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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Community Planning and Transportation Committee Meeting - February 26, 2026

Public Meetings & Live-Streams — Thursday, February 26, 2026

BodyNorman, Oklahoma

SessionPublic Meetings & Live-Streams

DateThursday, February 26, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:37:01

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:04

Yeah, yeah.

0:05

Yeah.

0:06

I think the I remember the only point time I've been there is when we did the public sales tax.

0:10

We actually everybody, it is four o'clock, and we are live, so we'll go ahead and get started with the community planning and transportation committee meeting for Tuesday Thursday, February 26th, 2026.

0:21

And we have four items on the agenda.

0:24

And um staff did just let me know there was a problem with the system and getting the agenda pub the attachments published, but they are now on there for anybody uh needs that.

0:36

Um the first item on the agenda is presentation of January public transit report.

0:41

We have Taylor here with City Staff to lead the discussion.

0:44

Thank you, Mayor and Council members.

0:46

Uh this item on the screen is the second agenda item, so we'll get to that.

0:50

But the first as always is the the memo that you guys have in your packet.

0:54

Um going over some updates for the transit program and our services.

0:58

Um there's the general stuff in there, just the ongoing uh data about our vehicle maintenance and vehicle procurement, um, which we're uh happy to say that we're only have one bus that's should be replaced that's not on order, and we'll see if we can get to that um next fiscal year.

1:16

Um I will say there was an update on our three big buses that are on order.

1:21

Um due to and this will get into the budget discussion a little bit, but due to tariffs, the the manufacturer Gillig got an amendment through the state of Washington contract to potentially pass along some cost to us, even though we have our buses on order.

1:35

So we might see that a year from now when those buses are being built.

1:38

So just uh putting that out on on radar and that could be a potential budget impact um for next fiscal year when they go to the assembly line.

1:47

Where are they made?

1:48

In um California, and it starts with an L, but I don't remember the town now, just east of San Francisco.

1:56

But parts that's probably terrifying parts.

2:00

Yeah, on parts and goods itself.

2:03

They're assembled in the United States.

2:04

I should say that it's uh up to, but depending on what it is at the time, that's and it would be a request, so those are things we'll have to work with.

2:13

And I just we just talked about that today, and so it's a it's a really recent update.

2:18

So still figuring that out, but of course want to keep that top of mind.

2:22

Um honestly move to the ridership because I know we have a lot of other things on the agenda.

2:29

Uh for January for the for MBAR Norman, we had uh just shy of 35,000 rides, and last January we were almost at 40,000.

2:39

Um for the service as a whole, uh comparing the service service dates from January to January.

2:45

We had one less weekday in this January, plus there was four uh weather days compared to one last January.

2:51

So I think that has to do with why we dipped this past month.

2:55

Um obviously the snow doesn't help when people have to inherently walk to and from bus stops and things.

3:01

So uh but we did go down.

3:03

Um interestingly, plus ridership actually increased by about a thousand.

3:08

So um we'll keep monitoring that and watching for that.

3:12

Uh and then uh also interestingly the bikes and other mobility devices increased from 606 608 last January to 926.

3:21

So even with the snow and those weather days, we still saw more bikes and other mobility devices on our buses, which is a good thing.

3:28

Yeah, so pretty significant increase in the airport traffic too, 21% on the uh fixed route money for Friday.

3:38

Yep.

3:39

Yep, so there was a little bit of increase on that route, and then uh because there's such heavily ridden ridership on the East Lindsay route.

3:46

And that that can have to do with if the university closes, obviously that route has a lot of apartment complexes on it and serves a big student population.

3:54

But yeah, there were some increases, but uh overall we did see that decrease.

3:57

So 29.7% total for Saturday fixed route, and every route shows an increase.

4:05

Uh West timer being 92%.

4:08

Yeah, and I think that has to do with so we had one less weekday of service, but one more Saturday of service.

4:13

So we kind of traded those, and but overall we saw a decrease probably uh with that.

4:17

Okay on the ridership as a whole.

4:22

And then for Norman on demand, um, really quickly, the last uh performance report in this in this packet.

4:29

We had uh 1813 riders in January compared to 3272 last January.

4:37

Um again, just feeling out the the rate increase that was implemented in September.

4:43

Um and just really letting that service settle in because it is that on-demand service though, the operator uh via is able to scale back on hours of service.

4:54

So we are hopefully gonna see a little bit of savings by the end of the fiscal year for this contract.

5:00

But if they do notice an increase in ridership, they can ramp it back up.

5:03

They just kind of hold hold that pulse really tightly so that way they can modify it as they go week to week.

5:09

So I feel like I'm not seeing them on campus core any more R.

5:14

Well anyway.

5:26

Any questions about transit ridership reports?

5:33

So the second item is uh fiscal year 2027 fund 27 trunk transit budget discussion.

5:40

Um I thought I'd do like a quick spin around in my chair for this and the next item.

