Broadway can't be a thoroughfare anymore. It has too much activity all day and into the night to be a speedway in and out of downtown. It's awful to watch people who actually want to stop and spend money in our city trying to cross the street on foot while people who are speeding back to Broadway Extension blow through at high speeds. A little traffic congestion at Rush-15-Minutes would be worth it to narrow it to two lanes with a turn lane and drop the actual traffic speed down to 20 or 25.

It's a very similar situation to the far north end of Broadway through Downtown Edmond and not only is the speed limit 25-30 through there, they police it very strictly.

If AA could be as well designed as downtown Edmond, I'd take that without any hesitation. I think this would require Broadway to be redesigned all the way up to 23rd though if we want to actually change the way traffic moves.

If AA could be as well designed as downtown Edmond, I'd take that without any hesitation. I think this would require Broadway to be redesigned all the way up to 23rd though if we want to actually change the way traffic moves.

Agree 100%, Mr. Cotter. Anything short of 23rd St. won't change the way the traffic moves.

If AA could be as well designed as downtown Edmond, I'd take that without any hesitation. I think this would require Broadway to be redesigned all the way up to 23rd though if we want to actually change the way traffic moves.

You can only redesign something so much…at the end of the day, a big open space looks and feels like a big open space, and big open spaces are 40MPH+.

Development practices dictate traffic patterns, both foot and vehicular. Broadway from 23rd to 10th has so much potential it's unreal, but a lot of buildings are going to have to come down, and the corridor needs about $200M of investment not including land costs.

Agree 100%, Mr. Cotter. Anything short of 23rd St. won't change the way the traffic moves.

I agree and would like to kick it off by turning Winans Park (the park behind the fire station south of 23rd St) into a dog park. As it stands now, Winans Park goes largely unused, feels very isolated, and is in the middle of what seems like a four lane highway at times. There is only one real dog park in the downtown area and it is temporary. Winans sits next to Heritage Hills East and is walkable from Heritage, Mesta, Jefferson, and the Paseo. The only thing the park lacks now is parking for anyone that comes from outside the immediate area. To provide parking and reduce traffic flow, you could turn the inside lanes of Broadway into parallel parking which would make Broadway a two lane street in that stretch. The two lane street could be continued by adding a median from the south end of the park to 13th St.

We could kill 3 birds with one stone: add a dog park, reduce traffic flow on Broadway, and revive some dead/unused green space.

I like those ideas.

We could kill 3 birds with one stone: add a dog park, reduce traffic flow on Broadway, and revive some dead/unused green space.

And we would all stop getting speeding tickets at that speed trap north of 13th.

There is no reason to have that divided 4-lane road that surrounds Winan's Park.

Merely close the west side and make that more parkland for that neighborhood. Make the eastside 2-way.

Then, the rest of Broadway south could be 2 lane with bike dedicated bike lanes.

It's ridiculous to have that huge 4-lane, wide-open street (Broadway) between 10th & 23rd. It only encourages people to go blazing through there and it's a leftover from before I-235 when Broadway Ext stopped at 36th and everyone took Broadway the rest of the distance to/from downtown.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/winans.jpg

I agree and would like to kick it off by turning Winans Park (the park behind the fire station south of 23rd St) into a dog park. As it stands now, Winans Park goes largely unused, feels very isolated, and is in the middle of what seems like a four lane highway at times. There is only one real dog park in the downtown area and it is temporary. Winans sits next to Heritage Hills East and is walkable from Heritage, Mesta, Jefferson, and the Paseo. The only thing the park lacks now is parking for anyone that comes from outside the immediate area. To provide parking and reduce traffic flow, you could turn the inside lanes of Broadway into parallel parking which would make Broadway a two lane street in that stretch. The two lane street could be continued by adding a median from the south end of the park to 13th St.

We could kill 3 birds with one stone: add a dog park, reduce traffic flow on Broadway, and revive some dead/unused green space.

I love the idea. Would be a welcome addition of activated space.

You could also create a beautiful terminus view from downtown. A 3 to 6 story sculpture would be pretty awesome.

We come up with some pretty awesome ideas here. It's a shame that this will likely never happen.

Everyone should contact Meg Salter's office if they have a good idea like this one. 297-2402

Everyone should contact Meg Salter's office if they have a good idea like this one. 297-2402

I've actually considered that, but wasn't sure whether to contact Meg or the Parks & Rec department.

I agree the park has a ton of untapped potential. I like the idea of a sculpture or artwork of some kind in it, or better yet a huge fountain. DFW has a lot of these but I am not aware of any in OKC.

