Southern Oklahoma and North Texas officials gathered Tuesday, September 25 to celebrate a partnership they hope pays dividends in the local economy and serves area residents in the entire region. They were marking the beginning of the Red River Route Project, a cross-border public transportation program managed by TAPS Public Transit that has been three years in the making.
Earlier in the day, the Denison and Sherman Chambers of Commerce united for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the TAPS Public Transit headquarters in Sherman.
Later that evening more than 200 people attended an official launch party at Choctaw Resort’s Center Stage showroom.
Among the speakers representing state governments was Oklahoma Legislature Representative Dustin Roberts. “You’ve shown today that you can bring two states together,” said Roberts.
The route travels from a park-and-ride stop at the TAPS Park & Ride lot at 6104 Texoma Parkway in Sherman. It stops at the Denison Park & Ride lot at 2300 W. Morton St. to pick up additional passengers before heading to Choctaw Resort in Durant. Upon arrival at the Choctaw Transportation Center in south Durant, passengers can change to the Southern Oklahoma Regional Transportation System (SORTS). A similar route takes student and faculty riders to and from Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
“It complements what we currently do with fixed routes at Grayson College and Austin College, connecting Southeastern into the mix, because so many of the students at Grayson College need to complete their degree at Southeastern, so this enables them to do that,” said TAPS CEO and Executive Director Brad Underwood.
“It’s truly … a win-win outcome for everyone,” said SOSU President Larry Minks.
Underwood said riders on the route have numbered around 25 to 30 in the past few days, but added that those numbers have been almost doubling from day to day. “Everyday it gets bigger and bigger,” he said.
TAPS receives state, federal, local funding in addition to grants and local contracts, Underwood said. The new routes are funded in part with a grant from the Texas Department of Transportation along with participation by local governments, community organizations, and private employers.
“Transportation is about economic development,” said TxDOT Public Transportation Division Program Manager Kris Dudley who was one of the featured speakers at the launch party held at Choctaw Resort’s Center Stage showroom.
“The lack of dependable transportation … often times can be the difference between someone being able to take a job,” explained Workforce Solutions Texoma External Relations Director Bob Rhoden.
He said that along with childcare are the two of the biggest barriers for many returning to the workforce.
Rhoden said with the new TAPS routes taking riders to one of the region’s largest employers, Choctaw Resort it eases that transportation barrier for many.
With gas prices unstable at best, public transportation offers an affordable, dependable, comfortable alternative. The cost of the route is $1 each way or $20 for an unlimited monthly pass. “It gives a lot of folks the opportunity to have affordable transportation,” Rhoden said.
Officials said they hope the partnership will be a model for other states to follow. The partnership, Underwood said, is the first time a rural transit provider like TAPS has crossed a state-line to connect with another provider.
“It is an example to other states,” said Dudley.