Comments on: What if the Let’s Talk Transit Sessions Ignored the “Talk”?

By: slackmeyer

slackmeyer — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:49:23 +0000

Paul, I was in that room on Core to Shore… it was the mayor, not the consultant, who insisted on showing the convention center site south of Ford Center (and at the time saying it was just a placeholder), and then going out on the MAPS 3 campaign and calling it the favored site (see video if you haven’t already).

By: Paul R

Paul R — Thu, 27 May 2010 12:36:45 +0000

I think there’s a larger disconnect than gov’t vs public, it’s consultant vs public. Many consultants I’ve worked with seem to have an “I’m the expert, so we’ll do what I want anyway” type of outlook. From my roundabout hereasy, that’s more what happened in C2S than the Mayor guiding things. I think the same thing might be happening here.

By: Doug Loudenback

Doug Loudenback — Thu, 27 May 2010 06:48:02 +0000

What I’ve already said at OkcTalk about this I have no present reason to change. There, I said,

“I am one of 3 bloggers scheduled to blog tomorrow and I will be attending the evening session. Unless it’s changed since I received a March 27 e-mail, the bloggers tomorrow’s session are: Charifa Smith (morning), unspecified session – Nick Roberts & me. But I’ve not received any pre-session information ever during this process … I get there and hear and see what unfolds just like everyone else does.

So, I cannot anticipate what will occur tomorrow … but I doubt that I’ll be “venting” about the process even if I may still be “wondering” how, if at all, the process may have helped shape the final outcome. A question that I’ll probably be asking is, ‘Please give one specific example of how the public input received during the Let’s Talk Transit sessions has caused possible routes to be modified from those which were contemplated as possibilities before the Let’s Talk Transit sessions began.’ Or something like that … I probably need to do more work fine-tuning the question.

Personally, I don’t see myself as qualified to select routes, etc., and I’d really prefer that the same be done by experts in the field as I expect will actually be the case, and I’m quite content with that. Sure, it’s been fun attending and participating … but I do still have my doubts that what’s been done is much more than parlor games for those who attended. Window dressing to evidence public input? Probably. But, even if so, does it matter? Probably not. Perhaps I’m mistaken.

Either way, the Let’s Talk Transit people have done a very good job in what they’ve done.

And, lest we forget, keep in mind that these proceedings are well below the Maps Oversight Board and, ultimately, City Council, in the overall pecking order.”

By: slackmeyer

slackmeyer — Thu, 27 May 2010 03:32:07 +0000

What I was told would lead one to wonder if there is a disconnect between the public input and the route maps being presented tomorrow. I’ll be just as curious as you to see what the guest blogger has in the morning.
I do know that a disconnect occurred during the Core to Shore meetings, which also used a public input process but came out with a report with some things, like a convention center site, dictated by the mayor, not the participants.

By: Kris Bryant

Kris Bryant — Thu, 27 May 2010 03:26:33 +0000

You’re looking for a juicy story in this, and I’m not sure there is one.