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/uploadedImages/Marin%20Fountain%20Scene.jpg

I agree the park has a ton of untapped potential. I like the idea of a sculpture or artwork of some kind in it, or better yet a huge fountain. DFW has a lot of these but I am not aware of any in OKC.

Memorial Park:

http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/display/d3d0a6cd-7b17-4d17-8c93-85a2d40e8a15.JPG

There is no reason to have that divided 4-lane road that surrounds Winan's Park.

Merely close the west side and make that more parkland for that neighborhood. Make the eastside 2-way.

Then, the rest of Broadway south could be 2 lane with bike dedicated bike lanes.

It's ridiculous to have that huge 4-lane, wide-open street (Broadway) between 10th & 23rd. It only encourages people to go blazing through there and it's a leftover from before I-235 when Broadway Ext stopped at 36th and everyone took Broadway the rest of the distance to/from downtown.



It would probably be tough to close it off completely. There are at least 2 or 3 houses and a business or two on that stretch that can only be accessed from Broadway and at least 1 new house that has a side walk facing 21st or 20th, but a garage that opens to Broadway. I think HHE may be the one building those houses, so he might be able to provide some better insight.

At least with the dog park idea, you would have parking instead of a second lane on each side which should slow things down quite a bit. You could even add crosswalks at some combination of 20th, 21st and 22nd to slow traffic even more.

Memorial Park:

http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/display/d3d0a6cd-7b17-4d17-8c93-85a2d40e8a15.JPG

And the city is doing a major overhaul of memorial park right now. It should be really nice when finished.

What will the speed of the streetcar be in automobile alley?

I took these pictures from the rooftop at Plenty Mercantile yesterday. It's incredible up there, I only wish it was a public space.

10918. 10919. 10920

Cool to see the Metropolitan taking shape in the background of that 3rd photo.

As per Steve:

http://www.oklahoman.com/article/5428481&headline=Urban%20Renewal%20approves%20deal%20to%20 move%20Automobile%20Alley%20electrical%20substatio n


An electrical substation along the increasingly important 10th Street corridor that connects downtown to the “Innovation District” east of Interstate 235 is set to be moved “imminently” as part of a development deal approved Thursday by the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority.

That could be a great site. Has OCURA reached some package deal for all the substations?

including the elusive substation in E Central Park. ...

I was going to ask if it was 30M to move this substation like it was supposed to be to move the central park station....

That could be a great site. Has OCURA reached some package deal for all the substations?

To answer my above question, got my hopes up lol.

I just heard that the 9th St Braid was defaced. Has anyone else seen/heard anything else about this?

I just heard that the 9th St Braid was defaced. Has anyone else seen/heard anything else about this?

I drove by last night and I didn't notice anything terribly off in particular, but it was pretty dark outside with just my headlights. I might go through later just to check.

Drove by today around lunch, seemed fine. I didn't stop and examine though.

Yeah, I drove by myself and I thought it looked fine. Their was a Facebook post by a relative of one of the artists that indicated something happened. I hope I wasn't drumming up rumors here, I was merely concerned.

And the city is doing a major overhaul of memorial park right now. It should be really nice when finished.

This is the slowest project I've ever seen. Ugh.

^Yes. I went out there to try to place tennis on the new courts and they still aren't finished. It's pretty frustrating.

An interesting recap by Heather Warlick about what is happening here. She also has several video interviews with those involved with shops here.

Oklahoma City's Automobile Alley thrives once more | NewsOK.com (http://m.newsok.com/oklahoma-citys-automobile-alley-thrives-once-more/article/5442537)

This is the slowest project I've ever seen. Ugh.

Slower than other projects executed by the City of OKC?

Gotta get all those tennis courts just right for the thousands of people yearning for public tennis courts.

You're right. It's obvious that OKC's main focus has been on public tennis courts.

Gotta get all those tennis courts just right for the thousands of people yearning for public tennis courts.

Are tennis courts really coming to this park?

If so, I think that is great. I've casually played tennis for many years, although I will admit it has been a few years since I have. It's a great alternative for exercise, if basketball is not your thing.

Fantastic news!

There were always tennis courts in Memorial Park. Really, really, awful tennis courts. Nearly un-playable, yet highly indicative of a community that values neither athletic recreation or public spaces.

OKC really does need a huge boost in terms of tennis courts and bike/jogging trails. And less of those stupid splash park things.

Since we're already off topic, does anyone know why those tennis courts are chained up? As far as I can tell, work is done and they're ready to use.

