Negotiates Operations and Maintenance Contract for Oklahoma City Streetcar

OKLAHOMA CITY – EMBARK’s Board of Trustees awarded a contract in June 2017 to Herzog Transit Services, Inc., for the start-up, operation and maintenance of the seven-vehicle Oklahoma City Streetcar system that will begin passenger service in late 2018. The $131-million MAPS 3 project started construction in January 2017.

The six-year contract with Herzog Transit Services, Inc., of Irving, Texas, will provide turn-key operations, vehicle maintenance and facility maintenance for the streetcar system. The firm will provide all required operations and maintenance functions, from preparing detailed operating procedures and readying the system for start-up, to providing all necessary day-to-day streetcar operations functions, including scheduling, training and maintenance of the 4.8 miles of revenue track, 0.4 miles of non-revenue track and all streetcar assets – including the streetcar fleet, track and switches, power systems, overhead catenary system (OCS), support vehicles, and its 22 passenger platforms.

“Herzog’s extensive passenger-rail experience contributed to their selection,” said Jason Ferbrache, EMBARK administrator. “Their partnership brings the expertise needed to introduce urban rail service to Oklahoma City.”

Herzog operates 13 other rail-based passenger projects in the U.S., including the Kansas City Streetcar that began operations mid-2016. Herzog was selected as the preferred proposer by the EMBARK selection committee in 2016. Negotiations have been underway since Dec. 21, 2016.

“The procurement process was rigorous and thorough. I would like to commend EMBARK and the City of Oklahoma City on a job well done,” said Scott Perry, Herzog’s president/CEO. “We look forward to becoming a part of the community and helping move Oklahoma City.”

The fixed-price operations and maintenance agreement include startup activities, as well as operations and maintenance. The first 12-months base cost is $570,000 for year one startup. The contract cost for the first full year of revenue service is $3.2 million with gradual annual increases to $3.7 million in the sixth year, contingent on meeting certain performance standards.

“Our contract with Herzog includes pricing options for hours of operations and service levels. We have designed a scenario that best fits our current transit operations,” added Ferbrache. “The flexibility of this contract allows us to balance hours for weekend service and special event service within the cost of operations. And should funding become available, we can also add service.”

The anticipated schedule for the OKC Streetcar will be Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m., and 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The schedule also allows for 1,200 service hours outside of that schedule for special events such as all Thunder home games, the annual Festival of the Arts, and other highly attended events, which may occur on Sundays.

About the MAPS 3 Streetcar Project

Locally funded by the 2009 MAPS 3 program, the Oklahoma City Streetcar is a $131-million capital project that kicked off construction in January 2017. Learn more about the construction of this MAPS 3 project.

The OKC Streetcar system will join EMBARK’s family of transit services and will operate as two lines – the B Line (Bricktown line) and the D Line (Downtown line). Each line will operate its own schedule. Both lines are co-mingled with traffic, and serve 22 curbside platforms. 

About EMBARK

EMBARK is the business unit of the Central Oklahoma Transportation & Parking Authority (COTPA) – a public trust administered by the City of Oklahoma City. EMBARK is responsible for providing safe, efficient and convenient public transportation and downtown parking solutions to the greater Oklahoma City area.

EMBARK is the 2016 North America Outstanding Public Transit System of the Year.

To learn more about EMBARK, view bus schedules and routes, or rideshare options, visit embarkok.com or call 405-235-7433 from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for personal assistance. To learn more about Spokies Bike Share, visit spokiesokc.com.