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 […]
transportation
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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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Looking for options
On Jan. 2, the council passed a project requirements document for the streetcar, but some members expressed reservations about the proposed route and stressed that it is in no way finalized. The council’s action means that the streetcar project consultant, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., will coordinate its efforts with other MAPS 3 consultants, the Central […]
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Sierra Club kudos
Credit: Brad Gregg But we all know the list America has been waiting for … Best civic infrastructure, of course! Oklahoma City’s Santa Fe Intermodal Station has edged out the Gangnam Style Boardwalk, the Binders Full of Women Carpool Lane and the Claire Danes Cryface Light Rail to become the No. 1 transportation project of […]
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Bumpy road
Construction of the $30 million, federally funded boulevard is the final phase in the state Department of Transportation’s Interstate 40 Crosstown realignment. On completion of the project in 2014, ownership will be transferred to the city. In response to concerns about the planned elevation, ODOT last summer enlisted a consultant firm, Stantec, to look at […]
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Point: Slow down on ODOT funding
One of the few exceptions to the hard times is the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Following a long stretch in which state investment in roads and bridges remained virtually flat, the Legislature in 2005 created the ROADS (Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety) fund. Revenues for this fund come directly from personal income tax collections, […]
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Counterpoint: Roads funding is critical
Over the past six years, the Legislature, along with Gov. Mary Fallin and former Gov. Brad Henry, have rightfully positioned transportation as a core priority. Oklahomans should be thankful. Recently the Oklahoma Policy Institute questioned the investment that the Oklahoma Department of Transportation has received in recent years. Yes, transportation has received marked appropriation increases […]
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Street fight
Renderings of a proposed roundabout for the boulevard During a previous council meeting, some council members said they were unaware of plans that include an elevated bridge over the area near W. Reno Avenue, S. Classen Boulevard and S. Western Avenue. A citizens group, Friends for a Better Boulevard, wants the city and state Department […]
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Room for improvement
Credit: Mark Hancock A recurring sentiment in the 24-page report is the “ugliness” of the corridor. The study emphasized the corridor’s role as a first impression for out-of-town guests leaving the airport: Miles of concrete, vacant store fronts and 1960s-era apartment complexes are the first glimpse many visitors have of Oklahoma City. “We have been […]
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Street heat
Two features of the street creating discussion are a western portion that will be above grade at the level of the old I-40 and a section that will go under the north-south railway. A third issue, however, has received little public attention: the undecided route to Bricktown from the future major thoroughfare. Although current maps […]