The only reason people drove in the right lane was because the parking wasn't marked and therefore cars weren't parked. Why wasn't that done when the bike lanes were painted? I drive on Walker every weekday. It is never backed up more than 2 cars. Besides, this a DOWNTOWN, its supposed to have traffic!!

Chain of Command On Project 180 | OKC Central (http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2013/03/14/chain-of-command-on-project-180/)

This should be required reading for Eric and PW until they grasp these simple concepts.

Project for Public Spaces | Rightsizing Streets (http://www.pps.org/reference/rightsizing/)

Unfortunately, the tin foil hat club, including many members of the legislature, are vehemently opposed to the very ideals of Project 180; livability, sustainability, walkability. I can't help but think these actions are related to this:

U.N. Agenda 21 measure passes Oklahoma House of Representatives | News OK (http://newsok.com/u.n.-agenda-21-measure-passes-oklahoma-house-of-representatives/article/3765515)

Make sure you let your councilman and the city know that you are very upset with their unwillingness to follow Project 180. I work downtown and come and go at all hours and the only time I've seen a significant traffic backup is during a Thunder game or on Gaylord at 5:00 trying to get to one of the two exits from downtown on I-40.

Public Works
405-297-2581

Well at least we'll be safe from sustainability and the UN. Thanks Sally Kern, you're the best!

Correction:

I just called the number above thinking it was the Public Works department, but it's actually just a condescending brick wall.

The boss at City Hall is City Manager Jim Couch: 297-2345

Unfortunately, the tin foil hat club, including many members of the legislature, are vehemently opposed to the very ideals of Project 180; livability, sustainability, walkability. I can't help but think these actions are related to this:

U.N. Agenda 21 measure passes Oklahoma House of Representatives | News OK (http://newsok.com/u.n.-agenda-21-measure-passes-oklahoma-house-of-representatives/article/3765515)
I wish this was the ONLY thing our state legislators and Senators are ignorant about. They are just about to bring this state's prosperity to a grinding halt with their provincial tea party views. Very frustrating.

Well what do ya know, Agenda 21 comes to vote in OK. And the flaming liberals on this site were saying it was conspiracy theory, despite it being goal #1 of the UN and posted on their website.

The boss at City Hall is City Manager Jim Couch: 297-2345

Thanks Steve. Do you think he made the call on this? The man I spoke with, George Storm, said that "They said it needed to be 4 lanes". I asked who "they" was, and he said he didn't know. I really was just calling to find out who pushed the button, so next time I speak with Meg Salyer, I'll know who to refer to. I couldn't really tell from your post if Eric Wenger made this decision or if he was just passing on the justification.

Any chance that Public Works being next to Walker had anything to do with it? I have a feeling that if there was more distance between their offices and the bike lanes, it would not have been a priority.

My favorite part of the conversation though was when he said people weren't doing what they were supposed to do, so they just changed it instead of enforcing it.

Also, isn't most of Walker in the core still stop signs right now? Maybe that has something to do with these mysterious traffic flare ups they say happen every day.

Thanks Steve. Do you think he made the call on this? The man I spoke with, George Storm, said that "They said it needed to be 4 lanes". I asked who "they" was, and he said he didn't know. I really was just calling to find out who pushed the button, so next time I speak with Meg Salyer, I'll know who to refer to. I couldn't really tell from your post if Eric Wenger made this decision or if he was just passing on the justification.

Any chance that Public Works being next to Walker had anything to do with it? I have a feeling that if there was more distance between their offices and the bike lanes, it would not have been a priority.

My favorite part of the conversation though was when he said people weren't doing what they were supposed to do, so they just changed it instead of enforcing it.

Also, isn't most of Walker in the core still stop signs right now? Maybe that has something to do with these mysterious traffic flare ups they say happen every day.

Poor George. I really like him. He has absolutely nothing to do with this. He's had little to no Project 180 interaction that I know of. He's in charge of pavement management (resurfacing, etc).

Poor George. I really like him. He has absolutely nothing to do with this. He's had little to no Project 180 interaction that I know of. He's in charge of pavement management (resurfacing, etc).

haha, well if this is the case, then George and I are still enemies...

The UN should come out with a plan to make everyone unhealthy and drive a car and then watch the comedy unfold. $100 says Oklahoma would ban roads and require gym memberships.

This is very disappointing.

But not surprising.

So according to Mr. Wenger’s logic and understanding of the world from an engineering perspective, if We The People are not following the laws that are in place, the laws should be changed so that they will be followed. What about speeding? If we all begin running red lights and stopping at green lights, would Mr. Wenger and the PW's team advocate the changing of red to go and green to stop? What they’ve done would be akin to A Good Egg Group opening a fantastic new restaurant and not telling anyone anything about.
While I do have a master’s degree, it’s not in engineering, so I understand that my thoughts and ideas should not be considered as valuable as those of an “engineer”. However, if I did have an engineering degree and were capable of possessing thoughts of value, I might suggest something like this.
As each new section of road opens up:
1. Get all the news organizations to do a story, making sure to explain what a solid white line and flashing yellow arrows mean and how they apply to driving.
2. Have one of the big orange programmable signs on each end of the street that instruct drivers what to do.
3. Have motorcycle officers issue warning citations every day for a week, then issue actual tickets to repeat offenders and after the grace period.
But then again, who am I?

