Lawton Area Transit System
Lawton Area Transit System, or LATS, is the primary provider of mass transportation in Lawton, Oklahoma with five routes serving the region. As of 2019, the system provided 346,742 rides over 43,108 annual vehicle revenue hours with 13 buses and 8 paratransit vehicles.[1]
| Founded | 2002 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 611 SW Bishop Rd |
| Locale | Lawton, Oklahoma |
| Service area | Comanche County, Oklahoma |
| Service type | Bus service, paratransit |
| Routes | 5 |
| Hubs | 400 block of SW B Ave |
| Fleet | 13 buses |
| Annual ridership | 346,742 (2019) |
| Website | Lawton Area Transit System |
History
Public transit in Lawton by at least 1914, when streetcars operated by the Lawton Railway & Lighting Co. began plying the streets. However, streetcar service in the city was discontinued in 1927.[2] For some time, bus transit was provided in the city, but ended in 1972. For the following 30 years, Lawton went without any transit service.[3]
LATS began operations on April 29, 2002, with 10 buses on five routes serving 564 passengers on the first day. Fares began at $1.00 with service provided from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.[3]
On July 25, 2023, the Lawton City Council approved a location for the future city of a transit center.[4] As of 2023, buses utilize the 400 block of SW B Ave for transfers. With a new transit center located between Railroad St and Larrance Ave, and between B and D avenues, the system will be able to better serve passengers and a new downtown trolley service will be initiated. The facility will be designed by Wendel Architects and is expected to break ground in 2025.[4]
Service
Lawton Area Transit System operates 5 hourly bus routes on a pulse system with all routes serving the Transfer Center between 0 and 15 past the hour. However, three of these routes have both a counter-clockwise and a clockwise route, while the Yellow Route has western and eastern branches.[5]
Hours of operation for the system are Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. There is no service on Sundays.[5] Regular fares are $1.50.[6]
Routes
- Orange Route
- Green Route (Counter-Clockwise/Clockwise)
- Blue Route (Counter-Clockwise/Clockwise)
- Red Route (Counter-Clockwise/Clockwise)
- Yellow Route (West/East)
Fixed route ridership
The ridership statistics shown here are of fixed route services only and do not include demand response services.[7]
References
- "LATS Agency Profile" (PDF). Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- "Transit Systems in Oklahoma". Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- Ron Jackson (May 1, 2002). "Lawton Area Transit System carries 564 on opening day". The Oklahoman. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- Caitlin Gatlin (August 3, 2023). "LATS Transfer Center Site Selected". Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- "Fixed Routes". Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- "Passes & Fares". Retrieved September 16, 2023.
- "The National Transit Database (NTD)". Retrieved September 16, 2023.