Oklahoma City, Brookville agree to streetcar deal
Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
Oklahoma City on March 22, 2016 finalized a $24.9 million contract with Brookville Equipment Corp. for the supply of five Liberty Streetcars to support the city’s MAPS 3 Modern Streetcar program. The American-made, electric streetcars will operate downtown along a 2-mile east-west loop and a 4.9-mile north-south loop.
The Liberty Streetcars, which are being designed and manufactured at Brookville’s Pennsylvania-based campus, will measure 66 feet long, 8 feet wide, and include 70% low-floor area with 100% curb-level boarding for passengers. In addition, the vehicles offer seating for 30 passengers, with the capacity to comfortably transport up to 100 passengers. Notably, the Liberty Streetcars feature more than 70% American content, meaning they would meet Buy America compliance if the project is awarded Federal funding in the future.
The Liberty Streetcars will be powered by overhead wires on part of Oklahoma City’s routes and will use a lithium-ion battery onboard energy storage system (OESS) for the balance of the routes.
Scheduled to begin service in 2018, the all-new streetcar system will connect riders to an array of attractions and destinations in the city’s core along its two loops. The 4.9-mile north-south loop will provide access to the Downtown Transit Center, Automobile Alley, Midtown, St. Anthony Hospital, Bricktown, Chesapeake Energy Arena, and future attractions, including Santa Fe Station, MAPS 3 Convention Center, and MAPS 3 Park. The 2-mile east-west loop will serve Bricktown, Cox Convention Center, Myriad Botanical Gardens, the future MAPS 3 Park, and future development sites.
According to the contract, the first Liberty Streetcar is scheduled to deliver to Oklahoma City in the fourth quarter of 2017, with four successive deliveries taking place in the first half of 2018.
Oklahoma City’s selection of Brookville will mark the fourth American city to which the Liberty Streetcar will deliver. The first two Liberty Streetcars shipped to the City of Dallas and Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) in 2015 and currently operate along the 1.6-mile starter line connecting downtown Dallas with the Oak Cliff neighborhood. Since then, DART has exercised an option for two additional vehicles and M1-RAIL in Detroit and the City of Milwaukee have ordered six and four Liberty Streetcars, respectively
The Oklahoma City Streetcar is funded by Oklahoma City’s voter-approved MAPS 3 initiative, which is a $777-million capital improvements program, using a one-cent, limited-term sales tax.