By: slackmeyer

slackmeyer — Thu, 27 May 2010 01:43:43 +0000

I understand the expressed intent of this process. I’ve also seen in the past how a supposedly public process was used to give cover to decisions already made.
I’ll admit – I’ve not attended most of the Let’s Talk Transit sessions. Neither time or resources allow for that, and I’m not the lead writer on this matter anyway.
But …
We’ll learn more in the morning from someone who has been inside this process, who hasn’t been paid to promote transit, who is academic in his approach and views to downtown.
Just reviewing the website for Let’s Talk Transit, I discovered a couple of items in the q&a that shows some matters might already have been decided without public input.
Background first: I know someone who once worked as a driver on the Oklahoma Spirit trolleys. He’s a friendly guy, and liked to provide passengers with basic tour info on what they were seeing along the way.
The union didn’t like this; he was doing work above and beyond what the union contract dictated. He quit rather than abide by such rules.
There are people in the community who would like to see the downtown transit system run by a private party that isn’t bound by a union contract.
Here’s what’s in the q&a of Let’s Talk Transit:
Q: Will the system be publicly or privately operated? – Mike Mize
A: It is anticipated that it will be publicly operated. (Answered by Rick Cain)
# Is the existing union contract with COTPA, the City of Oklahoma City or ACOG? – Grant Humphreys
It is currently with COTPA. (Answered by Rick Cain)
Now, let’s look at the following two questions and answers in light of the post that is coming…
Q: As a Deep Deuce business owner and resident, we would love a streetcar stop to service our concentration of residents and businesses. How can a district make their intentions known? Will a district be able to decide (have input) on pole art? – Charifa Smith
A: Recommendations from individuals or groups, such as neighborhood or district associations, are part of the process. Ultimately, the decisions about routes will be made based on the public input which is presented to the City Council. (Answered by Rick Cain)
Q: When will the routes be determined? – Harry Wilson
A: The potential streetcar alignments identified by the community in this series of seven public meetings will be considered by the COTPA Steering Committee for the Downtown Circulator Alternatives Analysis, and also by the MAPS Oversight Board, and ultimately by the Mayor and City Council to determine the routes for the Starter Segment of the MAPS Streetcar. Because of the need to determine how the streetcar routes will impact Project 180, we hope that this can be achieved within the next 90 to 120 days. (Answered by Mike McAnelly)
Folks … read the above very carefully…. if the routes presented tomorrow don’t reflect the input of those who have attended the Let’s Talk Transit sessions, ask yourselves why. And keep an eye on those who have been paid in one manner or another in this effort and what they do and say.

By: Jeff M. Bezdek

Jeff M. Bezdek — Thu, 27 May 2010 01:12:26 +0000

Not sure where your guest blogger is going with this but for context, this was just posted on the “lets talk transit website.” It at least explains the intent of this process.

FINAL STREETCAR MEETING TO RECAP CITIZEN INPUT
Citizen-Based Route Options Will Be Displayed

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 26, 2010

OKLAHOMA CITY – The final meeting in a public input process to determine where the modern streetcar might go in downtown Oklahoma City will take place Thursday, May 27 at City Hall. The community will have the option to attend an 11:30 a.m. or a 6 p.m. meeting with the same agenda.

Throughout the past two months, the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority has sought citizen input through a series of public meetings and online forums to begin planning for the new public transit component in downtown Oklahoma City.

The final meeting will review public input from previous meetings and several route options will be presented that were developed by meeting attendees throughout the process.

Two online surveys were completed during the process and will also be discussed.

• Citizens were asked to identify their top five route destinations and two suggested anchor points. A variety of responses were given, but when grouped into categories, the top destinations included: Bricktown, the Arts District, Ford Center, Convention Center, OKC Memorial, Midtown and the Oklahoma Health Center.

• Citizens were asked the maximum distance they would walk to access the modern streetcar, 57% said 2-3 blocks, 36% said 4 or more blocks and 7% said 1 block.

• Citizens also prioritized the principals most important to them when planning a route. The top two priorities were: Proximity to major employment sites/housing development/parking garages and community/ cultural facilities; and connections with current and future METRO Transit bus service and transit centers.

The full results of the surveys can be seen online at http://www.LetsTalkTransit.com.

An Alternatives Analysis Steering Committee made up of citizens is currently reviewing input from transit consultants, city planners and engineers about capital, operating costs and other infrastructure that must be considered, as well as to listening to input from the public about where they want to go. The input from the Let’s Talk Transit public discussion will be reviewed and considered by the Alternatives Analysis Steering Committee and the MAPS 3 Citizens Advisory Board for their recommendation to the City Council.

BACKGROUND

Included in MAPS 3, passed by Oklahoma City voters in December 2009, is approximately $130 million in funding for public transportation. The transit package includes approximately five track miles of downtown streetcar and a multimodal transit hub in downtown.

This accelerated process is necessary to identify what streets the streetcar may travel and to coordinate the plan with Project 180, Oklahoma City’s downtown streetscape plan starting in May 2010. Through cooperative planning, the projects will minimize disruption due to construction and maximize cost savings.

For more information or to provide input, visit http://www.LetsTalkTransit.com.