Resident urges COPTA to restore bus to Social Security office; staff testing detour option

Margaret Smith, a resident, told the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority on April 10 that the city lacks a bus route serving the Social Security office, forcing some riders to walk roughly two miles from Moore or Oklahoma City to access in‑person services.

"It's a 2 mile walk from either Moore or Oklahoma City... Expanding embark bus services to include routes to Social Security office would promote accessibility," Smith said, adding that seniors, people who use wheelchairs and residents without vehicles depend on direct service.

Jesse, a staff member, thanked Smith for speaking and said staff are exploring options. He said a developer previously helped support the route and that the authority is testing whether Route 18 could detour during off‑peak times without reducing system frequency. "We're actually running tests this week to see if that's a possibility, and then we'll get back and bring a recommendation back to the board to see if we can do that," Jesse said.

Staff and trustees did not take immediate formal action at the meeting; Jesse said results of the detour tests and any recommendation will be returned to the board for decision.

Ending: The board did not adopt a new route at the April 10 meeting; staff will report back with test results and any formal recommendation to amend routes.