The Oklahoma City Council voted to formally select Herzog/Stacy and Witbeck to install the rail for the Oklahoma City Streetcar.

Construction is set to begin in January. The OKC Streetcar, which will connect downtown to Bricktown and other districts in the urban core, is funded by the MAPS 3 Modern Streetcar/Transit project.

The Herzog/Stacy and Witbeck bid totals about $50 million, which is about $7 million lower than the projected construction budget.

“The work our residents will start seeing as construction begins is the first step to building a modern, intermodal public transit system for downtown Oklahoma City,” Mayor Mick Cornett said. “The MAPS 3 Citizens Advisory Board, the streetcar subcommittee, city staff and consultants have put in years of hard work on this project, and it will be exciting to see the finished product.”

Installation of the rail and other infrastructure should take about two years. Brookville Equipment Corporation is building the modern streetcars.

The OKC Streetcar will operate on rails flush with the street in regular traffic lanes, just like a bus or a car. Each streetcar has a driver who follows the same speed limits and traffic signals as other vehicles. Keep an eye out for streetcars when driving, crossing streets on foot and before opening your car door when parking on the street.

Lane and street closures will affect downtown-area traffic during construction.

MAPS 3 is a $777 million, debt-free capital improvement program to improve the quality of life in Oklahoma City. It is funded by a 1-cent sales tax initiative that began in April 2010 and ends in December 2017.

MAPS 3 funds eight projects:

• Downtown Convention Center

• Downtown Public Park

• Modern Streetcar/Transit

• Oklahoma River Improvements

• Oklahoma State Fairgrounds Improvements

• Senior Health and Wellness Centers

• Trails

• Sidewalks

For more information, visit okc.gov/maps3 or embarkok.com.

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