Maintaining a commitment to improve and grow public transit, the City of Norman will begin offering Saturday service on four of their bus routes beginning August 15. This service addition, which was funded in part by Norman voters enacting a one-eighth cent sales tax to fund transit, will help position the City to provide mobility options for residents and visitors.
Saturday service will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on fixed-route routes 110, 111, 112, 121, and on zone 1 ADA paratransit. While service time will remain consistent on OU football game days, detours and a temporary transfer center will be established for those days. As Norman continues to flourish, Mayor Breea Clark recognizes the need for continually improving public transit.
“I applaud our Norman residents for voting to fund public transportation, knowing it will enhance our city in the long run,” Clark said. “Great cities have robust transit options. We will continue to look for ways to improve our routes and service offerings, so we can better serve our residents.”
The City of Norman officially transitioned to EMBARK as the operator of their public transit system in August 2019, offering fixed-route bus and ADA paratransit service for customers. Service currently operates 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday – Friday.
“Many Norman residents rely on EMBARK to get to work, shop, and appointments,” said Darrel Pyle, City Manager. “Adding Saturday service expands opportunity for our residents and provides an essential service to our community.”
On July 14, the City Council approved a contract with Nelson Nygaard to conduct a comprehensive service analysis with the goal of examining and evaluating Norman’s transit system to determine where improvements can be made to make transit operations more effective and efficient across the network. The consultants and City of Norman will seek community feedback throughout the year-long study.
On August 25, Norman residents will have the opportunity to vote on a bond (Proposition 3) that includes $11 million for a Fleet and Fire maintenance facility. The facility would include wash facilities and service bays to maintain the City’s fleet of transit and fire vehicles. The full ballot includes four propositions that provide funding to complete the remaining Norman FORWARD quality-of-life projects, renovate municipal facilities to provide better service and safety to residents, address homelessness in Norman, and provide a relief mechanism to our city’s small businesses. Learn more here.
For more information about Norman’s bus route services, visit https://embarkok.com/norman/.