"River plan in, public transit out"?

Because I know that millions of people will someday flock to the aquatic mecca that is Oklahoma City.

This is outrageous. I just fired a letter off to the mayor essentially saying that I’m for the park and convention center, but damn it all if he replaces transit with south river enhancements.

This river and core-to-shore focus just strikes me as a hell of a gamble to take when we’ve got low-hanging fruit waiting all over the city.

Just watched a segment from the Mayor’s Development Roundtable on okc.gov. It was nice to find at least a 2 to 3 minute section discussing the need for public transit. I know that in the larger scheme of the conference it was not given much priority. However, I am confident of Mayor Mick’s personal conviction on the issue.

MAPS 3 cannot address the development of light rail/commuter rail, apparently due to the need for regional dialogue and cooperation. But, I think we could have a streetcar system and significant upgrade of the bus fleet. Of this I am hopeful.

I, for one, am all for the convention center, river improvements and the central park. One of my friends is the volunteer coordinator at the Chesapeake Boathouse and there are a lot of spectators and great events going on down there and I think some improvement could be good. The convention center and the Central Park would be the catalyst for the C2S area.

My fear is that if there is not some sort of mass transit announcement, like they are working on a regional development and have to include other cities, it will not pass because that is what the poll and a lot of people in the metro area want.

I’ll withhold judgment until they actually present something to the public. But consider me disappointed if they drop public transit from MAPS3 and don’t have a plan for improving it another way.

If Cornett annouces that MAPS3 will include a convention center, central park, and more river improvements, and that they are in discussions with area suburbs about providing funding for part of a new rail system, and we won’t have to wait until MAPS3 is done before progress is made, I might be okay with that.

I agree with Brian, especially the first sentence.

Indeed, Blair’s article makes me feel disappointed, and I will also hold my emotions in check until the package is made public.

But today, I’m troubled by the thought that Mr. Gourley, and other city leaders may simply not understand the state of COTPA, and the city’s bus system. Clearly, they do not ride the bus, and probably haven’t in decades.

Of course, downtown needs to be a focus for new transit infrastructure. But we must also make the overall bus system more convenient for those living near Quail Creek, Westmoore, Francis Tuttle, etc. We need more routes, and more connections in farther-out parts of the city. There has to be a two-way route adjoining large shopping centers, major employers, restaurant districts, and high-density residential areas.

How much will it cost? Let’s ask COTPA. As far as I’m concernde, I will forego the $76 million Fair Park building for the Hotel Tax, and use the MAPS-3 money for a better bus system city-wide.

Any other thoughts?

Light rail is 10 years away, a much cheaper alternative would be a better run metro area bus system. The trollies are fine in the city, but a conjoined effort from Midwest city, Norman, Moore, Edmond, and Yukon could be a great bridge until we have a better judgement of when and where we can afford a light rail mass transit.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs come to mind. The premise is that you take care of the basics first, then on to the pieces of full actualization last. So, convention center, park – yes. But for a city – a thoughtfully developed mass transit system is also essential – base of the triangle stuff. The river is already looking great, and it should a backseat to the less glamorous, but still essential, transit needs of the city.

If the chamber loves the river, then by all means they should invest as much private sector money in it as they want. Transit is something that only the city can implement, and something that it must implement if we want to continue our growth and momentum. If MAPS 3 doesn’t have a transit component, I will vote against it.

The reactions I am seeing have me worried that my post did not communicate what was intended. The post was not meant to be depressing, but rather to serve as a wake-up call to everyone. To let the people of OKC know that transit is not a sure thing and encourage people to get involved and make it happen.

I don’t think the addition of the River Plan is a bad thing, I simply think that it should not be at the expense of transit. For me, I am actually quite intrigued by the River Plan and excited to see what Mike Knopp has put together. Like others, I think the river is one of our greatest untapped resources.

On the convention center, I am not convinced either way. I don’t appreciate the process and/or the lack of objectivity used to push the convention center forward, but the city leadership appears squarely behind it, so okay, I can get on board with that. But again, it does not have to be at the expense of a meaningful investment in transit.

Finally, I would like to point out that transit can mean many different things. I believe that a downtown streetcar system is what it should mean for MAPS 3. This system would serve as the foundation for future expansions. It never was a real possibility that MAPS3 could provide a regional light-rail network engaging municipalities across the metro. A regional system takes years – if not decades – of cooperation between municipalities, along with state and federal governments. This process has started, but it is nowhere near complete. Plus, the cost of a regional light-rail system makes it inappropriate for a MAPS project. It was never a real option. So please don’t believe that MAPS 3 transit is being held-up by a lack of commitment from surrounding municipalities.

Oklahoma City, by itself, could take a great first step towards meaningful public transit by establishing a downtown streetcar system as part of MAPS 3. Shifting the focus towards a regional system that relies on suburban communities is just a way of confusing the issue and passing the buck!

[...] reactions I am seeing have me worried that my previous post did not communicate what was intended. The post was not meant [...]

I don’t really get it. Everybody argues about how no one will want a circular downtown because it’s not going to affect their area of residency. Yet, almost every other major improvement having to do with any previous MAPS project is focused in or near downtown. So either way, the people that don’t want to vote for a streetcar or the MTP project whether it is on a MAPS 3 ballot or not should vote for it, because they’ve had to leave their houses to come to downtown to enjoy every other improvement.

For you wondering about the width of Broadway and the sidewalks in the photo, they haven’t changed. The photo is scrunched so that its proportions are not maintained in Steve’s post. The normal photo is here: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49/DougLoudenback/capitolhill/ch_intro_02_89erparade_1948.jpg

Whoops. Got the above posted in the wrong thread … it belongs with the 1948 photo of Broadway showing the Oklahoman building.

Anybody curious as to what Rick Caine presented that landed with a thud at the retreat while Mike Knopp dazzled them with the river? Could it be that everything thats connected with Knopp and the river is a first-class operation, while COPTA can’t get downtown trolleys to run on time, then posts signs for information on the orange line at blue line stops, etc? COPTA has to have someone with vision and passion to sell the future of mass transit, but also needs someone that can get the buses and trolleys to run on time. I don’t know Mr. Caine, but is he the person for this task?