5:45

But um we're just gonna run through kind of some history, uh, where we're showing the projections uh for next year, and then talk about some of the things we've been talking about for the last six or seven or eight months that you all kind of wanted us to flush out as an expense possibly, but get some direction on next year's budget.

6:04

Uh I know we've been talking a lot about general fund, but ours is impacted by sales tax as well.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Transportation█████████████████████████████████████████████54%

Parking Management█████████████████20%

Engineering And Infrastructure██████7%

Budget Equity Analysis████5%

Fiscal Sustainability███3%

Public Engagement███3%

Disability Rights███3%

Tax Increment Financing███3%

Zoning And Land Use██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Community Planning and Transportation Committee Meeting - February 26, 2026

The Community Planning and Transportation Committee met on February 26, 2026, to discuss the January public transit report, the FY2027 transit budget, downtown parking policy, and updates on the Access Oklahoma East-West Corridor project. Staff presented ridership data, budget projections, and parking management changes, with council providing direction on several items.

Discussion Items

January Public Transit Report

Taylor (City Staff) presented the January 2026 transit ridership report. Total fixed-route ridership was just shy of 35,000 rides, down from nearly 40,000 in January 2025, attributed to one fewer weekday and four weather days. Saturday ridership increased 29.7% across all routes, with West Timpary up 92%. Bikes and mobility devices on buses increased from 608 to 926. Norman On-Demand ridership fell to 1,813 riders from 3,272 in January 2025, following a fare increase implemented in September 2025. The operator is scaling back hours to achieve savings.
Vehicle maintenance updates: Only one bus remains to be replaced; three large buses on order may face cost increases due to tariffs, potentially impacting next fiscal year's budget.

FY2027 Transit Budget Discussion

Taylor reviewed the history of transit since the city took over from OU in 2019, including the passage of the public transit sales tax in November 2019. The FY2027 Fund 27 (Transit and Parking) projections show revenues of approximately $6.9 million (including $2.8 million in FTA grants and sales tax) and expenses of about $6.9 million, leaving a surplus of roughly $590,000. Staff proposed several unbudgeted items:
- Norman On-Demand continuation: $650,000 (with OU contribution of $131,000, net cost $518,000)
- Route 110 frequency increase (to 30 minutes): $335,000
- Potential funding for Route 24 (Norman-OKC) if Embark OKC reduces service
- Transit Center security expansion: $28,000 (to cover full service hours)
Council discussed the high cost of microtransit ($21-22 per ride) and the need to balance services. Councilmember Grant suggested scaling back microtransit hours or zone coverage to save money. Councilmember Dixon supported funding security and possibly Norman Express, but not the full microtransit cost. Councilmember Bruce questioned the viability of reducing microtransit to core ADA and late-night functions.
Staff noted the $590,000 surplus would be almost entirely consumed if microtransit and security were funded, leaving no reserve. The city's goal has been self-sustaining transit without general fund subsidy. Council directed staff to work with the operator and OU to identify possible savings in microtransit, while planning to include $28,000 for security expansion. The Route 110 frequency increase was deferred for now. Council also expressed interest in the Embark Well program (pending grant) and increasing microtransit fares if needed.

Downtown Parking Discussion

Staff presented an overview of downtown parking, including the new management plan adopted December 9, 2025, which increased Gray Street lot rates from $0.25 to $0.50 per hour and decreased ASP lot rates from $1.00 to $0.50 to encourage use. The map showed various time limits: purple (no time limit), yellow (1 hour), orange (1.5 hours), red (2 hours), and green (paid lots).
Council supported making most timed parking on Main Street, Gray Street, and around the courthouse consistent at 2 hours (red), while retaining the no-time-limit areas (purple) such as near the Well and Jones Avenue. Councilmember Peacock advocated for longer times to encourage lingering. Councilmember Nofire noted consistency reduces confusion and tickets. Commissioner Hughes from Cleveland County requested timed parking (2 hours) instead of paid parking around the courthouse to improve access for taxpayers and jurors. Staff noted that removing the courthouse paid meters would lose about $23,000 in annual revenue, but the Gray Street lot rate increase would generate an equivalent amount, resulting in no net change.
Council directed staff to prepare changes to convert yellow (1-hour) and orange (1.5-hour) zones to red (2 hours) on Main Street and Gray Street, and to replace paid parking around the courthouse with 2-hour timed parking. The no-time-limit areas will remain. Staff will notify downtown businesses and property owners before implementation.

