Embark
EMBARK is the multimodal public transit brand of Oklahoma City's COTPA, operating fixed-route bus, BRT, streetcar, paratransit, ferry, and downtown parking across 411 square miles serving 861,505 residents and delivering nearly 3 million annual trips.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1966
- HeadquartersOklahoma City, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Embark does
EMBARK is the operating brand of the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority (COTPA), a municipal public trust created by the City of Oklahoma City in February 1966. It provides multimodal public transportation across the Oklahoma City metropolitan area and Norman, serving a population of 861,505 across 411 square miles. The service portfolio spans fixed-route bus (23 OKC routes plus 6 Norman routes), the 9.5-mile RAPID NW bus rapid transit corridor, the OKC Streetcar with its Downtown and Bricktown loops, the Oklahoma River Cruises ferry, PLUS paratransit, and downtown parking (5 garages, 5 surface lots, and 1,300+ metered spaces).
The underlying technology stack is centered on real-time vehicle tracking, traffic signal priority integration for BRT and streetcar, automatic wheelchair securement, and rider-facing applications including the EMBARK Connect app, Token Transit mobile ticketing, and Flowbird parking payments. Annual ridership reaches approximately 3 million bus trips and 224,305 streetcar rides, delivered by a 300+ person workforce represented by ATU 993 and AFSCME 2406.
EMBARK is funded primarily through the City of Oklahoma City's operating budget (FY2025: $66.5M total operating budget, up 52% from FY2021). Direct rider revenue consists of passenger fares ($4 adult daily universal pass, $2 reduced fare, free for youth under 18) and parking fees, supplemented by transit advertising through partners Houck Transit Advertising and Tyler Outdoor and corporate sponsorships such as the Allegiance Credit Union free-fare program. The agency is governed by an eight-member COTPA Board of Trustees and operates as a non-traded public entity, with Jesse Rush serving as Administrator and Director of Public Transportation and Parking following his appointment in 2024.
Embark firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Embark
- Legal name
- Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority
- Website
- https://embarkok.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1966
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- EMBARK is the multimodal public transit brand of Oklahoma City's COTPA, operating fixed-route bus, BRT, streetcar, paratransit, ferry, and downtown parking across 411 square miles serving 861,505 residents and delivering nearly 3 million annual trips.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Embark industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Transit Services
- NAICS
- Inland Water Passenger Transportation (483212), Special Needs Transportation (485991)
- SIC
- Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated Multimodal Transit Agencies (Bus + Rail) (THAIAEAD)
Keywords
Where Embark is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oklahoma City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Embark business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Passenger Fares: Revenue from fixed-route bus, BRT, streetcar, and ferry fares. Includes adult, reduced fare, and youth passes. Norman bus service is currently fare-free.
- Downtown Parking Operations: Revenue from five parking garages, five surface lots, and over 1,300 metered on-street parking spots. Operated by PCI Municipal Services under partnership.
- Transit Advertising: Revenue from bus wrap advertising, bench/shelter advertising, and sponsorship opportunities for RAPID, Streetcar, and Oklahoma River Cruises. Partners include Houck Transit Advertising and Tyler Outdoor.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Adult Universal Pass (Ages 19-64) |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Reduced Universal (Ages 65+, Medicare, Qualified Disability) |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Youth Universal (Ages 0-18) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Women's College World Series Express Bus |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Parking Fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels6 records
Embark product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EMBARK is a multimodal public transit authority providing fixed-route bus service, Bus Rapid Transit (RAPID NW), OKC Streetcar, paratransit (PLUS), Norman bus service, Oklahoma River Cruises ferry transit, and downtown public parking for residents and visitors of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The authority delivers nearly 3 million annual trips across 411 square miles and serves a population of approximately 861,505. Supporting services include mobility management programs, mobile ticketing via Token Transit, and the EMBARK Connect real-time rider application.
Product overview
EMBARK is a multimodal public transit agency providing a comprehensive family of transportation services across the Oklahoma City metro area. The core offering consists of fixed-route bus service (OKC Bus with 23 routes), OKC Streetcar (modern streetcar with Downtown and Bricktown loops), RAPID NW Bus Rapid Transit (9.5-mile BRT corridor), Norman Bus Service, and PLUS Paratransit for mobility-limited riders. Additional services include Oklahoma River Cruises ferry transit along 7 miles of the Oklahoma River and Downtown Parking (5 garages, 5 lots, 1,300+ metered spaces). Supporting mobility programs include the Haul Pass for youth, CLIMB Ride for foster families, and mobile pass purchasing via Token Transit integration. The organization serves a population of 861,505 across 411 square miles with approximately 3,000,000 annual trips.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Family reunification rate improved from 35% to 63% through child welfare transportation program
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Embark
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Embark technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature4 records
Embark partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Allegiance Credit UnioncoreThird Friday Free fare promotion sponsorship - provides free rides across OKC transit network (buses, RAPID, streetcar, ferries) every third Friday May-September. Allegiance CU serves 23,000+ members across 8 counties and has invested in community since 1963.
- PivotcorePartnership supporting foster youth ages 17-24 with transportation services, reducing homelessness among that population from ~66%. Part of EMBARK's child welfare transportation program.
