Broken Arrow is expected to launch a year-long micro-transit pilot program in the fall of 2023.
Broken Arrow City Manager Michael Spurgeon recommended the program's implementation to the City Council on Dec. 20. The plan is to start with three vehicles that will provide door-to-door services, similar to Uber, for Broken Arrow citizens who need transportation around the city and to downtown Tulsa, Okla.
City staff looked at various funding options and secured a $700,000 grant through the Indian Nations Council of Governments to provide an electric vehicle-based system. The grants will provide 80 percent of the funding for the purchase of the vehicles.
“It is about providing service to our citizens in a much better format,” said Broken Arrow Community Development Director Larry Curtis.
In the near-term, the pilot program includes a 12-month program serving the city's core and capable of adapting to the demand and the funding. A regional express bus service will also be a part of the program and will reduce the number of commuter trips during peak periods. A local transit authority will own these vehicles and operate these services.
“The current transit system is not reliable,” Broken Arrow City Councilor Lisa Ford said. “I see customers waiting for the bus in the rain, and pickup and departure times are not consistent. Even if it costs a little more, the convenience of doorstep to doorstep is going to be so much better for our citizens that do not drive.”
In the long term, the plan is for an expanded city-wide service area, with a private company provider. The regional express bus service will get higher frequency use during peak periods, and additional pick-up and drop-off locations will be added as needed. A fixed service route will be determined by the pilot program's observed travel patterns.
Last August, the Community Development Department was tasked with preparing an implementation plan following the results of a year-long transit study completed in 2022.
“The study indicated a lot of people didn’t know Broken Arrow had a bus program, and that plays a part in why we are currently spending a great deal of money per rider,” Curtis said.
Currently, the city has two routes operating. The Express Route 900 travels from the BattleCreek Church parking lot to downtown Tulsa and back, and Route 508 travels clockwise around the city on a specific route.
While the costs at first may go up incrementally to change the city’s public transportation system, the goal is to bring the overall costs per rider down, so it makes more economic sense for the entire system.
“I’m excited about this; I’ve been talking about this for a while, mostly pertaining to our seniors,” said Broken Arrow City Councilor Scott Eudey. “I absolutely support doing this; it makes a lot of sense.”
