Transit System Partners with Domestic Violence Victim’s Support Center

The Palomar Family Justice Center, founded in 2015 by social worker Kim Garrett and the victim’s services unit at the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD), is a central location for the many agencies the serve domestic violence victims.  Initially center staffed paid for ridehailing services to get families to Palomar. A first transportation solution involved a OCPD-purchased  minivan and retired police officers as drivers.  After a year and a half, the team outgrew this system and partnered with EMBARK, Oklahoma City’s public transit agency. In the first year of their partnership, EMBARK provided 600 transports to Palomar’s clients. Four years later, that number tripled. The EMBARK team is now purchasing a second van to support the growing demand.

Currently, the van’s driver manages rides using an iPad installed in the vehicle, connected to a spreadsheet. EMBARK recently received an Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility Grant (ICAM) from the Federal Transit Administration, which will enable them to install software that will comingle their data securely beginning next year.