a few routes that doesn’t offer weekday service every 30 minutes. Route 19 has a four-hour gap in the afternoon when it does not run at all. Both bus routes are not available on weekends. The group is asking for buses to run every 45 minutes during the week.

The group wants to modify the route itself. Route 15 takes one route into and through Midwest City and a different path when it returns to the downtown Oklahoma City station. They want the bus to have the same stops both ways as well as adding a stop at SSM Health St. Anthony Hospital – Midwest.

They also want to see a park and ride lot for people who would like to take the bus downtown. Rose State College officials confirmed that they could provide a park and ride lot.

APT has hosted a couple of meetings so far with another planned for next month. They last met on March 10 at Rose State College.

During the last meeting, an EMBARK representative said they have not determined if they would fund the shortfall for Route 19, noting that it is still early in the budget process. They said route changes typically take about six months to implement, but members of the group asked if it could happen sooner due to potential loss of service in northeast Oklahoma City.

The APT concept of combining Routes 15 and 19 but ending a new extended Route 15 at Spencer and N.E. 36th seemed to gain further traction, coupled with some form of Uber or other micro transit providing trips for riders at N.E. 36 and Hiawassee.

A round trip on the proposed combined route would take about 90 minutes. The group discussed potentially adding a second bus for service every 45 minutes.

Hopper said they have also met privately with Midwest City officials about Route 15. Midwest City officials said they have invested in the Bomber trail and in bus shelters along the southbound segment of Douglas and how it might want to continue to have some service to Douglas. They also said a transit study, like one done recently in Moore, would be beneficial.

None of the other entities at the last meeting expressed an interest in new or additional funding for public transit.

“It’s really just too early for them to state what they could do to add funds to add route service,” Hopper said. “The work group was reminded that fares cover only about 10% of the cost of operating a fixed bus route.”

Hopper said another factor that has complicated the issue has been a void in leadership in Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County. The Oklahoma City Ward 7 Council and Oklahoma County District 1

Commissioner positions are currently vacant due to resignations. There will be a special general election for each race next week.

“We’re trying to work with the candidates and make sure they’re aware of it, because there is no one to advocate to about these issues,” he said.