17 comments (Add your own)

1. Scott Seiter wrote:

Will the streetcar system serve the capitol complex area?
Please consider designing the rails so they are bicycle friendly, considering the upcoming improvements to downtown roads to better accomodate pedestrians and bicyclists. Recommend getting input from the folks at the two downtown bicycle shops (Bicycle Alley and Schlegels).

Tue, March 23, 2010 @ 9:55 PM

2. Scott Trosper wrote:

Are there any forms of track that can be attached to the surface of the
roads without cutting into the road? If so routes could be laid down on
possible road routes and later moved if not a good plan. Later more
permanent tracks could be installed.

Wed, March 24, 2010 @ 1:27 PM

3. Michael Herndon wrote:

I am very pleased that this city is progressing more and more in every aspect possible. I have gone from despising my hometown to having a grand sense of pride for my city; all within the last 6 years of my short 17 years of life. This project is one of my particular favorites for I am an urban junkie and I am extremely excited to ride on some quality urban transportation. Not to mention the density it will create for the not-so-urban paved parking and vacant lots that plague our urban districts such as Midtown, Deep Deuce, Bricktown, and Automobile Alley.

I hope careful consideration is taken to these routes. I am very weary of our city's transportation as I'm sure is the rest of the city.

Wed, March 24, 2010 @ 11:09 PM

4. Jody Harlan wrote:

it is very important that the streetcar system tie in with bus service, cabs, bike routes, and other forms of public transportation. Sidewalks and pedestrian friendly crosswalks are important too. We need a streetcar system that transports people who or are not able to drive -- not just a "ride" for tourists to park, tour attractions, and return home in their cars.

Fri, March 26, 2010 @ 11:27 AM

5. John Long wrote:

Oklahoma City has a system of buses for people who do not, (or don't want to), drive. We also have Trolleys that make stops at many downtown areas, including the parking garages. Even though there are normally lots of available parking spaces near Bricktown, many people still think there is not enough parking. With all of the changes that have already taken place and the ones that will be coming, traffic and parking may become a problem in the near future. We need a subway system with park and ride lots on the perimeter of the city. Some people will say there is no room to build this type of transit. If it can be done in cities like New York, Chicago, and Washington, it can be done here.

Fri, March 26, 2010 @ 4:23 PM

6. Ken Van Dyke wrote:

BACK TO THE FUTURE
I can't believe that with all the progress that the City has made in the last 15 years, they are considering a rail street car system that we had back in the 1940's and 30's. A rail street car system means tearing up all the streets to install rails and creating a network of over overhead electrical wiring. Let's really put Oklahoma City on the map and create a overhead mono-rail system. This will get vicheles off the streets and be more predestrain friendly. A system like this could eventually be extended to Mid-West City, Tinker Field, Edmond, Yukon and Norman. I predict ridership would be phenomenal.

Sat, March 27, 2010 @ 11:54 AM

7. Michael Smith wrote:

Since fixed guideway transit systems have a dramatic impact on future residential and business development, the route selectiion process should take a comprehensive look at where this future development can best occure and the best routes to connect it existing development. For example . . . Classen boulevard has a considerable amount of vacant land and is flanked by residential neighborhoods in trasition; Midtown, Classent Ten Penn and the Plaza District. A fixed guideway route down Classen Boulevard opens a lot of new area to future development and revitilization.

