Initially discussed in 1996 as part of the Interstate 40 crosstown relocation, the would-be boulevard could take shape as a landscaped, four-lane, tree-lined gateway into and out of the downtown area, if city officials have their way. Oklahoma City Council recommended to ODOT — the agency responsible for the project — a boulevard option that […]
Ed Shadid
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Not-so-easy rider
Faced with a set of recommendations from transportation planning experts, the Oklahoma City Council must soon decide if it wants to shrink its bus system coverage area, leaving some transit-dependent residents without a ride. On the other hand, such a move would allow Metro Transit officials to increase bus stop frequency and potentially attract more […]
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Streetcar vs. bus
The streetcar system in Portland, Ore., is among those being used as a model for OKC. An outspoken critic of the modern streetcar project, the Ward 2 councilman claims voters were misled about that part of the MAPS 3 plan. Shadid, a supporter of the Metro Transit bus system, has repeatedly called for more funding […]
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Road test
Most council members praised the so-called Alternative A as a good compromise between opposing sides. The proposal calls for a 300-foot section of the future street to be elevated to avoid the complicated traffic area of Western and Reno avenues and Classen Boulevard. The measure passed 7-2, with Ward 2 Councilman Ed Shadid and Ward […]
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Rejuvenating the strip
A snapshot of the area shows a somewhat rundown collection of buildings with lively nightlife on weekends but little activity during the day. To thrive, the neighborhood needs public and private investment. “A mixture of businesses that bring daytime and nighttime business to this area is going to be key,” Crites said. “If you look […]
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Out of step
Despite projections of 70 miles of new sidewalks in 2009’s MAPS 3 campaign, the program’s Trails and Sidewalks Subcommittee was informed that the $9.1 million set aside for the projects would pay for only about 26 miles. Those 26 miles represent around 31 sidewalk alignments, selected using criteria such as proximity to schools, existing sidewalks […]
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Caged heat
Credit: Shannon Cornman The comments were part of a larger discussion among the council at its June 16 meeting about what to do with a $1.3 million surplus to the city budget and whether to put that money into expanded bus service, street maintenance, or the hiring of more police officers. Shadid questioned why there […]
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This week at the ’Peake
Credit: Brad Gregg First, the taxes. According to a report in Bloomberg News, Chesapeake has paid very little of the taxes owed on $5.5 billion it’s made since its founding. The reason rests with a law — written back when people were still mostly getting around on horse and buggy — that allows oil and […]
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Positive predicament
Jim Couch addresses city council. Credit: Shannon Cornman The expected surplus comes from the estimated 3 percent growth the city will see over the next fiscal year following higher-than-anticipated sales tax collections in May and June. The City Council on June 12 adopted the city’s $951 million 2012- 13 budget, and it was agreed that […]
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Heated conversation
In a June 23 appearance before the annual convention of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee, the Ward 2 council member said Anthony Shadid’s former employer, The New York Times, is partly to blame for the war correspondent’s death earlier this year. Ed Shadid told the Washington, D.C., audience that Anthony Shadid had a heated conversation with […]