Oklahoma City Public Transit Ranked Worst Among 50 Largest U.S. Areas
Oklahoma City Public Transit Ranked Worst Among 50 Largest U.S. Urban Areas
Oklahoma City public transit ranks last among the nation’s 50 largest urban areas in a new ConsumerAffairs study, putting a spotlight on accessibility and ridership as city leaders move forward with nearly $100 million in MAPS 4 transit investments. The September 16 report placed Oklahoma City at No. 50 after evaluating transit systems for usefulness and accessibility, affordability and operational safety.
The study found that Oklahoma City’s biggest weakness was not the cost of riding transit but how useful and accessible the system is for everyday transportation. The average resident boarded public transit just 3.4 times during 2024, according to the analysis. Mayor David Holt said the ranking illustrates how much work remains while pointing to Sunday and holiday service, bus rapid transit and hundreds of bus stop improvements already underway.
Oklahoma City Public Transit Ranks Last for Usefulness and Accessibility
ConsumerAffairs examined federal transportation and Census data for the country’s 50 largest urban areas, rather than simply comparing individual transit agencies.
Its 2026 public transit study placed Oklahoma City at the bottom of the national ranking and found the metro had the lowest usefulness and accessibility score of any area studied.
Oklahoma City residents averaged only 3.4 transit boardings per person in 2024.
Affordability was considerably less of a problem. ConsumerAffairs calculated an average fare of 62 cents per boarding in Oklahoma City, helping the metro perform substantially better on cost than on ridership and accessibility.
The study also noted that the stations included in its Oklahoma City data were ADA compliant.
Other urban areas near the bottom of the ranking included Jacksonville, Buffalo, Indianapolis, Columbus and Memphis.
At the opposite end, San Francisco-Oakland ranked first overall, followed by New York-Jersey City-Newark. ConsumerAffairs emphasized that no single transit system dominated every category. Some cities with high ridership scored lower on affordability or safety, while inexpensive systems did not necessarily attract large numbers of riders.
For Oklahoma City, the findings reinforce a longstanding challenge: creating a transit network that residents can realistically use to reach jobs, schools, health care, shopping and other destinations in a geographically sprawling, historically car-dependent city.
“This ranking is a reminder of how far we still have to go,” Holt said. “We can’t expect to realize our aspirations as a city with a ranking like that.”
MAPS 4 Invests $97 Million in Oklahoma City Transit Improvements
Oklahoma City is already in the middle of its largest sustained effort to expand and modernize public transportation.
The city’s MAPS 4 transit program dedicates $97 million to transit projects, including bus stop improvements, additional buses, signal prioritization, future planning and expansion of bus rapid transit.
One of the most visible changes involves Oklahoma City’s bus stops.
The MAPS 4 plan includes $11.2 million to improve approximately 500 of the system’s 1,400 stops. Upgrades include ADA-accessible shelters, bicycle racks and lighting. When the program began, only about 200 stops had all of those amenities.
Another $13.4 million is dedicated to additional buses and traffic signal prioritization intended to improve frequency and reliability.
The largest piece involves advanced transit.
MAPS 4 includes $61 million for another Bus Rapid Transit corridor, connecting northeast and south Oklahoma City. The City Council approved a 17-mile route running from the Adventure District in northeast Oklahoma City to SW 89th Street and S Portland Avenue.
The planned corridor includes 26 station locations and is projected by the city to serve approximately 2,700 weekday riders while connecting to about 50,000 jobs.
Major destinations along the route include Metro Tech, Ralph Ellison Library, Automobile Alley, the Innovation District, Capitol Hill, INTEGRIS Southwest Medical Center and Oklahoma City Community College.
Construction is currently scheduled to begin in 2028.
RAPID NW Success Offers Model as Oklahoma City Plans Expansion
Oklahoma City officials are pointing to the performance of the city’s first Bus Rapid Transit line as evidence that higher-frequency transit can attract riders.
RAPID NW launched in December 2023, connecting downtown and central Oklahoma City with neighborhoods and destinations along Classen Boulevard and Northwest Expressway.
The line has since surpassed 1 million riders.
Oklahoma City's FY2027 budget documents report RAPID NW had served more than 1.01 million passengers since its launch, operating with 32 stops and two park-and-ride locations. Earlier EMBARK budget data showed average weekday ridership approaching 1,500 passengers per day.
The City of Oklahoma City’s transit planning documents describe bus rapid transit and a future regional system as central pieces of the city's response to continued population growth and increasing traffic congestion.
Holt said the ConsumerAffairs ranking also adds urgency to the work of ONE Transit, the regional transit authority developing a broader metropolitan transportation proposal.
Regional transit discussions have included potential rail connections linking Edmond, downtown Oklahoma City and Norman, although a final regional system would require additional public consideration and funding.
The city has already expanded regular bus service over the past several years by adding Sunday service, holiday service, additional routes and longer operating hours. The Oklahoma City Streetcar has also seen ridership growth since its pandemic-era decline.
But the new national study indicates the distance still separating Oklahoma City from transit systems where public transportation is routinely used for daily travel.
For city leaders, the challenge now is whether the investments already underway can translate new infrastructure into significantly greater ridership and accessibility.
Oklahoma City may sit at the bottom of the current national ranking, but with $97 million committed through MAPS 4, hundreds of bus stop upgrades and another rapid transit corridor on the way, the city's public transportation system is also undergoing one of the largest expansions in its history.
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