The transit-oriented development (TOD) planning process will be the primary means of initiating and advancing the implementation of TOD in oklahoma city

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) awarded Central Oklahoma Transportation & Parking Authority (COTPA, operating as Embark) $975,000 under the Federal Transit Capital Investment Grants program (CFDA 20.500) to develop comprehensive transit-oriented development (TOD) planning for Oklahoma City's first rapid transit corridor. The award, obligated on August 28, 2025, with a completion date of February 25, 2028, supports planning activities that will establish the framework and strategic foundation for TOD implementation along the Classen Boulevard corridor and surrounding areas.

The funded planning initiative will deliver five primary products: (1) a framework and strategy design establishing community engagement methods and performance measures; (2) a housing affordability assessment analyzing existing housing stock and anti-displacement policies; (3) a zoning and TOD policy review benchmarking the city's form-based code against successful peer jurisdictions; (4) a development and design guide for navigating municipal policies and financing mechanisms including tax increment financing, PACE, new market tax credits, and opportunity zones; and (5) a connectivity plan inventorying transportation infrastructure improvements needed to link residential areas to the transit corridor, including pedestrian and bicycle facility enhancements. This planning effort addresses land use, zoning, housing affordability, and multimodal connectivity as foundational steps for advancing TOD in Oklahoma City.

Activities

The activities to be performed will be:(1) framework and strategy design: the project roadmap to identify community input methods schedule options for multi-lingual outreach structure of working groups and performance measures.(2) housing affordability assessment: analysis of near-corridor housing stock; to include assessment of possible anti-displacement policies to address areas for affordable housing identification and cost estimates of infrastructure needed to accommodate greater density and housing development and more.(3) zoning and TOD policy review: comparative analysis of the citys work-in-progress TOD policies against policies used successfully in other cities especially given the city is contemplating its first use of form-based code for TOD.(4) development and design guide: a tool for developers to help them navigate city development policies and zoning particularly for TOD developments and a compendium of financing tools and mechanisms to support those projects including tax increment finance cpace new market tax credits opportunity zones and more.(5) connectivity plan: an inventory of needed improvements of transportation infrastructure connecting nearby residential areas to the classen blvd. Corridor; additionally consideration of opportunities for increased and new forms of connectivity such as raised pedestrian crosswalks and higher-intensity on-street bicycle facilities. This plan can also be supported by the ongoing development of the citys vision zero plan to identify opportunities to address road user safety irrespective of mode.(6) comprehensive plan: the final document but to begin development after completion of the framework and strategy design. More than a collection of the projects substantial deliverables this is intended to capture an aspirational vision of the classen blvd. Corridor to demonstrate to community members policymakers and the development community both what is possible with new TOD policies and what the community is asking for via renderings and significant community input.

Expected outcomes

This project will create more housing units and community destinations that are highly- accessible by transit. This will lead to expanded ridership and reduced pollution. Residents in the targeted area will have expanded transportation options and be able to access more destinations eliminating barriers and expanding opportunity.

Intended beneficiaries

The intended beneficiaries will be the community members in and near the classen TOD corridor as well as embark riders who will have improved access to mixed use developments and affordable housing.