OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Saying his city is facing a transportation crisis, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt this week called for an extensive new transit system that would include commuter rail, light rail, and bus rapid transit.
The “One Transit” plan calls for a 39-mile commuter rail line between Edmond and Norman via downtown Oklahoma City, as well as light rail to Will Rogers International Airport. Those and other modes would meet at a downtown intermodal hub.
The Oklahoman newspaper reports that the One Transit Board, formerly the Regional Transportation Authority of Central Oklahoma, says the commuter rail operation would follow an existing BNSF rail line and would entail capital costs of $700 million to $800 million. The federal government would provide roughly half the funds. The One Transit website says the commuter rail service would have 10 stations plus one special-event stop, and have a peak per-hour capacity of up to 2,400 riders in each direction…