Transportation network eyes new tax to pay for ambitious Oklahoma public transit expansion

ByBenjamin Ferrari-July 20, 2026 5:30 am

OKLAHOMA CITY — A transportation network plans to propose a new sales tax next year to pay for a expanded commuter rail service in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. 

The sales tax plan, which would also pay for the expansion of existing light rail and bus transit services, is expected to cost a penny per taxable transaction and would fund a commuter rail service connecting Oklahoma City to Edmond and Norman, among other projects, said John Sharp, deputy director over the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments. 

If approved by voters, the sales tax is expected to generate a similar amount of revenue to previous penny sales tax measures, which have generated over $130 million a year.

It would be decided by voters living within Oklahoma, Cleveland and Canadian counties, which compose the boundaries of ONE Transit, said Armando Reyes, a spokesperson for the governmental agency. ONE Transit, formerly known as the Regional Transportation Authority of Central Oklahoma. The organization prioritizes policies increasing access to public transit in Central Oklahoma.

If passed, the tax would stay in effect as long as ONE Transit is in operation, Reyes said. 

The exact cost of the commuter rail service is not currently known as negotiations with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company continue, but it will be “one of the largest capital projects within the region to date,” Reyes said. 

ONE Transit’s plan was developed in conjunction with transit providers in Oklahoma City, Norman and Edmond and the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments.

Services would be connected through regional corridors centered around the hub at the Santa Fe train station in downtown Oklahoma City. The north-south corridor would connect the three cities through the commuter rail. An airport corridor would be built for the light rail service.

The transit fares for these services have not been determined yet, said Ethan Mazzio, a transportation planner for Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, a group that leads regional collaboration efforts between cities. 

The plan will focus on improving local communities through programs such as the commuter rail in the first 10 years. Larger projects, such as light rail, would come further down the line, he said.

It is the first major proposal for public transportation in the Central Oklahoma region since 2005, Mazzio said.

Opposition to the plans hasn’t emerged yet, but groups or individuals interested in keeping sales tax rates as low as possible, limiting railway traffic or keeping demand for car-oriented infrastructure as high as possible could push back as the plan gets closer to appearing on the ballot, Mazzio said.

Rail would allow for suburb-to-suburb connections that are pivotal for the growth of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, Mazzio said. 

“People have forgotten that government can do really big things,” he said. “Things like a commuter rail could give people job opportunities between communities that they can’t currently access.”

As the Oklahoma City metropolitan area continues to grow it will be necessary to increase public transportation access to sustain that growth, said David Chapman, ONE Transit director representing Edmond.

“Oklahoma City is the largest metropolitan area without rail,” Chapman said. “(The Oklahoma City metro area is) projected to be at two million residents by 2040, so we feel like it’s critical that we have a comprehensive regional transportation system once we get to two million people.” 

It will become difficult for residents of Oklahoma City’s suburbs to access the city’s amenities as the area continues to grow, he said. 

“What really makes an area attractive to jobs, people and amenities is the metropolitan statistical area,” said Chapman. “Oklahoma City, unfortunately, is a huge city in terms of area, so the population in those suburbs, where the growth is really happening, is further out. If you look at a place like Detroit, it’s a very small city, so the suburbs are very close in. This makes it easier for them (residents) to get to the amenities, to get to the bigger city.” 

Having rail as an option to access the amenities in Oklahoma City could be necessary as traffic on the highways continues to get worse, Chapman said. 

As for bus travel, EMBARK, the company currently running the bus systems in Oklahoma City and Norman, would become part of ONE Transit. Edmond, which currently has its bus system run by Citylink, would also have the option to turn over all of its services to ONE Transit, said Chapman.

Having the bus services in all three cities run by the same company would make travel a lot more efficient, Chapman said.

Commuter rail would also be a “game changer” for Oklahoma City’s suburbs. 

“Our downtown is becoming an entertainment venue, and it is becoming a commercial destination, but you really need rail to get down there from the venues in Oklahoma City,” Chapman said.

Editor’s note: This story was produced through a reporting partnership between Oklahoma Voice and the University of Central Oklahoma’s journalism program.