Midwest City residents urge more frequent bus service, route changes for routes 15 and 19

William Ginn and other Midwest City residents urged the City Council to change bus routing and increase weekday service frequency, saying current schedules and circuitous routing limit access to jobs, college and medical appointments.

Speakers at the public discussion pointed to Route 15’s long gaps and the possibility of folding Route 19 into a reworked alignment so riders could disembark closer to home. Several speakers asked the city to form a work group with stakeholders including the Oklahoma Alliance for Public Transportation, Rose State College, Del City representatives, health providers and Firelink.

“My name is William Ginn, and I reside at 601 Eddie Drive in Midwest City,” said William Ginn, describing trips he makes by bus and saying he sometimes walks a half mile from the nearest stop because the route is circuitous. Ginn asked the council to consider route changes and more frequent weekday service to reduce walking distances for riders.

Tegan Malone, who identified herself as a longtime volunteer with local active-transportation efforts and as president of the Oklahoma Earth Bike Fellowship, said, “taking a look at the frequency of our bus routes is going to be essential coming up in the next few years.” Malone noted local income declines, cited students and workers who lack vehicle access, and urged the city to consider transit changes that could reduce expensive emergency responses when residents call 911 for rides.

Walter Jacks described two non‑rush-hour round trips he rode on Route 15 and reported roughly “85 unique human beings” on those runs; he said that represented “over 500 Midwest city residents that get impacted every day.” Jacks recommended shifting some mileage off I‑40 and routing service along Sooner Road and Reno to serve more residential areas and job centers, and suggested cost-sharing with Del City or rejoining regional service providers for mutual benefit.

Hiawatha Bolden, speaking for the Alliance for Public Transportation, said public transit can expand access to employers and education, and argued that riders will use service if reliable stops and schedules exist. An unnamed resident pointed council members to the Oklahoma City “Moves” planning documents as additional data the council could consult.

Speakers requested the council direct staff to review route frequency and stop locations, to evaluate options for consolidating Routes 15 and 19 where appropriate, and to form a stakeholder work group that includes the organizations they named. Several asked the city to explore partnerships that could provide park‑and‑ride locations and funding partners.

The public comments closed before the council moved on to other agenda items; no formal council action on transit routing or frequency was recorded in the meeting minutes for this session.

The discussion underscored resident reliance on fixed-route service for commuting, training and medical trips, and asked the council to weigh transit changes alongside planned regional adjustments.