Comments on: Accomodating Pedestrians

By: Wylie H.

Wylie H. — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 19:39:07 +0000

The sidewalk obstruction is so large, one can see it from the main conference room at Crowe & Dunlevy (which is in Mid-America Tower).

By: slackmeyer

slackmeyer — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 01:50:57 +0000

Gentlemen, as I tell my sons, name calling is the desperate last act of someone who has no good arguments left to make. It’s also a quick path into the automatic moderation que at OKC Central.

By: A concerned citizen

A concerned citizen — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:56:39 +0000

Hmmm, earlier comment didn’t post, so trying again. This is not acceptable in a *real* “big-league” city (but then again I think OKC has a long way to go to be a “big-league” city). Walk every street in Chicago’s Loop (I did for many years) and you will not find something like this anywhere. Ditto for any other “big-league” city (NYC, SF, etc.). It’s just half-a**ed and totally in line with the way things are still being done in OKC – get rid of the crappy construction companies that do things improperly with absolutely no consequences, get rid of the good ol’ boy crap that this is indicative of, just do it the way it should be done!

By: Tim Evanston

Tim Evanston — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:45:29 +0000

Golgar:

This is a slippery slope to what? More gates on sidewalks in deserted parts of town? The horror.

But I like your “everyone agrees that this story is not of great importance” but is still worth pursuing logic. That’s the first thing you learn in journalism 101: only go after the stories that are not important. You’d fit right in at the Oklahoman.

By: Grolgar

Grolgar — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:20:43 +0000

Good work, Steve. Everyone agrees that this story is not of great importance in and of itself… but it is a slippery slope. The next time a similar situation comes up the City might just say, “Ahhh, just do it like we did last time.” While a minor detail, still worth pursuing.

By: slackmeyer

slackmeyer — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 17:39:09 +0000

Tim, just for you, I’m going to do more posts on this sidewalk. Your reaction is like manna from Heaven.

By: Tim Evanston

Tim Evanston — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 17:12:46 +0000

If only some lonely Serbian or Ukrainian would make a paper mache model of this sidewalk gate, then Steve would truly have the news story of his lifetime.

By: Keith Anderson

Keith Anderson — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 21:36:04 +0000

This crap absolutely needs attention. It’s an example of laziness and inattention to detail and gets you fired in the real world.

Have you seen the concrete work around the asian district streetscape? It’s absolute garbage – now compare it to something done in Nichols Hills. Notice a difference?
Quality is attainable and the squeaky wheel always gets the grease.

By: Kris Bryant

Kris Bryant — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 21:28:29 +0000

I believe Tim and Steve point out troubling realities: 1) our inability to prioritize pedestrians with appropriate infrastructure, and 2) our inability to create places where pedestrians want to be. They are clearly related, but separate issues. Just as appalling is the above-grade retail frontage at The Lofts.

By: slackmeyer

slackmeyer — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:22:46 +0000

Nah, there’s other stuff to have fun with, and I will continue to do so. But the more I get needled on shining the light on this, the more I’m going to hold that flashlight up. So far I’ve yet to hear anything from the city that would indicate this sidewalk had to be done this way.
Inspired by your latest comment Tim, I’ve changed the background on my Twitter account to the photo of this sidewalk.