Park here and ride free throughout downtown OKC

Visiting downtown Oklahoma City soon? If you park in one of these places, you can ride the streetcar the rest of the day for free. EMBARK, the public transportation service in Oklahoma City, is offering drivers two free 24-hour tickets to the streetcar by presenting a receipt from one of four parking garages downtown.

In one of the country’s largest cities by square mile, driving can often feel like a necessity. However, driving between downtown destinations can become a hassle, when searching for parking or navigating traffic. This initiative allows downtown visitors to make the most of their trip to the area, by providing an alternative transportation service throughout midtown, downtown, and Bricktown.

The four parking garages eligible for the Park Here, Ride Free initiative are: 

• Arts District – 431 W. Main Street 
• Century Center – 100 W. Sheridan Avenue 
• Sheridan Walker – 501 W. Sheridan Avenue 
• Convention Center – 15 SW 4th Street   

Each garage has a nearby streetcar platform, where drivers can use their receipts to board. The parking garages are managed by the Central Oklahoma Transportation & Parking Authority, and cost two dollars per hour, or $10 for one day. Pricing during events is $10.

The downtown area offers an assortment of on-street parking as well for those who are looking to drive directly to their destination. Parking meters require two dollars per 60 minutes, or 50 cents per 15 minutes, with a maximum time limit of two hours. Want to park on the street and ride the streetcar? Users can look for the rosebud-colored meters near streetcar stops to purchase parking and streetcar fare all in the same spot. Meters are enforced Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. In addition to on-street electronic meters, users can utilize the Flowbird app to pay if they’d like – get more info at https://parkingokc.com/app. Vehicles in violation of these rules may receive citations.

Love them or hate them, parking meters have a unique history in Oklahoma City. The world’s first parking meter was installed in the city on July 16, 1935, on the corner of what was then First Street, now known as Park Avenue, and Robinson Avenue.

So, be sure to piece together your parking plan for your next trip downtown and remember parking in certain places can get you free passes to a chauffeur in the streetcar.