Two cities drop from Regional Transportation Authority as routes and costs emerge

Moore and Del City are withdrawing from the Regional Transportation Authority after the departure of Midwest City, leaving just three cities left to decide whether to fund a commuter rail between Edmond and Norman and bus rapid transit to Tinker Air Force Base.

Midwest City leaders cited the costs and doubts about full implementation for why they withdrew in December. Similar reasons were recently cited by Del City and Moore council members.

Brooks Mitchell, Moore city manager, said his city can buy back into the system at a later date. Concerns included the setup of a Regional Transportation Authority, which is a governing district that initially spanned the five cities. Communities still in that district will be asked to support funding for the transit system with a majority of votes required from the overall district.

“For a very small majority of votes from the other communities, they could bind the city of Moore to the RTA,” Mitchell explained. Council members also questioned why the transportation authority isn’t seeking matching grants to lower required annual contributions.

With Moore’s withdrawal, a plan to establish a commuter rail on BNSF Railway tracks would start in Edmond, stop at the Santa Fe station in downtown Oklahoma City and skip a stop in Moore on the way to Norman.

Del City and Midwest City’s withdrawals, meanwhile, take out the two cities that were to anchor a corridor between the Santa Fe station and Tinker Air Force Base. The transportation authority recently settled on two possible corridors for the proposed service and agreed they likely would need to start with bus rapid transit (BRT) instead of a rail connection.

More: A fast ride between downtown OKC and Tinker eyed as part of Regional Transit Authority

Del City Vice Mayor Pam Finch said her city's withdrawal left Del City leaders worried about whether the community would ultimately be left out of the regional system. With a population of 21,762, Del City is the smallest of the cities in the transportation authority. Del City’s neighbor, Midwest City, has a population of 57,392.

“We’re just a small town, and we can’t compete with the big guys,” Finch said. “We first thought this would be a rail line.”

The Regional Transportation Authority continues to look at the east line link with Tinker Air Force Base with reports base officials are eager to establish a public transportation link to downtown Oklahoma City. Plans call for a connection between the north-south commuter rail and the east-west bus rapid transit to give residents of Edmond, Norman and south Oklahoma City a travel link to Tinker.

Representatives of the transportation authority also have held talks with Yukon on whether it might be part of a potential west link.

Jason Ferbrache, director of the transportation authority, said he had expected Moore’s withdrawal after a discussion over what funding voters might be asked to support for the operation.

“Moore really had an interest in the RTA trying to pursue additional funding sources, primarily property taxes instead of or at least in combination with a sales tax,” Ferbrache said. “The enabling legislation only allows us to use a sales tax. For Moore, when it became evident the RTA wasn’t going to go to the Legislature to allow for other taxing authority, they were disappointed.”

Ferbrache said he understands Del City’s concerns. The east-west corridor is still a priority with Tinker officials discussing building a base transfer station for the service.

“The east corridor, even though Midwest City and Del City are out, is still a top priority,” Ferbrache said. “People live all over who go to Tinker. With this, they could take the train and then get a quick connection to the BRT to Tinker.”

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The withdrawals of Midwest City, Del City and Moore are happening as the transportation authority is set to host a virtual town hall at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday to update residents on plans for the proposed corridors. Those wanting to join the virtual meeting can go to tinyurl.com/RTATownHall or call 833-548-0282.

Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said the potential for a regional transportation network remains solid as long as Oklahoma City, Edmond and Norman remain committed to the effort. All three cities would connect to the proposed commuter rail that would parallel Interstate 35.

The  state Transportation Department spent $1 billion over the past 37 years widening I-35 to six lanes between downtown Oklahoma City and Norman.

Traffic engineer Brian Taylor recently told transportation board members no further widening is possible along the corridor due to dense commercial development on both sides of the interstate.

Traffic backups are common along the corridor. Taylor said the highway is projected to experience “near standstill traffic” during daytime hours within the next 30 years.

“We think there is great value in providing commuter rail to whatever communities want to be a part of it,” Holt said. “Most people have dreamed of a north-south line with Edmond to Norman with Oklahoma City in between. As long as we maintain those two end points, we still have the means in play.”

Steve Lackmeyer started at The Oklahoman in 1990. He is an award-winning reporter, columnist and author who covers downtown Oklahoma City, urban development and economics for The Oklahoman. Contact him at slackmeyer@oklahoman.com. Please support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com. 

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Regional transit will no longer connect with Del City and Moore