Embark (styled in all caps as EMBARK) is a public transit agency in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Operated by the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority (COTPA), EMBARK is the largest transit agency in the state and operates services throughout the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.
In 2024, the system had a ridership of 2,987,100, or about 8,200 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2025.
History
The Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority was established on February 1, 1966, by the Oklahoma City Council to continue transit service as private operator Oklahoma Transportation Company, which provided bus service to the community, as City Bus Company, had announced it would discontinue transit service due to low ridership. There were initially only 18 buses, all leased from the Oklahoma Transportation Company (OTC).[3]
The system was rebranded as MassTrans in 1975[3] and used that name until 1992, when it was rebranded as Metro Transit,[4] though the official name remains in use as well.
COTPA was reorganized in 1989, when the city established a Transit Services division to provide senior management through an inter-local operating agreement. COTPA also purchased the historic Union Station in Downtown Oklahoma City, which served as an administrative office until 2022.[3]
Embark previously operated "Oklahoma Spirit Trolleys", a trolley-replica bus network from 1999 to 2020.[5]
Oklahoma City's downtown transit center at N.W. 4th St. and Hudson Ave. opened to customers in 2004 after the previous transit hub was demolished to make way for construction of the Paycom Center.[6]
A 2009 GilligLow Floor bus, repainted for the change from Metro to Embark, in service in 2021.
In September 2013, it was announced that Metro Transit would change its name to Embark, effective April 28, 2014, and include a new bus route system.
On October 15, 2015, Embark announced that it would begin offering free Wi-Fi on all buses, on all routes.[7][8]
In August 2016, Embark received the award for "North America's Outstanding Public Transportation System" by the American Public Transportation Association for systems providing fewer than 4 million annual passenger trips.[9]
In December 2018, Embark began operation of Oklahoma City Streetcar, the state's only modern streetcar system, which services a nearly five-mile route in the urban core.[10]
On January 27, 2019, Sunday bus service was implemented for the first time in Oklahoma City public transportation history, utilizing the same operational routes and schedules as maintained on Saturdays. On Monday, September 2, 2019 (Labor Day), Embark buses began operating on all major holidays, resulting in the area's public transportation service operating 365 days a year for the first time; the authority utilizes the same schedule and active routes used on weekends during major holidays.
In late 2019, EMBARK assumed operation of Cleveland Area Rapid Transit's non-campus service, which consisted of seven bus routes and paratransit in Norman.[11] In 2023, EMBARK opened a new transit center in downtown Norman and redesigned the Norman route network.[12]
In 2022, Embark broke ground on construction of RAPID NW, Oklahoma City's first Bus Rapid Transit route.[13] Service opened on December 3, 2023.
Fares
No fare to riders 18 and under with EMBARK's Haul Pass Program. Eligible riders can fill out an application for Haul Pass.
EMBARK offers Reduced Fare for persons 65 and older, persons on Medicare and persons with a qualifying disability. They are also known as Special Patrons.
All buses have driver shields to minimize interaction.
Oklahoma City local fare (Single Ride)
Regular: $1.75 – Special Patron: $0.75
Express Service (OKC to Norman)
Regular: $3 – Special Patron: $1.50
One express route serves Norman on Monday through Friday only. Service in the City of Edmond will no longer be provided by Embark effective June 30, 2009. The City of Edmond's new Citylink service began July 1, 2009. Citylink comes to the EMBARK Transit Center twice daily during the week at 7:50am and 4:50pm.
OKC Streetcar
Regular: $3 – Special Patron: $1.50
Passes
All passes are universal and can be used for both local, express, streetcar, and RAPID NW.
Annual Pass – Regular: $600 – Special Patron - $300
30-Day Pass – Regular: $50 – Special Patron: $25
24-Hour Pass – Regular: $4 – Special Patron: $2
7-Day Pass – Regular: $14 – Special Patron: $7
Routes
Embark currently operates fixed-route bus service in Oklahoma City and bus routes in Norman that were previously operated by Cleveland Area Rapid Transit, along with an express route between Norman and Downtown Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City routes
Embark's downtown transit center, at NW 4th and Hudson.A high-floor bus (type Orion V), carrying a bike on the front, in 2007.
