July-August_2021 - 28

Mobility
" Our employees came to work,
kept transit running every day.
We never missed a day of service,
although we did reduce service for
a short time " he said. " Another
factor is how the pandemic impacted
planning efforts and our
staff did not slow down on any
projects or plans. "
EMBARK performed a comprehensive
operational analysis
during the pandemic knowing
the health crisis would draw to an
end and wanting to ensure plans,
such as further enhancements to
the bus system and future facility
needs, were understood.
" Our senior leadership team
developed an employee driven
transformation plan [dubbed The
Road Map], which is a strategic
business plan that will enhance
and improve our culture through
objectives and strategies. So far,
about 25 percent of our frontline
employees are involved in some
type of project or task to help us
bring this plan to fruition. We're
learning a new way to do business
and continuing to move forward, "
explained Ferbrache.
In addition to employee dedication,
he believes the precautions
applied when operating within a
pandemic environment helped
retain customers.
" One of the questions we asked
in our survey was customers' feelings
about safety and their satisfaction
with our COVID protocol
and we had 77 percent satisfaction.
We were able to maintain the
trust, " said Ferbrache. " Lastly, we
acknowledge the fact that we have
a transit dependent customer base,
particularly on the fixed-route
side, but this is a reminder to us
that we are an essential service and
for some, we are their only way to
access quality food, medical and
community aid. "
MAPS Funding
Where the 2030 Fixed Guideway
Plan provides a roadmap to better
transit, a voter-approved penny
sales tax provides a portion of its
funds to get there. The MAPS 4
program was approved in December
2019 and includes $87 million
for transit over eight years. Of this
funding, $10 million has been designated
for bus stop upgrades, $12
million will go toward additional
buses and traffic signal prioritization
and the largest portion of the
dedicated transit funds, $60 million,
will provide advanced transit
projects to the region.
" It's amazing having that type
of long-term and voter-approved
initiative out there. I think it motivates
us and reinforces that we
are a priority to our community
and lets our employees know that
public transit in Oklahoma City
is not stagnant; it's only going to
improve and grow and get better
from here, " said Ferbrache. " We do
have our work cut out for us for
the next 10 years, but we're looking
forward to getting the job done. "
EMBARK completed the
installation of 100 bus shelters
in Fiscal Year 2019, which represented
a 55-percent increase
in the number of covered stops.
With the MAPS 4 funding for
bus stops, EMBARK will be a
system where more than half of
its fixed-route stops will have
shelters and all of its stops will
have lighting.
Customers will not have
as long to appreciate the new
sheltered stops because the program's
dedicated investments in
additional buses will help deliver
additional 15-minute high-frequency
corridors to EMBARK's
fixed-route system.
To further improve reliability
and frequencies will be the
EMBARK'S
VISION is to be
world class
transportation
that is accessible
to all, and all
want to access it.
EMBARK IS scheduled to launch its first BRT in 2023.
JASON FERBRACHE speaking with a customer.
28 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | JULY/AUGUST 2021
http://www.MassTransitmag.com
July-August_2021

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