By Bailey Coyle, FOX23.com News Staff
TULSA, Okla. — Riders across Tulsa will soon see changes to how they get around the city.
MetroLink Tulsa is rolling out several service updates starting Sunday, April 12, aimed at improving reliability, expanding access and making the system easier to use.
“On Sunday, April 12th, we will be experiencing service changes,” said Breanna McCutcheon, the Marketing Manager for MetroLink Tulsa. “We have two routes that are seeing some major service changes.”
Two routes—250 and 470—will see schedule and service adjustments.
Route 250 will now end at the Woodland Hills subhub and will no longer extend beyond that point.
However, officials said riders won’t lose access. Instead, they’ll switch to a different type of service.
“You’re not losing service. You’re just switching over to a different kind of service.”
The new option is MicroLink Zone 9, a rideshare-style service launching in southeast Tulsa.
The zone will serve key destinations including:
- Tulsa Community College Southeast Campus
- St. Francis South
- The VA Medical Center
“Zone 9 will cover a lot of area that the 250 is cutting, so we’re excited for that new daytime micro-service to launch.”
Unlike traditional buses, MicroLink allows riders to book trips through an app and get picked up curb-to-curb.
“You put in where you want to be picked up and where you want to be dropped off. The vehicle will come and pick you up and drop you off.”
MetroLink leaders said the shift is based on rider data and demand.
“We do a lot of data analytics. Sometimes shifting the service over to micro just makes more sense.”
Along Routes 110 and 117, riders will notice something else: brand-new bus stops.
MetroLink is launching a bus stop realignment project that includes redesigned signage and adjustments to stop locations.
“They’re getting brand new bus stops and a new look. Some of those bus stops may have shifted or maybe have been removed.”
The goal is to make the system easier to understand and more consistent.
“We’re just realigning those bus stops to make it super easy for them to travel.”
The updated signs reflect MetroLink’s rebrand and are designed to be easier to read and identify.
“We’ve revamped these signs to make them easier to read. We noticed such a need for that.”
The changes also include a concept called “bus stop pairing,” meaning stops are aligned across the street for easier return trips.
“Wherever they get on the bus is wherever they get off the bus and then get back on to go home.”
MetroLink said the updates are part of a larger effort to grow ridership and improve access across Tulsa.
“The goal for us is always to gain new ridership and to make it easier for our riders to travel.”
The new MicroLink zone will also help connect riders to nearby transit systems, including Broken Arrow.
Officials said they’ve already seen growing demand, especially for microtransit.
“People are really loving it. They’re asking for it. They love the flexibility that it offers.”
Riders are encouraged to plan ahead before the changes are made April 12.
Updated routes, schedules and maps are available online and through the GoPass app.
MetroLink leaders said while some adjustments may take getting used to, the goal is a system that’s easier, more reliable and better connected.
To learn more about the upcoming MetroLink changes, click here.
