Northwest Norman will have another option for transportation starting Monday.

Cleveland Area Rapid Transit will launch its first new community transportation route in more than 16 years when it debuts the West Norman Link.

"I think it compliments what today's customers expect when they come to a city like ours," said Jim Rickards, general manager of Embassy Suites Norman Hotel and Conference Center.

The West Norman Link will service Embassy Suites, as well as the Norman Regional HealthPlex, University Northpark, Brookhaven Village and residential areas along 36th Avenue Northwest, Tecumseh Road and 24th Avenue Northwest.

Monday, those who ride the route will get a free "Get Linked" T-shirt. Also, all CART routes will be free all day to celebrate the occasion.

Rickards said the new route will be an advantage for locals and visitors to Norman.

"I think it's a great thing for our hotel in terms of another avenue for our guests to be able to get around Norman at a very reasonable price," he said.

"CART focused on frequency and efficiency when it developed the route," CART spokesperson Kris Glenn said in a press release. The West Norman Link will be the first CART route that will not originate on the University of Oklahoma campus. The route will "link" with the Main Street bus at several locations, with the main transfer point being River Oaks Drive at Cotswold Drive north of Sooner Mall.

The 30-minute route will be a viable option for those going to work, medical facilities, shopping or even lunch, Glenn said. Those who wish to go to other areas of Norman may transfer to the Main Street route and then interface with other CART buses at the main terminal at the OU South Oval.

Funding for the route was made possible by the Federal Transit Administration through the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Norman City Council.

Dan Quinn, city councilmember and chair of the transportation committee, said this new route is the first step in implementing the Norman Long-Range Public Transportation Plan that CART developed with the City of Norman in 2007.

"It really signals a start that we hope that eventually -- and it's not gonna happen overnight -- that we can transition from a loop system to an interlocking system," Quinn said. In addition to transitioning to linear routes, the city's long-range plan calls for more routes, later hours of operation and the initiation of Sunday service.

The West Norman Link will include the regular CART hours of operation, which is 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. The fare will be 50 cents. Seniors, those with disabilities and youth ages 6 to 17 are 25 cents. Children under 6 are free. For more information, call CART at 325-CART or visit www.RideCART.com.