This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Five years after being approved by the Oklahoma City Council, the streetcar project will hit the rails throughout the downtown area.

Officials say that the MAPS 3 Oklahoma City Streetcar will begin service on Friday, Dec. 14 after a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The ribbon cutting ceremony will be held outside of Leadership Square Plaza, located at 211 N. Robinson Ave., near the Business District Platform on the streetcar’s Downtown Loop.

“This is a historic day decades in the making,” said Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt. “Our streetcar will be an important economic development tool for our entire city, accommodating visitors and residents alike. It will encourage walkability downtown, answer the question of how residents and visitors will circulate downtown once they arrive, and will inspire private investment all along the route. Already we’ve seen $1.6 billion invested since the route was finalized, and we have every reason to believe that more will follow once the streetcar is open. The possibilities are endless and exciting. Thank you to everyone who made this possible, especially the taxpayers who went to the polls and voted yes on MAPS 3, in faith that this monumental day would arrive.”

The streetcar has two route options: the 4.8 mile ‘Downtown Loop’ and 2 mile ‘Bricktown Loop.’

They use overhead wires for electric power on part of the route, and batteries for the rest. Each streetcar can carry 104 passengers, and each stop will be served every 15 to 18 minutes.

The ‘Downtown Loop’ will begin service at 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. on Saturday. Service ends at midnight Monday to Thursday, and 2 a.m. on Friday night (Saturday morning) and Saturday nights (Sunday mornings).

The ‘Bricktown Loop’ will run 7 a.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday, and 7 a.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday. It will also be activated for other special events.

Officials say the streetcar system will be operational on Sundays when there are large special events along the route. Sunday service is already scheduled every Sunday through the end of January for Thunder games.

Streetcar rides will be free through Jan. 5 as part of the ongoing celebration of the first streetcar service in Oklahoma City in generations.

After Jan. 5, fares will be $1 for a single ride, $3 for a 24-hour pass, $32 for a 30-day pass and $384 for an annual pass. Daily, 7-day and 30-day EMBARK bus passes also include streetcar service.