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MAPS 3 Oklahoma City Streetcar testing begins Tuesday night in Bricktown

Post Date:06/18/2018 2:14 PM

The MAPS 3 Oklahoma City Streetcar will begin on-street testing Tuesday evening along the 2-mile Bricktown Loop.

Streetcar testing will be ongoing until the scheduled start of service late this year. Testing will begin along the Downtown Loop when construction is completed on that track in late summer.

The system’s overhead electric wires will be on – “hot” – during testing. Never touch the overhead wire, which is high voltage and dangerous.

The testing will confirm the tracks were built according to plans and specifications. Testing includes clearances with stops and adjoining signs, signals, poles and more. The electrical and signaling systems will also be tested, along with operation of the streetcars themselves to ensure readiness for passenger safety.

Each streetcar must have at least 310 miles of testing before certification to carry passengers.

Drivers should be on the lookout for streetcars while testing is under way. The streetcars will observe all traffic laws, just like other motorists. Streetcars may travel slower than some traffic, and make frequent stops.

Be aware of the streetcar when parking on the street along the route. Park close to the curb and inside the white line to stay clear of the streetcar’s path and avoid being towed.

Track safety tips and videos for cyclists, motorists and pedestrians can be found on EMBARK’s website, and on EMBARK’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube feeds.

EMBARK will operate the OKC Streetcar as part of the City’s public transit system.

About the OKC Streetcar system

The streetcar will have two route options: the 2-mile Bricktown Loop and 4.8-mile Downtown Loop. Click here for a map.

The OKC Streetcar will serve 22 stops with five streetcars, which ride on rails flush with the street. The streetcars use overhead wires for electric power on part of the route, and batteries for the rest.

Each streetcar can carry 104 passengers, and each stop will be served every 12-15 minutes.

The Downtown Loop will begin service at 6 a.m. Monday to Friday and 7 a.m. Saturday. Service ends at midnight Monday to Thursday, extending to 2 a.m. on Friday night (Saturday morning) and Saturday night (Sunday morning).

The Bricktown Loop is served 7 a.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday, and 7 a.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday, and will be activated for other special events.

The streetcar system is expected to be operational on Sundays when there are large special events along the route to generate trips.

A safety campaign is under way to educate drivers, pedestrians and cyclists how to safely interact with the streetcar once rail service begins. The campaign will continue when streetcar operations begin.

Each OKC Streetcar stop is ADA-accessible for easy, level boarding with signage, real-time arrival information, covered shelters and a ticket vending machine. EMBARK will launch a mobile ticketing app later this year.

The project budget is $131 million and includes the storage and maintenance facility, completed last year.

Herzog-Stacey and Witbeck is building the rail line. Consultants include ADG, Jacobs Engineering, AECOM and SOJ. EMBARK contracted Herzog Transit Services to manage OKC Streetcar’s day-to-day operations.

Stay updated on how construction will affect traffic on City streets as the project progresses by signing up for email alerts or visiting the streetcar construction update page on the MAPS 3 website.