- HMS FerriescorePartnered with EMBARK to operate Oklahoma River Cruises ferry service on 7-mile stretch of Oklahoma River. HMS Ferries provides nationally recognized marine management services including captains, crew, and operational staff.
- PCI Municipal ServicescoreOperates EMBARK Parking facilities (garages, lots, metered spaces). Provides personal attention and flexibility complementary to EMBARK's vision for world-class transportation.
- Houck Transit AdvertisingsupportingBus wrap advertising partner handling exterior bus advertising. Provides advertising sales, production, and installation services for transit advertising.
- Tyler OutdoorsupportingBus bench and shelter advertising partner for EMBARK. Handles outdoor advertising inventory sales and placement.
- Palomar Family Justice CentersupportingMobility partnership coordinating micro-transit solutions for social service agencies and victims services.
- Areawide Aging AgencysupportingPartnership coordinating mobility services for senior residents to improve access to healthcare and essential services.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves14 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Embark competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART): Largest multimodal transit agency in Texas, operating DART Bus, DART Rail light rail, Trinity Railway Express commuter rail, and paratransit in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro. Direct peer to EMBARK in offering integrated bus + rail/transit + paratransit under a single authority, with a similar mix of urban fixed-route and mobility services.
- Valley Metro (Phoenix): Public transit authority serving the Phoenix metro with bus, light rail (Valley Metro Rail), paratransit, and vanpool services. Direct peer to EMBARK in operating a multimodal bus + rail + paratransit network in a fast-growing Sun Belt metro of comparable scale.
- Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA): Public transit authority serving Memphis and the surrounding region with fixed-route bus, MATA Trolley heritage streetcar, paratransit, and on-demand services. Closely comparable to EMBARK in size, multimodal mix including streetcar, and mid-sized Southern metro profile.
- IndyGo (Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation): Public transit corporation serving Indianapolis with the Red Line BRT, additional BRT routes, fixed-route bus, and paratransit. Highly comparable to EMBARK in operating BRT alongside bus and paratransit, with a similarly sized Midwestern US metro footprint.
- VIA Metropolitan Transit (San Antonio): Public transit agency serving San Antonio with fixed-route bus, VIA Link on-demand microtransit, and paratransit. Direct peer to EMBARK in operating an integrated bus + paratransit network in a mid-sized Texas/Southern metro, with similar reliance on sales tax funding.
- Transit Authority of River City (TARC, Louisville): Public transit authority serving the Louisville metro with fixed-route bus, paratransit (TARC3), and on-demand service. Direct peer to EMBARK in size, multimodal mix, and mid-sized US metro service profile.
- Sun Tran (Tucson): Public transit agency serving Tucson with Sun Tran fixed-route bus, Sun Express BRT, Sun Shuttle on-demand, and Sun Van paratransit. Highly comparable to EMBARK in operating bus + BRT + paratransit in a mid-sized Sun Belt metro.
- Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART, Tampa): Public transit authority serving the Tampa metro with HART bus, the TECO Line Streetcar (heritage streetcar), and paratransit. Direct peer to EMBARK in offering a streetcar within a bus + paratransit system in a mid-sized Florida/Southern metro.
Emerging players
- Kansas City Streetcar Authority: Non-profit operating the free downtown Kansas City Streetcar (2.2-mile starter line, with extensions underway). EMERGING_PLAYER peer to EMBARK's OKC Streetcar operations, sharing the modern streetcar focus and downtown circulator model, though smaller in scope and multimodal breadth.
Broad incumbents
- Regional Transportation District (RTD, Denver): Large multimodal transit agency serving the Denver metro with light rail, commuter rail, bus, BRT, paratransit, and on-demand. BROAD_INCUMBENT peer to EMBARK, much larger in scale and modal breadth, but illustrates the regional multi-modal structure EMBARK aspires to as RTA integration matures.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Embark social profiles
Digital presenceEmbark financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Embark leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles19 records
Embark funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Embark M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Embark
What does Embark do?
EMBARK is a multimodal public transit authority providing fixed-route bus service, Bus Rapid Transit (RAPID NW), OKC Streetcar, paratransit (PLUS), Norman bus service, Oklahoma River Cruises ferry transit, and downtown public parking for residents and visitors of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The authority delivers nearly 3 million annual trips across 411 square miles and serves a population of approximately 861,505. Supporting services include mobility management programs, mobile ticketing via Token Transit, and the EMBARK Connect real-time rider application.
Is Embark a public or private company?
Embark is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Embark founded?
Embark was founded in 1966. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Embark based?
Embark is headquartered in Oklahoma City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Embark make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Passenger Fares are the primary driver. The others are downtown Parking Operations and transit Advertising.
Who are Embark's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), Valley Metro (Phoenix), Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA), IndyGo (Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation), VIA Metropolitan Transit (San Antonio), Transit Authority of River City (TARC, Louisville), Sun Tran (Tucson) and Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART, Tampa). Kansas City Streetcar Authority is listed as an emerging player. Regional Transportation District (RTD, Denver) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Embark have an API?
No public API is recorded for Embark.
What industry is Embark in?
Embark's product category is Public Transit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAIAEAD, Integrated Multimodal Transit Agencies (Bus + Rail). Its NAICS code is 483212 and its SIC code is 4100.