So according to Mr. Wenger’s logic and understanding of the world from an engineering perspective, if We The People are not following the laws that are in place, the laws should be changed so that they will be followed. What about speeding? If we all begin running red lights and stopping at green lights, would Mr. Wenger and the PW's team advocate the changing of red to go and green to stop? What they’ve done would be akin to A Good Egg Group opening a fantastic new restaurant and not telling anyone anything about.
While I do have a master’s degree, it’s not in engineering, so I understand that my thoughts and ideas should not be considered as valuable as those of an “engineer”. However, if I did have an engineering degree and were capable of possessing thoughts of value, I might suggest something like this.
As each new section of road opens up:
1. Get all the news organizations to do a story, making sure to explain what a solid white line and flashing yellow arrows mean and how they apply to driving.
2. Have one of the big orange programmable signs on each end of the street that instruct drivers what to do.
3. Have motorcycle officers issue warning citations every day for a week, then issue actual tickets to repeat offenders and after the grace period.
But then again, who am I?

They were looking for an excuse to get rid of the bike lanes.

Poor George. I really like him. He has absolutely nothing to do with this. He's had little to no Project 180 interaction that I know of. He's in charge of pavement management (resurfacing, etc).

Yeah. I hope they don't pass more calls about this to him. Kind of laughed at me when I asked why they removed the bike lanes, but did try to answer what he could. He just really wasn't in a position to field questions. He did give me another number, but they didn't answer.

They were looking for an excuse to get rid of the bike lanes.

I hope someone gets nailed (not life threatening) by a car on Walker while riding their bike and then they sue the crap out of the city for changing the bike lanes to actual traffic lanes. Wenger is a poor excuse of an engineer. I swear to gawd, I think he thought he was going to get a bomb dropped on him when he had the mic at the FBB/ODOT public meeting last year.

Unfortunately, the tin foil hat club, including many members of the legislature, are vehemently opposed to the very ideals of Project 180; livability, sustainability, walkability. I can't help but think these actions are related to this:

U.N. Agenda 21 measure passes Oklahoma House of Representatives | News OK (http://newsok.com/u.n.-agenda-21-measure-passes-oklahoma-house-of-representatives/article/3765515)

This has nothing to do with what we are discussing here, and should be moved to the politics forum.

Ed Shadid tweeted something about his outrage about this. Does this mean we can all get back to liking him again?

Walker Avenue between Reno and Couch in downtown Oklahoma City will transition to a two-lane street by the end of March. The Avenue is currently marked for a four lane, two-way traffic. On-street parallel parking will be located on the east and west sides Walker. Dedicated bicycle lanes in both directions for exclusive use by cyclists will remain on the street.

City of Oklahoma City | News from OKCGOV (http://www.okc.gov/news/2013_03/Walker_will_transition_to_two_lanes_by_March_29.ht ml)

Sounds like this thread jumped the gun or they got the message somehow. No doubt, whoever was on the other end of the phone was not in the loop on the memo.

So, does this mean they have reversed themselves?

Ed Shadid tweeted something about his outrage about this. Does this mean we can all get back to liking him again?

NO, you shouldn't. LOL Ed Shadid has defended Eric Wenger too many times on P180 issues.

Just watch what happens with Santa Fe Station and EK Gaylord and the original P180 plans.

The last sentence has a couple typos:

"The transition, which is a part of Project 180, will make Walker more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly."

should say

"The transition back, which is a part of Project 180 and Public Works incorrectly removed, will return Walker to a more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly street."

Lol. I was riding in downtown this week for work, guess it's a good thing I didn't try to take Walker.

Our benevolent OKC PW and ODOT has a low opinion of our intelligence evidently. We do not understand traffic roundabouts or bicycle lanes in their opinion.....

That's the argument they make when their preferred plan isn't selected. Yet, they want to build a boulevard that will cause havoc to the legible and connected street grid, a boulevard that actually will cause confusion for motorists and pedestrians. No where has any city engineer come forward and said "Don't build this excess road capacity -- it will confuse drivers attempting to move from one side of the boulevard to the other."

Just watch what happens with Santa Fe Station and EK Gaylord and the original P180 plans.

The word on the street is that Public Works has no intention of reducing EK Gaylord to 4 lanes, as provided for in the original P180 plan and incorporated into the master plan for Santa Fe Intermodal Station. City engineers have apparently decided the street needs to remain in its current 6-lane configuration, which is a nightmare for pedestrians and in no way conducive to development of the area as a pedestrian friendly transit corridor. Very troubling news, to say the least.

There was no mistake in my post at OKC Central. Yes, it's true - the city quickly reversed course. A Surprising 5 p.m. Press Release on the Walker Avenue Bike Lanes | OKC Central (http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2013/03/14/a-surprising-5-p-m-press-release-on-the-walker-avenue-bike-lanes/)

Thank you to all, including Steve, who tweeted, blogged, posted and made calls to force the city to correct thier mistake. The right, upstanding thing would have been for Wenger to include a simple apology or acknowledgement of the mistake. But I'll forget all about that if they will leave Gaylord 4 lanes, AS PLANNED.

