Steve Lackmeyer, OKC Development

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Riding on a downtown trolley would be nice

By Steve Lackmeyer
Published: June 10, 2008

Now that downtown is becoming a true neighborhood with hundreds of apartments and condominiums opened the past couple of years, wouldn't it be great to have the Oklahoma Spirit trolleys run an expanded schedule of 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays?

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OK, those are pretty specific operating hours. Indeed, that was the schedule with trolleys hitting stops every 10 minutes when the service was launched 10 years ago.

That same service is now a mish-mash of reduced service routes. One can travel an extended downtown "blue line” that traverses the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum and Bricktown and everything between. The loop doesn't begin until 10 a.m. and stops are now every 20 minutes. A red line serves lunchtime workers 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays with stops every 15 minutes.

As service declined, ridership also fell
Neither line makes it feasible for a downtown resident even to consider relying on shuttles as a way to get to and from work. And Sunday service? It's been dropped all together. The cuts have crept in gradually over the years, blamed invariably on tight budgets and increased costs.

And as the schedules have shrunk and waiting times expanded, ridership has dropped. At a recent meeting of Urban Neighbors, Mayor Mick Cornett was asked by a resident if MetroTransit's operation of the trolleys has been inept. He disagreed, but acknowledged some changes may be needed.

As the trolley routes have been whittled, the city has launched the Oklahoma River Cruisers as a means of public transit to meet a need that city officials admit doesn't exist yet.

What does city pay for boat service?
In a contract negotiated with the only company to bid for operations of the boats, the city pays Hornblower Marine Services $15,000 per month — and that's just the management fee. Hornblower also is reimbursed for operating expenses including wages, equipment, supplies, utilities and fuel. To date, since Hornblower was hired last fall, payments have totaled $307,000.

Jordan Associates is being paid to coordinate a print and broadcast campaign for the boat service, which is funded, partially, by $100,000 from the Oklahoma City Riverfront Redevelopment Authority, and $100,000 from the Central Oklahoma Transportation & Parking Authority.

Funding for all this includes $350,000 from the city's general fund.

Rick Cain, administrator of COTPA, presents the river cruisers as a way to "proactively” provide public transit along the waterway for a population and need that he believes will exist in future years. He points out the boats will eventually connect not just Bricktown but also the Native American Cultural Center and developments planned at the former downtown airpark with the hotel corridor at Meridian Avenue.

Maybe. The boats, however, currently duplicate the Orange trolley route — which also has the lowest ridership of any of the trolley routes.

Downtowners complain about promises
Meanwhile, downtowners say the promises made to them a decade ago aren't being met, even though average daily ridership on the downtown routes total 166 compared with 26 on the Meridian Avenue Orange route.

And it's the Meridian Avenue Orange route that is being expanded.

To ensure boat passengers can always take a trolley back downtown, Sunday service has been restored for the Orange line. And, oh yes, Cain is looking at expanding trolley service even further — with a possible express Orange route to eliminate a 20-minute tour of the Meridian hotel corridor that has been met with complaints from boat passengers just wanting a quick ride back to their cars.


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How about a rail, going from Norman to Edmond with stops along the way. It will never happen, because it makes too much sense!!!
Theus, Oklahoma city - Jun 11, 2008 12:25 PM
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Why are they called trolleys? These are just buses made to look like trolleys.
Stephen, Oklahoma City - Jun 10, 2008 11:04 PM
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Before we make anymore improvments to downtown. The city rescue mission MUST be moved out of downtown. I do not understand how the mayor can ignore such a horrible drig infested part of downtown. Just drive under the 1-40 bridge just past classen and see all the trash and crack-dealers standing around. If downtown wants to improve at all, it has to relocate that place!
Theus, Oklahoma city - Jun 10, 2008 9:07 PM
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Yes, if we want to truly be inviting and attract more people downtown - we need reliable routes and schedules. We also need more retail outlets downtown, such as a supermarket, etc. This was a great article. I hope the mayor and council take notice.
Dianna, Oklahoma City - Jun 10, 2008 5:10 PM
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I agree with that one. They want to keep a set of tracks as a symbolic gesture to trains. Give me a break. Downtown is growing and with gas prices I agree we need options in regards to public transportation. However, it seems like we are getting way ahead of ourselves here. Fix the trolleys and bus routes and create a schedule that makes sense. The boats and canal boats are a novel idea and fun to do but it's not an answer for public transportation, at least right now anyways. Maybe in 5 years when there is major developments along the river and more residents that need it... along with more tourist attractions then these will probably work great. The city needs to distinguish the trolleys and boats from a tourist attraction to actual using as public transportation.
Jess, Warr Acres - Jun 10, 2008 10:48 AM
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As the trolley routes have been whittled, the city has launched the Oklahoma River Cruisers as a means of public transit to meet a need that city officials admit doesn't exist yet.<------at $9 a trip , I am amazed they need any extra help from the city at all.What a joke.
mister, bogata - Jun 10, 2008 8:15 AM
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We pay to run a trolley for *26* people a day ??? And the crackpots want to KEEP unused railroad tracks ??????
c, Oklahoma City - Jun 10, 2008 7:29 AM
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