Commuter Rail Study On Track

Thursday, February 22nd 2007, 5:40 am

By: News On 6

Tulsa Transit wants to know if it should get on track for the future, with a mass transit system that runs on the rails. News On 6 reporter Emory Bryan reports Tulsa Transit hired a consultant to look at ways to speed up the mass transit service between Broken Arrow and downtown Tulsa.

Trains are an option but so are express buses, using dedicated lanes on the expressway. The idea of a rail line has some added steam because there is an existing track that runs along most of the Broken Arrow Expressway. A rail service would be expensive to start, but could move more people more quickly than buses. They on the other hand cost less, but run the risk of getting caught in traffic with everyone else. "One option is to do both. The rail is obviously not inhibited by traffic, and it would terminate in downtown Broken Arrow which would bypass a lot of the traffic when you get off the Broken Arrow Expressway," says Bill Cartwright, Tulsa Transitâ€™s general manager.

To view a short video of the proposed rail commuter route, CLICK HERE.

Tulsa Transit is studying the issue and should have a recommendation next month on what to do next. Their consultant says with more people in Broken Arrow and downtown Tulsa the need for mass transit will only increase and there isn't much more room on the Broken Arrow Expressway during rush hour.

For more information about the study visit www.tulsatransit.org.