plan process
 

DRAFT Goal: Equity

Provide transportation access for everyone.

All Central Oklahomans deserve access to transportation. However, many obstacles can stand in the way, such as great distances between necessary destinations, inability to purchase or drive an automobile, inaccessible or incomplete information about available transportation services, and possible difficulties in speaking or reading the English language.

Strategies

1. Ensure that transportation improvements and services are provided equitably.

Transportation improvements and services in Central Oklahoma will be provided without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, national origin, disability/handicap, sex, age, or income of the transportation system user. Transportation improvements and services will be provided not only in the urban part of Central Oklahoma, but also in the suburban and rural areas.

 

2. Construct and maintain accessible sidewalks and provide better pedestrian crossings.

Sidewalks and pedestrian crossings are used not only for recreational walking, but also to catch the bus, to reach parking lots, and other purposes. Sidewalks must have curb cuts and pedestrian crossings should use safety technologies.

 

3. Expand and maintain a safe and secure public transportation system that provides accessible fleets, centers, and sheltered stops.

Buses and transit centers must be equipped to accommodate people with limited mobility and disabilities, while transit stops need to provide shelter from the elements.

 

—4. Expand paratransit service beyond the minimum federal requirement.

Expanding the paratransit service area will greatly enhance travel options and mobility for Central Oklahomans with disabilities.

 

—5. Improve access and coordination between human service agencies as well as public and private transportation providers.

Coordination between human service agencies and transportation providers will ensure that people are able to find the transportation services they need, and that resources will not be wasted by a duplication of effort.

 

—6. Provide more materials in languages other than English where feasible and appropriate.

Not all Central Oklahomans speak or read English. When reasonable, transportation-related materials will be provided in other languages.

—Challenges to consider:

  • How do we encourage communities to construct more sidewalks?

  • How do we better plan for an aging population?

  • Where will sufficient and reliable funding sources for public transportation come from?