Sat, March 27, 2010 @ 12:36 PM

8. Mike Males wrote:

Let me be very blunt. I'm an urban planning Phd who helped design Portland, Oregon's, light rail system beginning in the early 1980s, including a full evaluation of the city's bus system realignment. I now live in downtown Oklahoma City. The problem is not the fact that OKC's bus ridership (less than 10,000 per day) is insufficient to sustain limited expansion to light rail (Portand's bus ridership was 140,000 per day at the time of its LR innovation). That can be overcome by dynamic city management that uses LR as an innovative booster to promote public transit. Rather, the problem here is that OKC's bus system is mired in antiquated mismanagement and needs to be fired wholesale. Does it bother any of you LR planners that OKC Metro STILL does not publish a basic citywide map of the city's bus system for its riders? That Metro Transit is so unresponsive to rider complaints that the fundamental problem of bus drivers failing to adhere to schedules (leaving 20 minutes early from some locales) and stranding riders (including obese and elderly passengers at 4th and Lincoln on 100 degree day last summer because the driver wanted to get off early, which could have caused deaths)--and worst of all, Metro management condoning such derelictions? I've complained to Metro several times and have never gotten a good response--and now, against my hopes, I've had to simply stop taking city buses because they are too unreliable. Without strong reform, I do not believe the current management of the city bus system is capable of overseeing the transition to a bus-rail future which, including my vote for MAPS3, I hope comes about.
Thank you for your attention.
Mike
Mike Males
333 NW Fifth, #2006
OKC 73102

Sun, March 28, 2010 @ 1:26 AM

9. James Ellison wrote:

here are a few links that I think provide some good information for those who are looking to further educate themselves on rail transit and specifically streetcar systems, enjoy!: (links include articles, pictures, reports etc)

http://www.portlandstreetcar.org/pdf/development_200804_report.pdf
http://www.tucsontransitstudy.com/pdf/board_mod_strtcar_vs_ltrail.pdf
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-01-08-streetcars_x.htm
http://www.metro-magazine.com/Article/Story/2008/12/Streetcar-Systems-Ready-for-Resurgence-and-Hungry-for-Money.aspx
http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/public/reports
http://www.cnu.org/node/2037
http://www.infrastructurist.com/wp-content/uploads/streetcars-update2.jpg
http://www.fortworthgov.org/uploadedFiles/Planning_and_Development/Miscellaneous_(template)/Peer%20City%20Handout%20for%20distribution.pdf
http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/city/downloads/city_pdf17754.pdf

Sun, March 28, 2010 @ 5:15 PM

10. dona wrote:

how can u think about dumping money into an unnecessary streetcar when the transit system we have sucks so bad? i an 45 i dont drive and i do work and ride the bus most of the time and our bus system is horrible. we need to find a way to link our rapidly growing fringes to downtown...edmond, mid-del moore-norman...impossible to get anywhere from these areas. and extend our bus service hours so that the people who dont get off work till after 6pm are able to ride bus. you are trying to bound us into future and ignoring the benefits that come wiith slow steady progress.there is life outside of downtown and we are so spread out you need to find a way to link us together to get us downtown.

Sun, March 28, 2010 @ 11:16 PM

11. Strategic Mapping Inc. wrote:

IF you are interested in adding Street Car lines in the downtown Core, i highly suggest that you look up the TTC (st Clair dedicated streetcar route) There are many examples of how not to go about creating a streetcar route. Cost overruns, time delays, bickering contracters, busineses going out of business due to construction, over ticketing by meter maids, lack of parking for people, these are all things that can be avoided if implemented properly. Once again look at the TTC (Toronto Transit Commision) as an example as well as to ensure alot of growing pains are avoided. Good luck. Please feel free to contact me via email if you have any questions...

Mon, March 29, 2010 @ 10:18 AM

12. Richard Hedgepath wrote:

'"I glad something is finally being done mass trans for OKC!! I probably won't attend the meetings. I don't drive at night much anymore---And I can't find any FREE parking to attend the daytime meetings either. I don't think the bus 2 blks away goes dowtown and the bus that used to go on S Blackwelder to sw 25 and Robinison was done away with a very long time ago. I do have questions and comments, staring with:
The downtown trolley/train: Will it go to Capitol Hill at least in the beginning for Commuters who work in the dowtown area in the daytime and for the sports people to travel to the venues in the downtown area at night? The first terminal for Capital Hill should be at sw 25 and Robinson and should interconnect with busses at the point and also there should be a free-park-and-ride lot for those that don't have bus service. Workers in the downtown and bricktown should ride this trolley and make the downtown and bricktown parking areas FREE for tourists,residents, and people doing business in the downtown and bricktown areas. Besides cutting down on congestion, this will cut down on the pollution in the area which is what the EPA is going to FINE OKC if WE don't do something soon. If not, Why not??
The "Hub" I heard about: Will it be large enough to accomodate light rail coming from Norman, Edmond, Yukon, And East of Tinker AFB? If not, why not? Will it accomodate interconnection with the trolley/train and with busses coming in from areas that the rail systems don't go? If not, why not? Will it accomodate the High Speed rail coming to OKC? IF not, why not?
Will there be Free park and ride,secure, lots near the light rail lines for the commuters to drive to catch the 'train' to work. (This is a great incentive to increase ridership. Check it out)
I see alot of jobs starting with planners, surveyers, track builders and maintence, motormen, etc
Since the EPA is promising to fine OKC if we don't cut our pollution problem, Mass Trans Must be a Maps 3 priority.
To augment the maps 3 tax, I SUGGEST a 5cent per gallon gas tax, that is "tagged" solely for "seed money" and maintennce of rightaways.

