February 1, 2024 | Posted In Uncategorized
Project of Distinction – Oklahoma City, OK
BRT & SIGNATURE ORION BUS SHELTERS
LOCATION
Oklahoma City is located in the heart of the midwestern Unites States in the state of Oklahoma.
Founded in 1889 during the ‘Land Run’, Oklahoma City is nestled in an ideal space between highways I-35 and I-40, making it a booming center of commerce, politics, and business in the Midwest. This metropolitan oasis hosts over 680,000 residents over an expansive 621 square mile footprint, making it the third largest U.S. city in terms of land area. Oklahoma City is widely recognized for hosting the Oklahoma State Fair as well as being home to an assortment of culturally centered museums such as the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
Oklahoma City’s public transit service, EMBARK (formally Metro Transit), boasts an impressive 28 routes operating 24-hours per day providing nearly 3,000,000 trips annually. EMBARK’s bus system covers 411 square miles of land and is served by an arsenal of 62 fixed-route buses.
PROJECT SCOPE
In October 2019, Tolar Manufacturing Company was awarded a five-year contract to engineer and fabricate up to 750 distinctive bus shelters in support of EMBARK’s efforts to serve the more than 861,000 constituents in its service area. By July 2020, 69 Signature Orion bus shelters (pictured right) had been installed combining elements of Tolar Manufacturing’s popular Signature Sunset and Euro shelters. By 2023, an additional 33 shelters had been installed.
In mid-2023, Tolar was contracted to provide a similar Signature Orion shelter design for EMBARK’s RAPID Northwest service. When the BRT service opened in December 2023, it included 25 of the 12-ft and five of the 20-ft length Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Signature Orion bus shelters at 30 stations along the route. These shelters showcase an impressive curved translucent tinted radius roof, weather-protecting clear glass rear walls, integrated rain gutter, and backlit rear banner signage clearly marking the station names as well as next stations in either direction. This signage provides reassurance and comfort for passengers as they understand where they are and where they are headed. Each BRT shelter is powered by 120VAC electric security lighting.
“Tolar Manufacturing has been a great partner as we update our tired passenger shelters to a more modern and safe design,” said Lisa Colins, Procurement Manager for Blue Water Area Transport. “We are extremely happy with the quality of the shelters and Tolar’s responsiveness to the minor issues that arise with any major project has been exemplary.”
Tolar has delivered twenty-four 12-ft customized Signature Sunset shelters selected by Blue Water Area Transit to meet the aesthetic and practical needs of their riders and community. The Signature Sunset shelters delivered to Port Huron feature a custom super durable baked powder coat two-tone design along with some of the most critical amenities passengers seek – ¼-in Opal white twin-wall polycarbonate roof panels, a tempered glass front-windscreen with ADA compliant entrances, tempered-glass rear and end walls for weather protection, 100W solar-powered dusk-to-dawn lighting for increased security, and a 6-ft Mesa bench for added comfort.
“Safety and security are common concerns for riders and agencies when thinking about how to improve the bus stop experience,” said Scott Williams, Business Development Manager for Tolar Manufacturing Company. “These tempered-glass shelters offer agencies an opportunity to bring shade and comfort while providing more visibility for added security.”
Tolar’s Signature Orion shelters are both beautiful and well built, bringing a combination of purpose-driven design and unsurpassed durability to your community that will last for decades. Cutting-edge looks and quality craftsmanship . . . that’s the Tolar Difference.
