SW Oklahoma ARPA Regional Alliance - City of Lawton

PROJECT PURPOSE

This project provides a full service central Transfer Center, including an air conditioned waiting area, restrooms, ticket sales, administration and a full transit bus maintenance facility in the Downtown area.

EVIDENCE

Currently LATS operates the transfer center along B Avenue adjacent to the site of our old City Hall building. Several years ago City Hall moved out of this location and the building was demolished. Our Transit Master Plan has provided evidence that a significant increase in ridership and customer satisfaction/service would follow the provision of better facilities for our patrons.

POPULATION DESCRIPTION

While SWOK continues to work very hard to improve conditions for our citizens, we continue to struggle with poverty and decline. With 18.5% of our population in poverty and only 45% of our households in owner occupied homes. Our median household income pf just less than $48,000 is more than 10% below the state. Transit serves our elderly and lower income residents at a disproportionally higher rate, with many using LATS as their primary/only source of transportation. The use of mass transit was greatly restricted during the pandemic and a significant portion of our ridership has not yet returned. This is a prime opportunity to show Lawton is a very diverse, inclusive and progressive community, but we lack the resources to create the kind of community improvement projects that can move us economically to the next level. Southwestern Oklahoma has felt impact of the pandemic through stagnant municipal revenues and significantly increasing costs due to supply delays and labor shortage.

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

Ridership for the Lawton Area Transit System (LATS) can be measured directly. Surveys taken as part of our Transit Planning process have indicated a need for an all weather transit transfer center.

ONGOING INVESTMENT AMOUNT

$

ONGOING INVESTMENT DESCRIPTION

None

ONGOING INVESTMENT REQUIRED

Able to continue operation without additional funding from the State of Oklahoma