City Council to hear about changes planned in mass transit routes

Lawton’s mass transit system is ready to implement changes in its fixed routes.

LATS General Manager Ryan Landers and his staff will make a presentation to the City Transit Trust (a function of the City Council) at today’s meeting and hold a final public hearing on proposals they have been working on for more than a year. Simply stated: LATS will change all of its fixed routes and make other system adjustments, with an eye toward increasing ridership and enhancing services, Landers said.

The major change is what LATS calls an update to its fixed route system, new routes that will cover more areas of the city while using eight buses (compared to nine used now). Because of low ridership in some areas and “potentially dangerous side streets,” some areas now served will not be, while new areas will be added. Landers has said the goal is to keep LATS buses on thoroughfares, rather than side streets. But, those unserved areas won’t be left in the cold. Another proposal is for a micro-transit service, on-demand rides to locations that don’t require fixed route buses.

Another change will occur to the Yellow Route, which will have peak and non-peak routes. LATS officials also had discussed adding Sunday service for the first time, but that proposal is not addressed in the agenda commentary.

Landers said the goal is to launch new routes in June, with the micro-service to follow shortly thereafter.

That micro-service is one of several projects to be outlined by Landers when he updates the transit trust on future plans for LATS. Other ideas under discussion include service to the west industrial park, and plans for more services on and off Fort Sill.

Those proposals come with popular programs already in place, including a new policy implemented in January that gives free rides on days when the temperature is below 32 degrees. It’s a policy some riders already have used, Landers said last week. Those free rides accompany others LATS already has in place for the military, City of Lawton employees, and the students, faculty and staff of Lawton Public Schools, who all ride free by showing ID.

Landers also will update the transit trust on other projects, including an ongoing move into a new administrative office LATS is leasing near its south Lawton complex. That lease (and discussions to lease other warehouses for maintenance and storage) is allowing LATS to postpone plans to move into completely new facilities on Railroad Street. While the initial plan was to build a combination transfer/administrative/maintenance/storage complex, that plan now focuses on the less expensive transfer center.

Landers said 30 percent plans for that transfer center are done, and Hendrickson Transportation Group now is seeking proposals from design firms to do construction plans.

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In other business, the council will look at Kid’s First initiatives being created under a directive from Mayor Stan Booker. In his New Year’s address to the council, Booker outlined plans to make city neighborhoods safer for youth, a program that rests on three pillars: clean up and beautification; addressing dilapidated structures; and a homeless action plan.

City Manager John Ratliff will present two plans today.

The clean up and beautification plan specifies a series of actions to be implemented within a year, with actions ranging from public education campaigns and stricter enforcement of cleanup efforts, to reorganizing a city department.

Council members already have directed city staff to increase its process of identifying dilapidated structures and ordering owners to bring them up to city code or tear them down, with plans to address 40 structures a month, beginning in April. That process also is coming with a proposal from city administrators to make the community services department an arm of Parks and Recreation. Community services would feature three administrators and 18 code enforcement officers, to ensure coverage in all eight council wards (where increased code enforcement also would occur).

Other proposals include: creating a special victims unit within Lawton Police Department, ensuring a team is available around the clock, and increasing police involvement with Neighborhood Watch programs; focusing on areas where children play, with efforts such as regular maintenance, organizing community cleanup events and mobilizing neighborhood groups to help with property rehabilitation; and implementing a comprehensive community education campaign.

The Homeless Action Strategic Plan outlines a targeted approach to homelessness, with the City of Lawton making clear its emphasis will be on transitional homeless and zero tolerance policy for chronic homelessness (those who are homeless for extended periods, showing little to no effort to reintegrate into society, according to the agenda). The policy notes Lawton “has zero tolerance for chronic homelessness,” particularly those who violate laws.

The policy also incorporates a Kid’s First policy, specifying priority for federal funding will be given to homeless who are under age 21, then families with children. Strategies will include a 24/7 resource team, with duties such as covering high-risk areas (vacant houses and shelters) to contact chronic homeless individuals and get them to shelter.