And less of those stupid splash park things.

someone doesn't have kids :)

seriously though, the more athletic parks the better for OKC

Parks should be for kids. Honestly if you, as an adult, want to play tennis, join a club. The 75thousand+ sq/ft of space consumed by public tennis courts at that park is ridiculous. That could afford another soccer field, which kids play, or a few baseball diamonds, which kids play...kids do not play tennis.

Parks should be for kids. Honestly if you, as an adult, want to play tennis, join a club. The 75thousand+ sq/ft of space consumed by public tennis courts at that park is ridiculous. That could afford another soccer field, which kids play, or a few baseball diamonds, which kids play...kids do not play tennis.

As someone who learned to play tennis on public courts and who could not afford to join a club while growing up, I couldn't disagree more strongly.

To this day, I'm an avid player all because there were public courts at a park near my childhood home. And I know lots of people who could say the same thing.

As someone who learned to play tennis on public courts and who could not afford to join a club while growing up, I couldn't disagree more strongly.

To this day, I'm an avid player all because there were public courts at a park near my childhood home. And I know lots of people who could say the same thing.

+1

+2

Parks should be for kids. Honestly if you, as an adult, want to play tennis, join a club. The 75thousand+ sq/ft of space consumed by public tennis courts at that park is ridiculous. That could afford another soccer field, which kids play, or a few baseball diamonds, which kids play...kids do not play tennis.

All three of my kids play tennis and when we go to Earlywine...there are a ton of kids there playing tennis.

Does it have to be either or? I'm okay with tennis courts and splash pads. I have zero desire to ever play tennis but I like that people who do have some options. Spash pads are a god send for anyone with kids in the summer.

Parks should be for kids. Honestly if you, as an adult, want to play tennis, join a club. The 75thousand+ sq/ft of space consumed by public tennis courts at that park is ridiculous. That could afford another soccer field, which kids play, or a few baseball diamonds, which kids play...kids do not play tennis.

Soccer and tennis were the two sports I played growing up. I welcome the courts.

Splash pads are super popular with kids, and from a long-term maintenance and staffing standpoint WAAAAAYYY cheaper than swimming pools, so I'm good with them even though I will never make use of one.

Regarding the space occupied by tennis courts - which ARE used by kids - one thing OKC isn't lacking for is space. We should be so lucky as to have about 200 square miles of this city occupied by parks with tennis courts, soccer fields, baseball diamonds, whatever. BTW, tennis is a great sport for kids. Lots of activity, chances to expand your social circle, opportunities for college scholarship (easier to attain than many sports) and an activity that can last a lifetime. More kids should play tennis, not fewer.

Parks should be for kids. Honestly if you, as an adult, want to play tennis, join a club. The 75thousand+ sq/ft of space consumed by public tennis courts at that park is ridiculous. That could afford another soccer field, which kids play, or a few baseball diamonds, which kids play...kids do not play tennis.

Some of my best memories as a kid with my dad are playing tennis on public courts. Joining a club wasn't exactly in our budget. Also, parks serve the community of all ages, including kids.

+3

Parks should be for kids. Honestly if you, as an adult, want to play tennis, join a club. The 75thousand+ sq/ft of space consumed by public tennis courts at that park is ridiculous. That could afford another soccer field, which kids play, or a few baseball diamonds, which kids play...kids do not play tennis.

Wow....

I can't believe I just read that.

Parks are for everyone.

You must be confusing parks for playgrounds. Playgrounds are for kids. Should we close an demo the MBG tube because kids don't like looking at plants?

Some of my best memories as a kid with my dad are playing tennis on public courts. Joining a club wasn't exactly in our budget. Also, parks serve the community of all ages, including kids.

Same experience here. Wouldn't trade playing tennis on public courts with my dad in the 70s and 80s for anything. Now that I think about it, i need to ring him up and play tennis with him some more while he can still get around the court.

Seems like I saw people on the courts at Memorial yesterday, did my eyes deceive?

I am pretty sure that the Harding tennis team practiced there when my daughter was on the team 5 or so years ago. My family used to play tennis for years and were members at the Greens and between dues and indoor court time it became quite expensive. Tennis is a sport that does not have to be expensive once you have a racket and a can of balls. I love the fact that the sport can be more accessible to everyone and not reserved for people with money.

Okay, so I've agitated everyone that "used to play" tennis on a thread about AA over a park that is years behind schedule on classen BLVD. I only cynically commented. But that doesn't change the matter that the opponents express nostalgia from the 70's. Tennis requires fresh balls, a racquet, and a maintained net. Teams sports, which I don't know if anyone noticed, is what impoverished kids play. Are extremely lacking in municipal parks. I too, grew up(across from the golf course) on the south side and used earlywine courts, which cost $. We should be paying special attention to kids who can't afford that crap.

