TULSA, Okla. — August 31 marked the start of changes for three MetroLink Tulsa bus routes and their MicroLink service. Leaders said they wanted to help improve efficiency by cutting routes where few people stopped.
For James Richardson Jr., the bus wasn't just a means of transportation; it was a lifeline. Every route, every stop, was part of his daily rhythm.
"If you haven't experienced Tulsa, Oklahoma, take the bus and just venture," said Richardson Jr.
Starting Sunday, Aug. 31st, Route 490 will no longer serve the 81st and Lewis subhub. Riders who use that stop can still use routes 700, 500, and 410. Meanwhile, 410 will now serve OU Tisdale to the north and Lewis between 71st and 81st to the south.
2 News showed Richardson Jr. these changes.
"It might be pretty nice… It might be a faster route," said Richardson Jr.
That's what Casey Graves with MetroLink said they were going for. This took the 490 bus route frequency from 55 to 44 minutes.
"Sometimes it was struggling with on-time performance and being reliable and dependable, so this will help accommodate that," said Graves.
Another route that's changing on the 31st is Route 250, which will no longer stop at St. Francis Hospital South; instead, it will end at the TCC Southeast Campus. Graves said the MicroLink, MetroLink's ride request service, will serve that stop.
WATCH: 'Very reliable': MetroLink bus route changes take effect
"Yeah, I use that st. Francis, because that's my hospital, I go there frequently throughout the year… So I'm going to have to check that out," said Richardson Jr.
MicroLink also received expanded hours and Sunday service for zone 7. This includes an area from 31st and 129th East Avenue to 61st and Sheridan.
"I wanted to say thanks, Tulsa, for the great bus system… This new system is very reliable," said James Richardson Jr.
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