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COPTA approves six-month fare-free pilot for OKC Streetcar beginning Jan. 5, 2026
Summary
The Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority approved a six-month fare-free pilot for the OKC Streetcar starting Jan. 5 and running through July 5, 2026, to measure ridership, sponsorship and revenue trade-offs; the board will monitor results and data collection during the pilot.
The Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority voted to approve a six-month fare-free pilot for the OKC Streetcar that will run Jan. 5 through July 5, 2026, to test whether eliminating fares increases ridership and to collect data on ridership patterns and potential revenue offsets.
Staff presentation described the proposal and cited comparable systems — Kansas City, Cincinnati and Milwaukee — that operate fare-free services; the presenter said the pilot would let Embark “watch … if it increases our ridership and go from there.” The motion to adopt the pilot was made by Robert, seconded by Meg, and approved by the board.
Why it matters: Board members framed the pilot as a limited, measurable test of whether fare elimination attracts new riders and changes trip frequency. Trustee James D. Cooper cited a University of Kansas news summary, saying a study found “17% of respondents said that they started using bus service because it became free,” and argued the pilot could advance equitable access to transit. Trustee Ruiz noted the streetcar’s farebox currently covers a small portion of system costs, stating that “the fare of the street car makes up about 1.7% of the budget. So approximately a $100,000 annually.”
Discussion and data collection: Trustees and staff discussed possible revenue-replacement strategies, including sponsorships and advertising, and asked that the pilot collect stop-level boardings and alightings to show where riders travel and whether they connect to retail destinations that contribute to sales tax. Staff said sponsorship and advertising opportunities are being pursued and that electronic ridership data and stop counts can be used to analyze travel patterns without capturing personal data.
Next steps: The pilot is scheduled to begin Jan. 5, 2026. Staff will run the program through July 5, collect ridership and stop-level data, pursue sponsorships and report back to the board; the board reserved the option to expand or adjust the program based on pilot findings.
Votes and procedural note: The motion to adopt the pilot was moved by Robert and seconded by Meg and was approved by voice and electronic tally; the transcript records that the motion passed but does not show a roll-call tally of yes/no votes.
