OKC Thunder Parade: EMBARK director sheds light on city transit operations

While Oklahoma City leaders maintain a focus on keeping visitors to the 2025 Champions Parade safe, EMBARK, the city's public transportation department, is working to make sure everyone gets to where they need to go on Tuesday.

In a news conference on Monday, EMBARK director Jesse Rush joined other city leaders, including Mayor David Holt, in sharing details on preparations for Tuesday's events.

>>OKC Thunder Parade: City leaders provide updates for Tuesday celebration

Rush said EMBARK plans to shut down its central transit center downtown, citing the number of expected visitors, but also announced plans to temporarily relocate the center to the OKC Fairgrounds.

"We'll still be providing transit service [Tuesday] during the parade and during the event," Rush said. "So please, plan ahead when it comes to transit, there will be a lot of detours in place, and we're anticipating some service delays with the amount of folks that we anticipate being downtown. That includes our fixed route service."

Rush said EMBARK's Bus Rapid Transit service and OKC Streetcar will not begin service until the parade concludes.

What will parking be like downtown?

Rush said that due to the amount of planned street closures, parking in Downtown Oklahoma City will be limited.

"It is first come, first serve," Rush said. "So please, get downtown as soon as possible. That includes on-street parking. If you are in one of the areas that have been shut down, we tell you to move your vehicle as soon as possible."

To accommodate parking, Rush said two public parking garages will be opened to the public.

"The Century Center garage at the northeast corner of Sheridan and Gaylord, and then the Convention Center garage directly adjacent to the Omni Hotel," Rush said. "Most importantly, we will be offering Park & Ride."

Rush says EMBARK has partnered with three locations for Park and Ride: Remington Park, the Oklahoma State Capitol, and the OKC Fairgrounds.

Rush said EMBARK anticipates roughly 3,000 spaces at Remington Park, where shuttles will ferry guests from there to downtown in roughly 15 minutes. The number of spaces at the fairgrounds is estimated to be around 2,000. No amount was listed for the Capitol.

"We're going to bring you downtown and we're going to get you back to your cars as safely as possible," Rush said. "We do recommend that you carpool with the amount of folks that we're expecting downtown, the least amount of cars possible is helpful with that."

Additionally, Rush said if you do drive on Tuesday, to keep an eye out for pedestrians, and if you see something suspicious, say something to anyone in a city uniform.

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