Most (but not all) EMBARK routes terminate at the EMBARK Transit Center in Downtown Oklahoma City.
RAPID is a bus rapid transit service operated by EMBARK. RAPID services specially-designed larger stations and utilizes transit signal priority to ensure faster trips.[14] RAPID operates seven days per week with 12-30 minute headways.
The service currently consists of one line, RAPIDNW (route 200 on destination signs), which travels from the EMBARK Transit Center in Downtown Oklahoma City along Classen Boulevard and Northwest Expressway (SH-3) to a park-and-ride lot at the intersection of Meridian Avenue and SH-3.[15] The line travels 9.5 miles (15.3km) and services 32 stops (15 outbound and 18 inbound).[14]
Two other RAPID lines in northeast and southern Oklahoma City are planned as part of the MAPS 4 project.[16]
All EMBARK Norman routes are free to ride (except the 24 Norman Express, which requires a timed pass or express fare) and start at the Norman Transit Center on Comanche Street in downtown Norman.[17] Buses operate Monday through Saturday unless otherwise specified.
Two trips per day Tuesday and Friday only Does not run if the SSA office is closed
Former routes
1 Garden Day/NE 23 & Bryant (discontinued on April 28, 2014, due to low ridership; eastern loop replaced by extended Route 2)[18]
4 Belle Isle/NW 23rd & Walker (discontinued on April 28, 2014, due to low ridership with the northwesternmost portion transferred to Route 5)[18]
5 (Same area now served by Route 3)
6
17
20 SE OKC/Crossroads/SE 74th & Shields (discontinued on April 28, 2014; replaced by rerouted Route 14)
21
25 S. 44th St Crosstown/S. Meridian (discontinued July 21, 2003)
26 Northwest Expressway/County Line Rd. & Britton (discontinued August 2, 2004)
29 Airport/NW 50th & Portland (discontinued June 25, 2007; Routes 10 and 11 extended to serve the ends of the route)
37 Edmond Express/Oklahoma City (discontinued June 30, 2009)
39 Edmond Local/Oklahoma City (discontinued August 2, 2004)
50 The CIRC (Transit Center, Bricktown, Bass Pro Shops, Bricktown Landing, discontinued in 2020)
80 Eastern OK County (discontinued July 20, 2008)
81 NW Area Neighborhoods (discontinued on April 28, 2014)
82 Southwest Area (Became 83 Southwest Area by 2011 due to restructuring; discontinued on April 28, 2014)
82 (served the northeast area; discontinued on April 28, 2014)
83 Southeast Area (Became 84 Southeast Area by 2011 due to restructuring; discontinued on April 28, 2014)
84 Shep. Mall – St Anthony – MetroTech (discontinued on June 30, 2009, due to restructuring)
85 West Area (Eliminated by 2011 due to restructuring)
Link
An unusual aspect of Embark was the Link program, which is a combination of owl service and paratransit service. Since regularly scheduled routes operate only until about 8pm local time, and not at all Sundays, Link provides nominally fixed route service from 7 pm until 12 midnight Monday through Saturday, and Sunday from 7 am until 7 pm. The four routes may however, deviate by as much as three-quarters of a mile from the fixed route if the customer notifies Embark by 4 pm the day before (or by 12 noon Saturday for Monday service). An additional fee will be charged in that instance, but customers using the fixed stops will be charged the normal fare. The Link was discontinued in April 2014 as Embark began extending hours on 5 routes (see below), as well as adding Sunday and holiday service on most bus routes in 2019.
Fleet
As of early 2024, the Embark OKC fleet consists of 71 buses: 62 fixed-route buses and nine RAPID BRT buses. The fleet consists of 58% CNG buses, 37% diesel buses, 2% hybrid buses and 3% electric buses, with a goal to become 100% alternative-fueled fleet by 2025. The fleet has an average age of 7.7 years (revenue), with an average of 367,386 lifetime miles per vehicle.[19] Much of the current Embark fleet can be referenced in the table below.
EMBARK operates Oklahoma River Cruises, a ferry service on the Oklahoma River, which provides public service seasonally from April to November.[22] The service also operates private charter cruises.
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