OKC MAPS PROJECTS – 25 YEARS
EMBARK Streetcar A key element of MAPS 3 is a modern streetcar and transit system for downtown Oklahoma City. The $130 million investment in the EMBARK streetcar system is fully funded by MAPS 3 sales tax receipts. The streetcar is a key component of Oklahoma City’s Fixed Guideway Plan, the blueprint for the future of public transit in the city. The streetcar represents a critical piece of infrastructure that links several downtown MAPS projects and plays a key role in the downtown transportation plan. The streetcar’s path is closely aligned with existing and emerging economic development corridors downtown and designed to make all areas of downtown readily accessible to workers, residents, and visitors. The line is centered around the business district, linking it with Automobile Alley and Midtown to the north, Scissortail Park (and the new Hotel and Conference Center) to the south, and Bricktown to the southeast. Interconnected City . The streetcar system will be interconnected with all other forms of transportation and provide convenient transfer access to other transportation options downtown. Immediately adjacent to the streetcar line are the EMBARK Transit Center, Santa Fe Intermodal Transit Hub, multiple public parking structures, and several Spokies stations. The initial path is also designed for future expansion to serve other nearby areas and connect with other forms of interregional transportation. The addition of the streetcar is a response to anticipated growth in future transportation needs. The number of downtown residents and visitors to the area is expected to rise steadily over time as additional housing is built downtown, downtown employment expands, and visitor attractions mature. This growth is expected to produce increased demand for local transportation downtown. A shift is also anticipated in the method of commuting to work away from traditional automobiles as the urban character of downtown develops. The connection of other forms of transportation to the streetcar line is expected to provide additional future demand. The streetcar system will provide a direct connection between major employers, government offices, lodging and food service, visitor attractions, entertainment venues, cultural sites, conference centers, and residences in the downtown area. Several critical service providers are situated along the streetcar line including St. Anthony’s Hospital and the new downtown elementary school. Many of the largest and most frequently visited entertainment venues in the state are located along the streetcar path in and around downtown OKC. The streetcar places all downtown public parking structures within a short ride of most downtown destinations. From the perspective of MAPS, the streetcar serves as a connector system to provide access to all major MAPS-related projects downtown. Nearly all downtown MAPS destinations will be located either immediately adjacent to or within one block of the streetcar path including the Bricktown Ballpark, Bricktown Canal, Downtown Library, Cox Convention Center, Chesapeake Energy Arena, Scissortail Park, and the Civic Center. The new convention center and Omni convention hotel will also be located adjacent to the streetcar path. The Oklahoma River will be accessible for pedestrians from the Streetcar station at the north end of Scissortail Park. Streetcar System Design . The streetcar system infrastructure consists of 4.9 miles of track, 22 boarding platforms, 7 cars that hold 100 passengers each, and a maintenance and storage facility. A map of the two streetcar lines and each station is shown in Figure 52.
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