Fallin offends everyone,straight and gayOklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin put the state in the national spotlight in 2013, but not in a positive way. Fallin, in her infinite wisdom, decided unilaterally that a federal mandate directing spousal benefits to same-sex couples in the military would not take place in Oklahoma. As a result, Fallin pulled spousal […]
walkability
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Tear it up
The work centers on a new portion of Project 180 streetscape projects that will begin Oct. 24 and focus on a two-block area, as opposed to numerous street closings and detours that occurred with the initial phase in 2010 and 2011. Specifically, crews will begin work on Dean A. McGee Avenue extending from Robinson to […]
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Stepping up
Several large corporations and shopping malls sprang up on the fringes, while most upscale residential developments headed for the suburbs. Downtown was not a welcoming place after 5 p.m. on weekdays, as the exodus of workers left behind an area predominantly populated by vagrants. Mass transit, for the most part, was allowed to wither, its […]
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Walking Western
The plan, culminated after a months-long study, would narrow traffic lanes and increase sidewalk space throughout the five-block area of Western. Proponents say it will create more appealing public space and ease parking and pedestrian concerns. “We can make Western Avenue a better place,” said Blair Humphreys, executive director of the Institute for Quality Communities […]
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On the road again
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 […]
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Walk on
The initial project for the first phase of sidewalks will comprise almost six miles with an estimated cost of $1.4 million. Construction will begin in late spring with a completion target of Oct. 31. With buzzwords like “connectivity,” “sustainability” and “walkability” floating around, Sidewalks Subcommittee chairwoman Sue Hooper said she is excited about the project […]
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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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The road not taken
In contradistinction, the relegation of decision-making to a small number of policymakers with homogeneous thought processes and goals risks error.InI The Ikea Effect in Business states that one who is responsible and emotionally invested in the creation of an idea will be more likely to resist the alteration or rejection of the idea even if […]
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Working toward walkability
Oklahoma City was developed around the automobile as the primary means of travel. While the city is well-geared for travel by car, other options are more difficult because the infrastructure either does not exist, or is not continuous. A lack of a continuous trail and sidewalk network has left Oklahoma City citizens without the option […]
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Pounding the pavement
Randy Entz, transportation planner for the Oklahoma City Planning Department, will discuss sidewalks and trails that are being paid for by a recent bond issue and out of the MAPS 3 program, which sets aside $10 million for new sidewalks and $40 million for new trails. “It’s a good way for people to get an […]