EMBARK and its partner Tyler Outdoor marked the 100th new bus shelter that was installed in Oklahoma City on July 1. The 100th shelter installation is located at SW 23rd St. and Walker Ave., with funding for this particular shelter provided through a grant from the City of Oklahoma City Planning Departments' Strong Neighborhoods Initiative (SNI). Oklahoma City's Capitol Hill neighborhood is one of two neighborhoods selected for the SNI grant and is where EMBARK celebrated the 100-shelter milestone with Tyler Outdoor Media on July 1, 2020.
The bus stops include new shelters, security lighting and ADA-compliant sidewalk connections and trash receptacles. The new shelters were installed over the past year at 100 bus stops and stakeholders say the new structures provide a renewed sense of security and accessibility for public transit users.
EMBARK has upgraded 208 bus stops with new shelters since December 2014. The most recent EMBARK customer survey revealed the "availability of accessible bus stops" as the single most important service rating among customers using EMBARK transit.
"Annually, we ask for feedback from our customers. Last year, two areas were identified for improvement - bus stop amenities and access to bus stops," said EMBARK Administrator Jason Ferbrache. "Thanks to our Board of Trustees, OKC City Council and Tyler Outdoor, we were able to put a plan in motion to improve our customers' experience. Together, we set an ambitious goal of installing 100 new bus shelters in one year, and we are excited to have met that goal."
As part of the MAPS 4 Transit project, 500 additional shelters with security lighting and ADA-compliant sidewalk connections are planned. More than 50 percent of bus customers use EMBARK services more than five days per week, making it crucial for proper shelters to offer safety and accessibility to those using EMBARK for essential transit service.
