Embark presents service changes: proposed Route 19 elimination, streetcar insourcing and microtransit pilot discussed

Embark, the public transportation trust for the City of Oklahoma City, presented its proposed FY 2026 trust budget and detailed a package of operational changes that the department said are intended to meet a council-directed reduction target while preserving core services.

Embark Director Jesse Rush told the council, "We are a public transportation trust to the city of Oklahoma City," and outlined service lines — fixed-route buses, the Rapid Northwest bus rapid transit (BRT), the OKC streetcar, parking and the Oklahoma River cruises — and several initiatives tied to ridership and customer experience.

Why this matters: Embark’s choices affect transit-dependent residents, particularly low-income and less densely populated neighborhoods on the city’s edges. Council members pressed staff on proposed route changes and alternatives.

Major proposals described - Insourcing streetcar operations and maintenance: Embark plans to end its contract with Herzog Transit Operations and provide streetcar operations in-house. Staff said the change reduces contract overhead and insurance costs and that in-house staff with streetcar experience have been hired. Rush noted the change is not a reflection on the contractor's performance. - Route-level reductions: The trust proposed deleting Route 19 (an east-side route that carries about 12,000 annual trips and averages roughly 46 daily riders) and reducing service on Route 24 (the commuter route to Norman). Rush said Route 19 was the system's lowest-performing route by the measures presented. - Service offsets and mitigations: Embark said it will ask the board to expand the embark well program (its mobility program) to operate without an age restriction for the Route 19 area, providing scheduled pickups to the major trip generator in the corridor, Mary Mahoney Center. Embark also identified microtransit planned to roll out with MAPS 4 implementation as a longer-term option for low-density areas. - Capital and amenities: Embark highlighted a MAPS 4–funded shelter program and a nearly $20,000,000 federal grant to add roughly 360 shelters across the system, and said it is implementing transit signal prioritization and other improvements to speed service.

Council reaction and concerns Ward-level councilmembers argued the Route 19 removal would disproportionately affect residents in lower-density, lower-income neighborhoods and urged the city and Embark to find alternatives that preserve access to jobs, medical appointments and other services. One councilmember representing the area asked whether partners (including Oklahoma County or neighboring municipalities) could help fund or sustain the route; Rush said county funding had historically helped the route but recent legislation complicated county participation, and that discussions continue about legal opinions and potential funding paths.

Rush proposed immediate mitigations: running a two-times-per-week embark well shuttle from homes to Mary Mahoney Center and requesting the board to waive the 60+ age limit on the embark well program for that service area. He also said Embark plans to pursue microtransit as part of MAPS 4 corridor implementation (timelines tied to the MAPS 4 project and RTA coordination).

Ridership and customer data cited Embark presented ridership gains across modes: projected combined bus and rapid ridership near 3.2 million for FY25, rapid northwest average daily weekday ridership of roughly 1,500, continued growth on the OKC streetcar (projected ~262,000 riders for FY25), and high customer-satisfaction survey scores relative to national averages (for safety while riding and safety while waiting at stops).

Next steps and timing Embark said proposed changes are part of its FY 2026 trust budget and will be considered by the trust board; the council will hear further details during Embark's budget presentation and in subsequent department hearings. Council members asked for numbers on the cost to restore or increase frequency on key corridors (for example 20th–23rd Street) and requested staff return with more options, including potential private‑sector or philanthropic partnerships.

Public comment: during the meeting, no formal public speaker opposed or supported Route 19 in the council chamber transcript excerpt, but councilmembers noted community meetings had been held and further outreach was scheduled.

Ending: Embark will present the trust budget items to its board and continue to work with the city manager and council on mitigations and alternatives; council members signaled they expect follow-up cost estimates before formal budget adoption.