Embark (OKC Metro Bus Service)

[Just the facts]

Shane - are you talking about a 3 by 4 grid with 2 miles between lines for the entire system?

[Wambo36]

No one is currently providing service to 600 square miles of Oklahoma City. 75% of the transit system is already within your imaginary inner core.

+1. A fact often either ignored or out right mis-stated by some on this board.

[Just the facts]

The area outlined in purple is the transit zone I suggested.

[mcca7596]

(I couldn't find a thread about Union Bus station or greyhound that wasn't closed, so I'm asking here. Feel free to move wherever appropriate, moderators.)

Wasn't the Greyhound station supposed to move last month? Anyone know if it has and/or has heard any rumors about what might go in there or if Nick Preftakes is trying to buy it?

[kevinpate]

I don't recall the timeframe, but yes, the bus system will move. I believe it will land out there near or at the Petrol Place at I-40 and Eastern.

[mcca7596]

I don't recall the timeframe, but yes, the bus system will move. I believe it will land out there near or at the Petrol Place at I-40 and Eastern.

I remember one of Steve's articles saying December and that the East Reno location would be long-term temporary, with the new intermodal hub hoped to be its future home.

[okcpulse]

Anyone tasked with providing mass transit to 600 sq miles with a budget the size that is available in OKC would fail. The money and service is simply spread to thin. Keep the budget the same and reduce the service area is the best solution.

Bus service isn't needed for the entire 600 sq miles. Oklahoma City does not cover 600 sq miles. Why on earth should any one in their correct mind toss a bench out by the intersection of Memorial Rd and Choctaw Rd and expect someone to sit their and wait for a bus? Service is only needed to cover 250 sq miles of OKC.

There are a lot of complaints that bus service is non-existent. Okay, I'll buy that. But Oklahoma City DOES run +/- 80 buses around the city. Problem is, all of the routes are poorly configured. Why would I want to take a bus from the Mercy Hospital area to downtown when I can get there twice as quick in my own car?

[swilki]

Bus service isn't needed for the entire 600 sq miles. Oklahoma City does not cover 600 sq miles. Why on earth should any one in their correct mind toss a bench out by the intersection of Memorial Rd and Choctaw Rd and expect someone to sit their and wait for a bus? Service is only needed to cover 250 sq miles of OKC.

There are a lot of complaints that bus service is non-existent. Okay, I'll buy that. But Oklahoma City DOES run +/- 80 buses around the city. Problem is, all of the routes are poorly configured. Why would I want to take a bus from the Mercy Hospital area to downtown when I can get there twice as quick in my own car?

This is one of the main things that infuriates me about our bus service. It's built for failure. Not everyone wants to go downtown....I would love to take the bus to work, but that involves a 1 hour trip (backtracking to downtown of course or running across the Walmart and Penn Square parking lots to make a connection) just to get to 63rd and May from 36th and Walker. It's a joke. Why can't the city just make the buses run on the grid system? The boundaries could be Council to the west, Eastern to the East, SW 134th to the South and 150th to the North.

[mcca7596]

They spent way too much money on that beautiful new transfer station downtown to make it unnecessary by going to a grid system. lol

Besides, it makes too much sense for COTPA to go to a grid system.

[Just the facts]

A grid system would require far more buses than used today and nearly ever rider would have to transfer at least one time.

[RadicalModerate]

Make it so. (star trek cap'n quote)

[swilki]

A grid system would require far more buses than used today and nearly ever rider would have to transfer at least one time.

At least people would probably use the system.

[Just the facts]

At least people would probably use the system.

It would have to be a tight grid. No one is going to drive their car to a bus stop. All mass transit trips must start and stop with walking.

[swilki]

It would have to be a tight grid. No one is going to drive their car to a bus stop. All mass transit trips must start and stop with walking.

Valid point.

Just out of curiosity, what other types of bus systems are out there? Would it be possible to have a "hub and spoke" system?

[kevinpate]

... No one is going to drive their car to a bus stop. All mass transit trips must start and stop with walking.