Access Oklahoma East-West Corridor Project Updates

Staff provided an update on the OTA project. The bridge over the Canadian River will mobilize in early March. OTA will construct what was formerly Phase II (Franklin Road to Indian Hills), saving the city an estimated $3.5-4 million. The city will contribute $2.2 million plus in-kind services. An interlocal agreement will be brought to council on March 10, 2026.
Upcoming bid lettings: Interchange at 60th Ave NW in August 2026; 48th to 36th Ave section in September; bridge at 48th Ave in October; 36th Ave in November; and section from 36th Ave to I-35 in January 2027. OTA expects east-west traffic from I-44 to I-35 operational by end of 2027.
ODOT's Highway 9 project (from 2024) is substantially complete with barrel removal and striping underway. A longer-term study on Highway 9 from I-35 to East 24th is ongoing, potentially a freeway with overpasses.
Next CPTC meeting will feature ODOT presenting findings from the Highway 9 safety audit. ODOT is also taking public comment on the Robinson to 4th Street corridor study.

Key Outcomes

Transit Budget Direction: Council directed staff to budget for $28,000 to expand Transit Center security and to continue Norman On-Demand with efforts to reduce costs (e.g., scaling back hours or zone). Staff will negotiate with OU and the operator. The Route 110 frequency increase was not funded for FY2027. Council will revisit funding for Route 24 next year.
Downtown Parking Changes: Council instructed staff to change downtown timed parking on Main Street, Gray Street, and around the courthouse to 2-hour limits (red), while keeping existing no-time-limit zones (purple). The paid parking around the courthouse will be replaced with timed parking. Staff will notify businesses and implement changes.
OTA Agreement: The interlocal agreement with OTA for the East-West Corridor will be presented to council on March 10, 2026.
Future Discussions: ODOT will present Highway 9 safety audit findings at the next CPTC meeting. The city will continue to monitor transit budget scenarios.

Note: No formal votes were taken; decisions were consensus-based directives to staff.

Meeting Transcript

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I think the I remember the only point time I've been there is when we did the public sales tax. We actually everybody, it is four o'clock, and we are live, so we'll go ahead and get started with the community planning and transportation committee meeting for Tuesday Thursday, February 26th, 2026. And we have four items on the agenda. And um staff did just let me know there was a problem with the system and getting the agenda pub the attachments published, but they are now on there for anybody uh needs that. Um the first item on the agenda is presentation of January public transit report. We have Taylor here with City Staff to lead the discussion. Thank you, Mayor and Council members. Uh this item on the screen is the second agenda item, so we'll get to that. But the first as always is the the memo that you guys have in your packet. Um going over some updates for the transit program and our services. Um there's the general stuff in there, just the ongoing uh data about our vehicle maintenance and vehicle procurement, um, which we're uh happy to say that we're only have one bus that's should be replaced that's not on order, and we'll see if we can get to that um next fiscal year. Um I will say there was an update on our three big buses that are on order. Um due to and this will get into the budget discussion a little bit, but due to tariffs, the the manufacturer Gillig got an amendment through the state of Washington contract to potentially pass along some cost to us, even though we have our buses on order. So we might see that a year from now when those buses are being built. So just uh putting that out on on radar and that could be a potential budget impact um for next fiscal year when they go to the assembly line. Where are they made? In um California, and it starts with an L, but I don't remember the town now, just east of San Francisco. But parts that's probably terrifying parts. Yeah, on parts and goods itself. They're assembled in the United States. I should say that it's uh up to, but depending on what it is at the time, that's and it would be a request, so those are things we'll have to work with. And I just we just talked about that today, and so it's a it's a really recent update. So still figuring that out, but of course want to keep that top of mind. Um honestly move to the ridership because I know we have a lot of other things on the agenda. Uh for January for the for MBAR Norman, we had uh just shy of 35,000 rides, and last January we were almost at 40,000. Um for the service as a whole, uh comparing the service service dates from January to January. We had one less weekday in this January, plus there was four uh weather days compared to one last January. So I think that has to do with why we dipped this past month. Um obviously the snow doesn't help when people have to inherently walk to and from bus stops and things. So uh but we did go down. Um interestingly, plus ridership actually increased by about a thousand. So um we'll keep monitoring that and watching for that. Uh and then uh also interestingly the bikes and other mobility devices increased from 606 608 last January to 926. So even with the snow and those weather days, we still saw more bikes and other mobility devices on our buses, which is a good thing. Yeah, so pretty significant increase in the airport traffic too, 21% on the uh fixed route money for Friday. Yep. Yep, so there was a little bit of increase on that route, and then uh because there's such heavily ridden ridership on the East Lindsay route. And that that can have to do with if the university closes, obviously that route has a lot of apartment complexes on it and serves a big student population. But yeah, there were some increases, but uh overall we did see that decrease. So 29.7% total for Saturday fixed route, and every route shows an increase. Uh West timer being 92%. Yeah, and I think that has to do with so we had one less weekday of service, but one more Saturday of service. So we kind of traded those, and but overall we saw a decrease probably uh with that. Okay on the ridership as a whole. And then for Norman on demand, um, really quickly, the last uh performance report in this in this packet. We had uh 1813 riders in January compared to 3272 last January. Um again, just feeling out the the rate increase that was implemented in September. Um and just really letting that service settle in because it is that on-demand service though, the operator uh via is able to scale back on hours of service.

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