Comments on: How the Trolleys Cost Downtown http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/ The Oklahoman's Steve Lackmeyer covers downtown OKC brick by brick. Fri, 24 May 2013 18:23:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5 By: The Phantom Spirit Trolleys | OKC Central http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/comment-page-1/#comment-4417 The Phantom Spirit Trolleys | OKC Central Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:30:43 +0000 http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/#comment-4417 [...] but it doesn’t tell me any information. Longtime readers of this site are well aware of the evidence presented concerning MetroTransit’s shortfalls in operating the Spirit trolleys, unfulfilled [...]

]]> By: slackmeyer http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/comment-page-1/#comment-1555 slackmeyer Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:47:10 +0000 http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/#comment-1555 I guess my question is aimed at “is a reliable downtown public transportation service too much to expect for OKC considering its size and accomplishment…”

]]> By: Jeffrey http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/comment-page-1/#comment-1554 Jeffrey Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:44:53 +0000 http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/#comment-1554 Its too ambitious Steve if you’ve got 5-6 trolleys and you’re trying to cover downtown, the adventure district, and the meridian corridor. Thats never going to work, which is why you yourself aborted your day out. If there were more trolleys and buses then its an easy fix. My suggestion was just trying to get something working right. And if all we can get working right is downtown, then thats at least what I think we should do. You can’t throw the moniker “Major league city” out on every project or initiative that doesn’t meet your expectations.

]]> By: slackmeyer http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/comment-page-1/#comment-1553 slackmeyer Tue, 23 Dec 2008 04:36:24 +0000 http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/#comment-1553 Too ambitious? Is this a major league city or not?

]]> By: Jeffrey http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/comment-page-1/#comment-1552 Jeffrey Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:37:11 +0000 http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/#comment-1552 Unfortunately the trolley system is too ambitious for what the city has capacity to do.
My suggestions:
1. Discontinue service from downtown to meridian and adventure district. Too far to travel and too unreliable.
2. Run two trolley routes – North/South with a route that goes from Ford Center to 13th with stops within 1 block from Bombing memorial/art museum/downtown hotels. The second route would be East/West on mainly Reno and Sheridan from the Myriad Gardens to the Chesapeake boathouse. Run at least two trolleys on each line all the time. This is similar to the routes used in Washington D.C. by the “Circulator” Keep it simple and reliable. If the trolleys are broken, use buses. Just keep it reliable.

]]> By: Bart http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/comment-page-1/#comment-1549 Bart Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:25:38 +0000 http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/#comment-1549 Seed money for a Trolley or light rail system was part of the original MAPS. However our District 5 representative at the time (Earnest Istook) unexpectedly put a hold on Federal matching funding for the project. A few years later, Istook (a Mormon) strongly supported a similar project for Salt Lake City in time for the Olympics. As a substitute, the city instead purchased the rubber wheel street Trolley system we have now.

]]> By: wayne http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/comment-page-1/#comment-1551 wayne Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:16:06 +0000 http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/#comment-1551 The trolleys were one of the original 9 MAPS projects. Shouldn’t the City have to deliver the promised ‘service’ of the trolleys just the same as the other projects (arena, ballpark, river, etc). They wouldn’t be given a pass if they didn’t come through on those projects and shouldn’t be left off the hook for reliable and dependable trolley service. It’s a service that was paid for by that penny.

]]> By: Steven http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/comment-page-1/#comment-1550 Steven Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:50:23 +0000 http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2008/12/21/how-the-trolleys-cost-downtown/#comment-1550 Steve,

I agree. Even though I live and work and own property downtown. I don’t give it as much business as I would because the CITY makes it so hard to get from one side of downtown to the other unless you want to take your car. The CITY has done a poor job in adapting to citizens and visitors needs on the Trolley issue. It’s a chicken and egg and improperly funded issue. As you know, several of us have been trying to work with the City on this issue for about a year now. The impression I get is they vaguely get the idea there is a problem, even though they don’t want to admit it and don’t want to take at least partial blame along with Metro Transit. We’re so progressive on other issues, but we’re NOT a BIG LEAGUE CITY UNTIL we address MASS TRANSIT. We must have a system downtown that is reliable, despite gas prices dropping dramatically. Gas is way undervalued right now and will go up again. Why can’t we prepare for the future this time. Unfortunately I’ve been sensing lately people again resting on their laurels at the city, chamber and just the general community, look at all the bah-humbug at the Thunder since we’re having such a rough season, we’re becoming complacent again now that we have something, we just expect things to be handed to us now, the economy is depressing people, projects are halted. Let’s not rest our laurels and keep working on the forward momentum folks, we’re just on the brink of something BIG.

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