The word on the street is that Public Works has no intention of reducing EK Gaylord to 4 lanes, as provided for in the original P180 plan and incorporated into the master plan for Santa Fe Intermodal Station. City engineers have apparently decided the street needs to remain in its current 6-lane configuration, which is a nightmare for pedestrians and in no way conducive to development of the area as a pedestrian friendly transit corridor. Very troubling news, to say the least.

Sounds like it's time for the city to build pedestrian underpasses...

It's moot now, but with all the phone numbers being posted I'm surprised nobody posted the action center number and suggested reporting a vandalism (stolen bike lanes)... maybe next time someone would be willing to do that...

It seems to me that OKC needs to do this in several of the City Government departments...OKC is having big city problems and letting small city government officials handle those issues. They are clearly failing.

I second this opinion and motion for more experienced officials to run our city.

I second this opinion and motion for more experienced officials to run our city.

I believe the City actually has some within its ranks that would be more than acceptable. However, they are not currently in charge.

The word on the street is that Public Works has no intention of reducing EK Gaylord to 4 lanes, as provided for in the original P180 plan and incorporated into the master plan for Santa Fe Intermodal Station. City engineers have apparently decided the street needs to remain in its current 6-lane configuration, which is a nightmare for pedestrians and in no way conducive to development of the area as a pedestrian friendly transit corridor. Very troubling news, to say the least.

I have heard this as well.

I believe the City actually has some within its ranks that would be more than acceptable. However, they are not currently in charge.

Can you share names?

For you Twitterers, I'm starting a hashtag #brokenpromisesOKC and tweeting Meg, Mayor and CityofOKC daily. Join us.

I call it the Lackmeyer effect.

Maybe, but remember two incumbents are feeling the heat and the election is 18 days away.

Steve does a great job, btw. Just saying I hope people remember the last four years more than the last four weeks when the time comes.

I'm just wondering how much more this is costing since they now have to redo what they undid.

When they re-re-restripe it, will they actually add the parking spaces that are supposed to be there?

Steve does a great job, btw. Just saying I hope people remember the last four years more than the last four weeks when the time comes.

What have they done so impressive in the last 4 years that we're missing? Most of the time, they water down what was promised. Maps 3, Boulevard, just to name a few.

When they re-re-restripe it, will they actually add the parking spaces that are supposed to be there?

yes, the press release stated that.

It stated that it would be done originally too, but we saw how that worked out...

I'm counting the last four weeks as a success for Skip and Marrs because the DPW responded to public feedback. I don't know what role they actually played in the Walker dust up. The last four years have to be counted as a failure because they both opposed the quiet zone and the boulevard, among others.

It stated that it would be done originally too, but we saw how that worked out...

True, but they corrected themselves yesterday and came out with an official statement, which is all we can go by.

Exclusive video of OKC employees making Walker more car-friendly. I wish I could have found the clip of Kramer painting over the lines with a roller in the dark of the night while hanging out his car door.

Hki37NCesLE

What have they done so impressive in the last 4 years that we're missing? Most of the time, they water down what was promised. Maps 3, Boulevard, just to name a few.This! I hear you loud and clear man. It is really starting to get frustrating. The consistency is what is getting me.

Exclusive video of OKC employees making Walker more car-friendly. I wish I could have found the clip of Kramer painting over the lines with a roller in the dark of the night while hanging out his car door.


OKCOMG | Project 180 (http://okcomg.tumblr.com/post/45339465386/project-180)

Is OKCOMGJTF?

What have they done so impressive in the last 4 years that we're missing? Most of the time, they water down what was promised. Maps 3, Boulevard, just to name a few.

The Boulevard, really, I need to head downtown and drive it to see for myself.

OKCOMG | Project 180 (http://okcomg.tumblr.com/post/45339465386/project-180)

Is OKCOMGJTF?

That's it! That might be the greatest Seinfeld episode ever.

That's it! That might be the greatest Seinfeld episode ever.

Nah - 'The Contest' or 'Soup Nazi'

Laying pavers at Hudson & Main (credit, P180 FB page):

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/734187_629276770422283_683538604_n.jpg

What is the next project for Project 180 to start?

You can see a summary of the next phases in this post:

Project 180 - OKCTalk (http://www.okctalk.com/showwiki.php?title=Project+180&page=31#post605039)

What is the next project for Project 180 to start?

Putting the bike lanes back on Walker?

Laying pavers at Hudson & Main (credit, P180 FB page):

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/734187_629276770422283_683538604_n.jpg

It's a little difficult seeing what they're laying down in that photo, but likely it's the same as the work they did in this photo (from January) at Main & Robinson:

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/740642_588987724451188_2110514582_o.jpg (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Project180-Transforming-Oklahoma-City/120793601270605?id=120793601270605&sk=photos_stream)

Steve's latest update.

Downtown Oklahoma City streets are open ? for now | News OK (http://newsok.com/downtown-oklahoma-city-streets-are-open-for-now/article/3767202)