Mon, March 29, 2010 @ 10:41 AM

13. Michael Herndon wrote:

This bus system not working = streetcar not working argument is flawed. Buses are expendable routes that can be easily altered or removed. Once a streetcar is constructed, it is permanent unless millions of dollars are spent to remove the tracks and necessary infrastructure. They have permanent routes as well which encourages density, transit use, and business growth.

The argument is actually start from the center and rework our entire system. I see the streetcar as the base of this restructuring. Our bus system will have to wait, this is pivotal; besides the bus system needs an entire rehaul. It's disgusting and sad.

Wed, March 31, 2010 @ 6:52 PM

14. Michael Beach wrote:

Having a metro trolley is a great idea and I hope it works out well. However there is still one big issue that I have as someone who lives outside of OKC. The I-40 cross-town is going to be torn down and another road is going to be put in its place. Why are we wasting such a good opportunity here? The road bed could be removed and a walking/bike/ light rail system could be put up in its place above the current street layout. This would allow people to walk and bike above the traffic. There could be a park put in place as well. But the biggest advantage to this would be the ability to connect the Amtrak station to the airport which is something the city dearly needs to do. This would help the Amtrak ridership go up because people could go from say Ardmore to downtown and then to the airport and back without having to take a taxi or some other form of transportation.

Tue, April 13, 2010 @ 7:12 AM

15. florence walters wrote:

how can we say we care about the health, of our Oklahoma city residents and our city, we do not need a transit system down town, alot of us are fat and lazy already,we need to improve the transit system we have now and make more side walks so people feel safe to walk,we need to make our city safe for walkers and cyclest,you know if we work to make our city healthy,then we will save money on medical ,and we will attract people who want to live a healther life style ,to our great city ,if you love our city,then you will want the same as i do,for all of us.

Wed, April 14, 2010 @ 8:28 AM

16. Brad wrote:

I think it's unfortunate that COTPA and the City of Oklahoma City say they want input, but then do such a poor job of soliciting attendance and participation. I never saw any public announcement about the meetings and don't know anyone who did. Did anyone contact ACOG and ask them to notify the members of their transportation committees and subcommittees of these meetings and surveys? I'm a member of ACOG's Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee and I wasn't informed. Speaking of that committee, which has been in operation for over a year, I wonder why the committee is never asked to actually provide any advice to the Intermodal Transportation Policy Committee it is supposed to advise.

I also share Mike Males experience with the mismanagement of COTPA and the lack of concern about the quality of service the existing bus systems provides.

Mon, April 19, 2010 @ 4:55 PM

17. Jason wrote:

I had been looking at the streetcars as synonymous with street trolleys - don't know if the trolleys still run or not, since I don't work in downtown currently - but I thought it was a successful program, easy to get to, convenient, etc. - so I guess my question is what are we proposing here with railed streetcars - why this approach now? Are these intended to replace or augment the trolley/bus system and how should they fit into the transportation mix downtown? I have somewhat mixed feelings on the expenditure required to install rail, unless the benefit outweighs the cost - seems like the desire may be based partly in the novelty of streetcars - but I think the focus should be on affordable, available & accessible transportation options with minimal wait and flexible route options.

Maybe these bigger questions have been addressed already, so forgive me if they have - just chiming in, would be glad to look at that info if published already.

Tue, April 20, 2010 @ 9:00 AM

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