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CONTRACT NO. K-1415-5: A CONTRACT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, AND CLEVELAND AREA RAPID TRANSIT (CART) IN THE AMOUNT OF $510,500 FOR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES THROUGH JUNE 30, 2015.
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BACKGROUND: Beginning in 1980 as a campus shuttle service for the University of Oklahoma, Cleveland Area Rapid Transit (CART) has become the third largest transit system in the State of Oklahoma. The University expanded the service into a public transportation bus system in 1986, and since 1993 the City of Norman has partnered in funding this essential public service.
Transporting more than one million passengers annually, CART features seven Norman city routes, three University of Oklahoma campus routes, a route that serves to transport people to the Social Security Office in Moore as well as a six times daily commuter route to Oklahoma City, the "Sooner Express." CART offers users mobility throughout the city, including access to many medical facilities, residential areas, retail businesses and restaurants. Additionally, CARTaccess, an origin-to-destination service for those who are unable to ride the fixed route bus system, travels all 189.5 square miles of Norman.
CART fixed-route ridership was down 1 percent and CART access ridership was up 3 percent from last year. CARTaccess, CART's origin-to-destination service for those who cannot ride the regular bus routes because of disabilities and/or age, ensures mobility for more than 32,000 riders with disabilities each year. The majority of CARTaccess riders are Norman citizens with no University affiliation. CART provided one less day of regular service in FY14 when compared to FY13.
DISCUSSION: Funding for CART is provided by the Federal Transit Administration, the University of Oklahoma, the City of Norman, and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. The proposed contract for services for FYE 15 represents the twenty-first year of City subsidy for transit services.
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