The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project will be Central Oklahoma’s first BRT line and will provide a premium transit service to Northwest OKC residents through more frequent service with enhanced vehicles, stations and passenger amenities.
RAPID will create a world where people move freely and effortlessly in their everyday lives, building meaningful connections among communities of people, businesses, and destinations. With its hub at the city's core, the long-range vision for the RAPID transit system is to bridge communities throughout Central Oklahoma, easily connecting diverse areas of people and experiences and making an otherwise expansive metropolitan area feel like a cohesive, welcoming neighborhood.
The first RAPID service line will provide a premium transit service to Oklahoma City (OKC) residents through faster and more frequent service with enhanced vehicles, stations, and passenger amenities. The Northwest line connects downtown Oklahoma City and the Lake Hefner area, serving regional medical centers, commercial centers, the downtown city center, and residents along the Classen Boulevard and Northwest Expressway urban arterials.
The RAPID NW line will be 9.5 miles each way, with 32 stops and priority traffic signals planned for 38 intersections for 9 vehicles. The line will connect with the larger fixed-route bus network, specifically routes 005, 007, 008, 010, and 023, the OKC Streetcar, and Spokies bike share. See the future BRT Route Map (May 2022).
Station Amenities Include:
What is BRT?
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a high-quality bus-based transit service that is safe, reliable, and frequent. The service will operate similar to EMBARK's OKC Streetcar. BRT typically includes
Why RAPID?
Creating a transportation network is a work in progress, and Bus Rapid Transit was based on public feedback and technical analysis of the 2005 Fixed Guideway Study, that identified potential regional transit solutions that improve connections among metropolitan area’s growth centers, enhance economic development opportunities, improve mobility, expand transportation options and improve air quality. The solutions include a combination of local bus, BRT, streetcar, commuter rail, and other options.
Why this Line?
More than 20% of the region’s jobs are located within a half-mile of the system’s first line, potentially reaching 40,000 residents and 91,000 jobs in the local workforce. The RAPID will expand local and regional mobility options, improve job access, support transit-oriented development (TOD), helps improve community health, and enhance livability along the corridor.
Working in tandem with Oklahoma City’s Better Streets, Safer City initiative, EMBARK will plan for sidewalks, bike lanes (or wide paved shoulders), accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions, specialized travel lanes, and more.
Funding
The total project cost is approximately $28.9 million. EMBARK received nearly a 50% match, with a $14.4 million U.S. Department of Transportation’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program to help fund the design and construction of the route. An additional 2% of the costs are Other Federal Grants, and the remainder of the costs are taken care of by local funding sources.
Future RAPID Lines
Maps 4, Oklahoma City’s debt-free public improvement program funded by a temporary penny sales tax that will raise a projected $978 million over eight years, includes $87 million dedicated towards public transit improvements. The Maps 4 Transit package includes $60 million for advanced transit options that may include RAPID South and East lines.
Branding
Our findings revealed that our initial focus should be on the following audiences:
Every aspect of the visual identity was shaped by the information learned from our research and engagement with the workgroup while keeping these audiences in mind. View the RAPID Branding Reveal here.
Construction Updates
Project Progress Reports
Ribbon Cutting