Soccer, football, baseball, volleyball, and a handful of other inexpensive sports should be the focus of municipal sporting fields.

Just because you played tennis 30 years ago doesn't mean it fits the needs of kids in 2015.

Not many kids post on this forum.

Okay, so I've agitated everyone that "used to play" tennis on a thread about AA over a park that is years behind schedule on classen BLVD. I only cynically commented. But that doesn't change the matter that the opponents express nostalgia from the 70's. Tennis requires fresh balls, a racquet, and a maintained net. Teams sports, which I don't know if anyone noticed, is what impoverished kids play. Are extremely lacking in municipal parks. I too, grew up(across from the golf course) on the south side and used earlywine courts, which cost $. We should be paying special attention to kids who can't afford that crap.

Soccer, football, baseball, volleyball, and a handful of other inexpensive sports should be the focus of municipal sporting fields.

Just because you played tennis 30 years ago doesn't mean it fits the needs of kids in 2015.

I'm 22 and would most definitely be considered a kid by some. And I enjoy tennis.

Just because you dislike it does not mean others feel the same.

I'm 22 and would most definitely be considered a kid by some. And I enjoy tennis.

Just because you dislike it does not mean others feel the same.

+1

Also, I believe one regulation soccer field takes up more space than 4 or 5 tennis courts. While neither is maintenance-free, I would vouch that tennis courts are cheaper to maintain because they don't have to be mowed......

someone doesn't have kids :)

seriously though, the more athletic parks the better for OKC

You can't plan every neighborhood park just for kids and maintain that your parks are a quality of life asset for all. Which really in the case of OKC, they aren't. Realistically, we mostly just have athletic fields for parks. Thank goodness private donors step up to maintain OKC's one nice park, the Myriad Gardens.

I am seeing a lot of this "yeah you obviously don't have kids" in response to myself and others lately (are you all 40 and men?). We need neighborhoods for all, and not just kids. I thought we settled this and that the community agreed in the importance of attracting young adults? You have to have a good city for single life, and not just family life. Especially if you want a population with time on its hands to harness innovation and disposable income.

There is a legitimate difference between us and cities like Austin, Denver, Columbus, Minneapolis, etc. When the same usual voices win and get their way in OKC, we remain farther from that long and more similar to Wichita, Little Rock, and Amarillo. I promise you that those cities are full of great, wonderful families that are so busy with their own lives that they don't realize how second-rate their surroundings are.

You can't plan every neighborhood park just for kids and maintain that your parks are a quality of life asset for all. Which really in the case of OKC, they aren't. Realistically, we mostly just have athletic fields for parks. Thank goodness private donors step up to maintain OKC's one nice park, the Myriad Gardens.

I am seeing a lot of this "yeah you obviously don't have kids" in response to myself and others lately (are you all 40 and men?). We need neighborhoods for all, and not just kids. I thought we settled this and that the community agreed in the importance of attracting young adults? You have to have a good city for single life, and not just family life. Especially if you want a population with time on its hands to harness innovation and disposable income.

There is a legitimate difference between us and cities like Austin, Denver, Columbus, Minneapolis, etc. When the same usual voices win and get their way in OKC, we remain farther from that long and more similar to Wichita, Little Rock, and Amarillo. I promise you that those cities are full of great, wonderful families that are so busy with their own lives that they don't realize how second-rate their surroundings are.

Whoa easy killer. I don't know what it is about my posting style but usually one line comments made in jest seem to garner these type of novella responses going off on me. I never once said every park needs to have a freaking splash pad or tons of stuff for kids.

I don't even know how to respond to your last paragraph, other than you think anyone with a family living outside of the core is too stupid to realize if OKC is lagging behind in an area. Typical holier than thou type posts that everyone is accustomed to on this forum.

Woah likewise. I am sorry, I wasn't responding just to you, but a few posts around yours (I was too lazy to quote them all), including and especially the suggestion that adults don't have a right to parks and presumably (not a far leap?) other quality of life assets.

It's not a far leap from all of these ideas that exist pretty close in succession:

"OKC needs more not less athletic parks" > "OKC needs to be planned solely for families" > "Parks should be for kids only" > "Only families have a right to quality of life assets."

You can pick and choose which of these you espouse, but they all exist on the same side of the debate in the grand scheme of things. Whether you or whomever else will reply to this post would come right out and say young adults don't deserve quality of life amenities, is irrelevant, because there actually are people who are emboldened to believe this. In just another thread someone's crazy post made me ask them (their username was like sooner___) what is wrong with "young, kidless people" as he/she termed it.