Rail
Oklahoma City is experiencing a new renaissance in rail service. What began with only freight service in the early 1990s was transformed by the arrival of the Heartland Flyer. With its daily service to Fort Worth, the Heartland Flyer provides access to the nation's rail network and has given Oklahoma City yet another option for inter-state transportation.
There were plans in the early 1990s to build a light rail system for the city as part of the MAPS urban redevelopment program, but the project stalled repeatedly on issues of funding. (Ernest Istook, 5th District Congressman and chairman of the congressional transportation committee, played a major role in killing federal funding for the project). However he played vital roles in getting other major cities funded for light rail like Los Angeles.
A downtown trolley system will be implemented under a future new MAPS 3 initiative. METRO Transit released a new Mass Transit plan in January 2006 that details its vision of rapid transit in the coming years. The study results showed light-rail trolley in downtown OKC, commuter rail from downtown to the suburbs of Edmond and Norman, and a comprehensive, specialized metropolitan bus network.
Read more about this topic: Transportation In Oklahoma City
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