Not necessarily. Numerous folks who use the express bus between Norman to OKC either get dropped off at the Norman stop or park there. I would imagine the same is true for the express from Edmond to OKC. Then there's the guy I used to see when I would ride. He rode his bike 2-3 miles to the express stop, clipped it to the rack, then rode from his okc area stop to his work, also about 2-3 miles. Then he repeated the process in the evening. So about 8-12 miles on bike a day. As one might suspect, he was rather slim and trim with that much riding.

[ljbab728]

It could be that we're taking the first step toward heading into the 21st century.

http://newsok.com/canadian-company-w...rticle/3639520

[Frustratedoptimist]

I like the technology but think it is best suited for commuter routes to Edmond and Norman, not local routes. I also agree with Sid, and hope the data is public too. However, it may not be good for METRO. BTW, has anyone heard the rumor that METRO is cleaning house? Heard the AD position is open.

[NoOkie]

I like the technology but think it is best suited for commuter routes to Edmond and Norman, not local routes. I also agree with Sid, and hope the data is public too. However, it may not be good for METRO. BTW, has anyone heard the rumor that METRO is cleaning house? Heard the AD position is open.

I think the GPS tracking is just part of running a modern transit system. Once you have the data, making it available to service providers like Google is a little step.

The on-bus wifi seems a bit silly, though.

[NoOkie]

Like giving the data to Google (converting to GTFS format), adding the ability for others to use the internet connection that is being used by the fleet management appliance on the bus, isn't a huge leap. If it doesn't come with a lot of bandwidth and features (i.e. max number of devices, advertising admin, etc) , it was probably added for not a lot of cost.

It is quite possible I am wrong though and they have plans for much more. I need to get my hands on that RFP and just haven't done it yet...

I'll admit to being fairly ignorant on the various commercial, mobile wifi offerings out there. I did a quick google search on it, and it looks to be around $1,000-$2,000 per bus. That's not bad at all. I do wonder how the bandwidth payments are structured. Do you know if they use a cellular service, or if it piggybacks of the municipal wifi network we already have?

I also don't think it's a bad idea as long as the bandwidth costs are reasonable. Many people have smart phones these days, even the poor. You can get a cheap Android phone for next to nothing on the budget carriers. And with bandwidth metering and absurd overage costs, I'm sure the bus riders wouldn't mind being able to use the internet on the city's dime. I know I would if I rode the bus daily, since that would be my highest usage time.

[Just the facts]

When we bought my wife's tablet we didn't go with a 3G/4G option. There are so many wifi hotspots to connect to we didn't think it was necessary. This is more proof that we were right.

[JAzumah]

Can someone explain to me why the Tinker Express service failed? The base is requesting solicitations again for service and I would like to find out more about prior efforts before responding. The internet has yielded very little information on the actual performance of the routes, but there are numerous projections for new routes as part of the efforts to implement commuter rail.

[mcca7596]

This sure won't help people change their image of the bus system:
http://www.news9.com/story/17175429/...kc-bus-station

[ljbab728]

This sure won't help people change their image of the bus system:
http://www.news9.com/story/17175429/...kc-bus-station

Unfortunately violent crimes happen everywhere in OKC. This was a domestic situation and the fact that it happened at the bus station is no reason for anyone to draw a conclusion that OKC buses are dangerous. I can't remember the last time I ever heard of any serious crime connected with the OKC bus system.

[mcca7596]

Unfortunately violent crimes happen everywhere in OKC. This was a domestic situation and the fact that it happened at the bus station is no reason for anyone to draw a conclusion that OKC buses are dangerous. I can't remember the last time I ever heard of any serious crime connected with the OKC bus system.

Ok, thanks for the info. This morning right after the news came out, it sounded like it was random. Still...

[ljbab728]

Ok, thanks for the info. This morning right after the news came out, it sounded like it was random. Still...

The late news said the couple had been sitting together aguing. When the woman got up and started to leave the man attacked her.