Embark launches new rapid transit service, aiming to revolutionize transportation in Oklahoma City metro area

OKLAHOMA CITY- (KOKH) — A new rapid transit service serving the OKC metro that aims to deliver efficient transportation officially began Sunday.

"We're looking to attract new riders who have maybe never tried transit before, that are looking to maybe park their car, hop on the rapid, and head out to go do some shopping, or maybe meet somebody at a coffee shop like where we're at right now," saidSuzanne Wickenkamp, Assistant Director of Administration for Embark.

Wickenkamp said Bus Rapid Transit, a new division of Embark, will provide more frequent service, primarily connecting the nine and a half mile corridor from downtown to northwest Oklahoma City at the Meridian and Northwest Expressway area.

"This area actually has 20% of the region's jobs, along this nine and a half mile corridor out to the northwest part of town. It also has 21,000 different residents in that area, and so we're very excited to, again, serve a community that we have maybe not been able to reach before, so we're very excited about that," she said.

Bus Rapid Transit will run from 5am to midnight Monday through Thursday, 5am to 2am on Friday, 7am to 2am on Saturday, and 7am to 10pm on Sunday.

With a goal of providing more frequent service, Wickenkamp said the buses will be running on their own lanes, requiring drivers to be even more aware of their surroundings.

"Motorists should be paying attention to those bus lanes, and the whole point of that is for safety, but also for our buses to get our customers to their destination quicker. That's how rapid works, it's a 12 to 15 minute frequency, and getting traffic moving and flowing is all part of being able to meet that expectation," she said.

Embark administrator Jason Ferbrache added drivers will be able to share those lanes on certain conditions.

"We've designated those lanes for the benefit of buses, and for vehicles that are making right turns into adjacent neighborhoods and businesses. And really, when we've done the traffic studies, we don't anticipate our buses occupying that far right lane to slow down the traffic at all," he said.