Norman is teaming up with other central Oklahoma cities to compete for a stimulus grant to build a commuter rail system.
“Six central Oklahoma cities have joined together to compete for the TIGER Grant, which will give us the money to build a commuter rail system in central Oklahoma,” said Doug Rex, division director of transportation planning and data at the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments.
Rex said the grant is a federal stimulus grant given to regions that have ideas on utilizing a $1.5 billion grant for transportation and infrastructure projects that have a minimum budget of $25 million.
“TIGER stands for Transportation Infrastructure Generating Economic Recovery,” he said. “The deadline for submitting proposals and applications is on Sept. 15 and the competition for this money is very competitive. If we are approved for the grant, we will know by February 2010. All proposals must be shovel-ready and be able to be completed by 2012.”
If the proposal wins the grant, six cities (Norman, Moore, Oklahoma City, Edmond, Del City and Midwest City) will receive commuter train service.
Norman mayor Cindy Rosenthal said the decision to compete for the TIGER Grant was a result of the Obama administration’s emphasis on using the grant to create projects that reduce green house gas emissions from vehicles and improving public transportation services.
“I think we have a better chance at getting the grant because we aren’t just using the money for traditional roads,” Rex said.
Rex said the state owns a portion of the track between Oklahoma City and Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City.
“For that line, all we would need to do is buy equipment,” Rosenthal said. “That portion would probably be the part of the project that is up and running first.”
Norman’s portion of the project will require turning dirt to build a second track alongside Norman’s existing track, something Rex said Norman was ready for if it received the money.
“The first sign that something is going on that concerns the project is the double tracking we will be doing from Norman to Edmond,” Rex said. “The minute we get this money, we will be ready to start turning dirt.”
Current Cleveland Area Rapid Transit bus riders are interested about the opportunity to take a train to Oklahoma City.
“If I miss the bus, then I miss three classes,” said Gilene Bibalou, an international student studying law.
Bibalou takes the CART Sooner Express from Norman to Oklahoma City to get to class.
“Traffic is bad both in the morning and in the afternoon,” she said. “Buses almost always run late, too. If I can take a train, then I wouldn’t have to worry about getting to class on time. I like the idea of taking the train rather than relying on the bus.”
Norman resident Marcia Tillison, who makes bus transfers frequently on the South Oval and uses CART as her primary mode of transportation, said she is excited about the possibility of having access to services in Oklahoma City.
“It would be great to have the opportunity to go to Oklahoma City,” Tillison said. “CART riders who want to go to the city now have to wait an hour for a bus that takes them up there, and that is if the buses are running on time. It would be great to have access to the services available in the city.”
Rosenthal also said if the project is approved the CART bus system would adapt to the placement of a new commuter rail station and also to the train’s schedule.
“Discussion has already begun and is on-going about CART’s role as future regional transit system,” Rosenthal said.
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oumotorcyclist 2 years, 9 months ago
This would be a huge help for the international students as they often find themselves stranded at home since it does not make economic sense to buy a car for just a year. Traffic in Norman will become horrifyingly bad on the east side while they put in a second track, though.