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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='page-break-after:avoid'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red;text-transform:uppercase;background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>Federation family-<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='page-break-after:avoid'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red;text-transform:uppercase;background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>Please see the message below. If you live in the OKC area please make every effort to attend one of these meetings. Let me know if you plan on attending and we’ll try to put everyone willing to go in touch with one another. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='page-break-after:avoid'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red;text-transform:uppercase;background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>Thanks, <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='page-break-after:avoid'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red;text-transform:uppercase;background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>Jeannie</span></b><b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:red;text-transform:uppercase'> <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='page-break-after:avoid'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;text-transform:uppercase'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='page-break-after:avoid'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;text-transform:uppercase'>For Immediate Release</span></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>June 9, 2016</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Arial Black",sans-serif'>Budget Reductions to Impact EMBARK</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='page-break-after:avoid'><b><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:gray'>Public Meetings to Discuss Proposed Elimination of Contracted Service</span></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>OKLAHOMA CITY – Due to budgetary reductions resulting from a decline in municipal sales tax revenue, the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority (COTPA) is proposing to eliminate a contracted transportation service known as LINK.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>LINK is a contracted service that operates in a limited-service area on Sundays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to midnight Monday through Friday. The proposed elimination would not affect regular fixed-route or paratransit services.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>“Anytime we’re faced with a budget reduction we strive to protect service levels,” said Jason Ferbrache, COTPA Administrator and Director of Public Transportation and Parking for the City of Oklahoma City. “People depend on our public transit options to get to work, school and appointments and we take that very seriously. The reduction we are making will eliminate some duplication in weeknight service that exists between fixed-route and LINK and eliminates LINK service entirely on Sunday. We propose to cut where it would impact the fewest customers.”</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>COTPA will conduct public hearings to describe the proposed elimination and to receive public comments. The meetings are scheduled at the hub of the LINK service area, so that opportunities for public comments are more convenient for patrons.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>Sunday, June 12 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Downtown Transit Center located at 420 NW 5 St. </span></b><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:150%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow'>Wednesday, June 22 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Downtown Transit Center located at 420 NW 5 St. </span></b><o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Staff will consider all public comments and will make their final recommendation to the COTPA Board July 1. If approved, changes would go into effect August 1, 2016.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>For more information about the proposed service change, visit <a href="http://embarkok.com">embarkok.com</a>. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> # # #</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> <b>About EMBARK</b></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> EMBARK is the business unit of the Central Oklahoma Transportation & Parking Authority (COTPA) – a public trust administered by the City of Oklahoma City. EMBARK is responsible for providing safe, efficient and convenient public transportation and downtown parking solutions to the greater Oklahoma City area.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>COTPA is celebrating 50 years of leadership in providing public transit and downtown parking services to Oklahoma’s capital city. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> ----------------------</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:150%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Irene Martin, M.Ed<b>., </b>Council Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><a href="http://www.unitedweride.ok.gov/">Governor's Oklahoma United We Ride Council</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><a href="http://www.myride.ok.gov/">MyRide--Statewide</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#002060'>(405)951-3408 ofc<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#002060'>(405)227-7614 cell<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#002060'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'>Jeannie M. Massay, M.A., LPC<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'>330 W. Gray Street<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'>Suite 415<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'>Norman, OK 73069 <a href="mailto:jmassay1@cox.net">jmassay1@cox.net</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'>Phone: 405-600-0695<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Cambria",serif'>Fax: 405-310-4686 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>