I attended the first of seven public meetings to discuss the latest updates on the MAPS 3 Streetcar transit project.  This first meeting was a general overview of the project and the other meetings will present themes, such as proposed routes, land use, and surrounding economic development.  Rick Cain, Director of the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority (COTPA) and Mike McAnelly, senior planner and project manager with Jacobs a planning and engineering firm under contract with COTPA to conduct the Alternatives Analysis, both gave brief presentations/answered questions.  Project 180 was also represented at the meeting to discuss their partnership with COTPA in streetscape development which they will unveil next month.  Some of the presentation highlights were that the Modern Streetcar will:

• Initially have a 5-6 mile route throughout downtown w/hub, costs $130 million
• Share a lane with the traffic, like a bus, going approx. 8-12 mph
• Observe traffic signals with all passenger vehicles
• Stops every 3 or 4 blocks, ADA accessible, and pedestrian friendly
• Electric, therefore more energy efficient

Long term plans include connections to bus, rail, and taxi services from the suburban areas of Edmond, Norman, Midwest City, and the airport.  There was some mention of implementing a park and ride capability, as well as citywide hub planning.  Its worth noting that cities, Portland and Seattle, were used as comparisons to show that streetcar transit is successful at increasing ridership to downtown, creates private development within 3 blocks of transit lines, and promotes overall sustainability in urban areas.  Most questions asked were concentrated on goals of the project, other streetcar options such as natural gas, construction start date, and feasibility of integration with the other transit systems.  The presenters were clear that most decisions still had not been made and they needed community input to move forward.  Some of the issues that were not addressed in the meeting were ongoing revenue and parking availability around stops.  My questions are:  What are commuter costs per ride? Will there be government subsidies?  If not, will commuters actually pay for parking, then pay extra to ride the streetcar?  Will there be advertising opportunities for businesses?  How will it be used for weekends?

Having lived in New York City for 12 years and Atlanta for 4 years prior to that, I know the benefits of having high speed subways, rail, and major transit systems that span regions.  However, the MAPS 3 Streetcar project is a refreshing first step and if planned efficiently, can promote growth downtown which I think should be the ultimate goal.  Cities thrive when their downtown is a business and entertainment core.  Obviously, I speak from the perspective of being a business and commercial property owner downtown (Deep Deuce).  I advocate for a streetcar stop in Deep Deuce because it would bring customers to our business without the need for extra parking.  It would also provide convenience to our residents to get to work daily, for example to the OU Health Science Center if it were a stop.  I also live and raise my family downtown and would welcome more transportation options to the other districts.  I do have some concerns.  Although I envision immediate results of increased mobility amongst the downtown community, clearly our downtown is not as large as the cities that were profiled and spending the entire $130 million allotted would not be fully effective.  For maximum benefit in the short term, it would be imperative to also upgrade current bus schedules/routes, bus reputation, and start integration concurrently with densely populated suburban communities to “drive” even more people and business downtown. No pun intended.