METRO Magazine Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

OKC Streetcar Reaches 1 Million Rider Milestone

The OKC Streetcar was one of the 2009 voter-approved MAPS 3 transit projects. 

OKC Streetcar Reaches 1 Million Rider Milestone

The OKC Streetcar is the region's first local passenger rail in nearly a century.

Photo: OKC Streetcar

2 min to read


The OKC Streetcar reached its 1 million rider milestone on Saturday, Sept. 10, since service began in December 2018. 

The OKC Streetcar was one of the 2009 voter-approved MAPS 3 transit projects

Ad Loading...

“I commend everyone at OKC Streetcar for working together to get through a two-year period that was very challenging across the country for public transit, downtowns, and tourism,” said David Holt, Oklahoma City mayor. “As we transition into some normality, the Streetcar continues to emerge as a valuable resource for visitors, who are themselves an ever more important part of our local economy.”  

A project of the city's MAPS 3 program, EMBARK said the OKC Streetcar aims to strengthen community connections, support economic growth, and enhance mobility for residents and visitors in OKC's core.

OKC Streetcar construction was completed in October 2018, and the service officially launched on December 14, 2018, with fare collection beginning in February 2019.

EMBARK said the streetcar includes two route options: the 4.8-mile Downtown Loop and the two-mile Bricktown Loop, and serves five Downtown OKC districts, including Automobile Alley, Bricktown, City Center, Arts District, and Midtown.

The OKC Streetcar is the region's first local passenger rail in nearly a century, according to EMBARK.

Ad Loading...

“As we begin to welcome more aspects of a comprehensive transit system, including the RAPID Bus Rapid Transit line and the potential for commuter rail through RTA, we will begin to fully realize the important role that the Streetcar plays as a circulator for residents arriving downtown without a car," Holt said. "In the meantime, the Streetcar has already spurred major economic development downtown, and in moving more than a million passengers, it has obviously already established itself as a desirable amenity.” 

More Rail

Graphic from Amtrak promoting the B&P Tunnel Replacement and Frederick Douglass Tunnel project, featuring the Amtrak logo, project title and an illustration of a high-speed train near the West Baltimore MARC Station.
Railby News/Media ReleaseMarch 17, 2026

Amtrak Announces Community Grants for Projects Near Baltimore’s New Frederick Douglass Tunnel

Amtrak will open grant applications March 23 for community projects near the Frederick Douglass Tunnel alignment in Baltimore as part of a $50 million investment tied to the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program.

Read More →
Amtrak train with logo
Railby StaffMarch 16, 2026

Amtrak Marks Restoration of Two South Carolina Stations

The Denmark Station $2.3 million construction investment project includes a new 280-foot concrete boarding platform, built eight inches above the top of rail, for improved accessibility for passengers with disabilities and families with small children and much more.

Read More →
A view looking down the rail across the new Portal North Bridge.
Railby Staff and News ReportsMarch 13, 2026

NJ Transit, Amtrak Prepare to Open First Track on New Portal North Bridge

The new bridge will begin carrying passenger trains on March 16, replacing a 116-year-old swing bridge that has long caused delays.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Caltrain trains on tracks
Railby StaffMarch 6, 2026

Caltrain Adopts Corridor-Wide Right-of-Way Safety Strategy

Caltrain and its partners have implemented safety improvements at specific locations in response to known risk conditions, operational needs, and available funding since the agency’s founding.

Read More →
A photo of rail tracks in Ottawa, Canada

Building a National Framework for Transit Safety and Consistency

On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.

Read More →
Stairs in a New York rail station with text reading "USDOT Invests $686 Million to Modernize Aging Rail Stations."
Railby StaffMarch 2, 2026

FTA Invests $686M to Modernize Aging Rail Stations

Competitive FTA grants will support accessibility upgrades, family-friendly improvements, and cost-efficient capital projects at some of the nation’s oldest and busiest transit hubs.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A purple MBTA train at a Mansfield Station platform.
Railby StaffFebruary 27, 2026

MBTA Updates Rail Modernization Plan to Expand Reliability and Accessibility

The strategy outlines near- and long-term upgrades to ease congestion, support housing growth, and advance statewide climate goals.

Read More →
LA Metro underground station with vehicle
Railby StaffFebruary 27, 2026

LA Metro Sets D Line Subway Extension Launch Date

The 3.92-mile addition will soon take riders west beyond its current Wilshire and Western station in Koreatown, continuing under Wilshire Boulevard through neighborhoods and communities including Hancock Park, Windsor Square, the Fairfax District, and Carthay Circle into Beverly Hills.

Read More →
MBTA railcars
Railby StaffFebruary 26, 2026

Boston's MBTA Marks Progress in Regional Rail Modernization

The procurement advances the agency's broader efforts to modernize its rail fleet and position Regional Rail for long-term improvement.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
An Amtrak Acela
Railby StaffFebruary 26, 2026

Amtrak Sets New Course for Long-Distance Fleet Renewal

Under the plan, all long-distance routes will transition to a universal single-level fleet, replacing today’s mix of bi-level and single-level equipment.

Read More →