Downtown OKC Inc seems like the logical entity to take this issue on and advocate to the Public Work Department (which oversees this project), that the fence be moved. Where do they stand in this?

...

They are involved in the conversations I am having.

The construction might be temporary, but a resultant death is permanent. They pulled the same shenanigans on 23rd in front of Tower Theater and traffic trough there is flying.

The EKG closures are also mind blowing bc it represents ignorance on a few fronts:

1. We have this thing called "superblocks" everywhere that we can't get enough of despite how they block flow.
2. No sidewalk on the other side of EKG bc it's just a blank wall.
3. There really are pedestrians in downtown in 2015. Go look for yourself.
4. The construction has inflicted complete and utter chaos over the last ten years. We must start doing better.

I really think someone should lose their job over this if the construction company was actually proactively contacted and TOLD to do this without even asking. I could see this being someone's obsession over either flushing pedestrians out, not caring where they go, or narrowly satisfying some liability concern. Right now we know none of this for sure, or at least I don't, but I would really appreciate if Pete, Steve, Urbanized, UP, et al really pursue this and demand accountability here. I'm sure we will back you guys up however possible, but we really need to find out who said what and why.

How hard would it be for someone walking by the fences that gets p*ssed off by this stupidity to actually push the fences back so there is some kind of a semblance of sidewalk remaining? Take things into your own hands, just push (assuming there's nothing on the other side too big to move)... I've done this for some construction signs/pylons by where I live - construction had been over and completely done for over a month, but signs were still up saying "right lane closed ahead" and the pylons were next to the curb, got tired of people suddenly chging lanes when they see the (unnecessary) sign, so just flipped all the signs over and threw the pylons on the grass since nobody cares enough to follow up properly...

Also ties in to my post in the other thread about finding out how to fix this kind of asinine thinking - is there a way to educate these people and make them do things right? Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo tired of OK and OKC thinking they're the first ones to do things and not finding out how other communities across the USA and the world have solved their exact problems many times before...

Yesterday, I brought this up in the emergency MAPS 3 streetcar meeting. Jim Couch and Municipal Counsler were present. Several other Subcommittee members chimed in about the problem and demanded that it be resolved.

The Public Work Department is in charge of this project. It was specifically pointed out that someone might end up getting literally killed on EK Gaylord as a result of the fence funneling pedestrians off into the street. I am not sure what else to do if the matter is not resolved. It needs to be resolved immediately.

DOKC was present our last Urban Neighbors board meeting and I expressed an interest in UN being involved in resolving this matter as it directly impacts our members.

Would they blame the pedestrians for the deaths for recklessly putting themselves in harm's way? Very little would surprise me at this point.

^^^^^^^^
The answer is yes. If a person tried to jaywalk mid-(super)block or to walk in the traffic lane after discovering those were their only choices besides backtracking and walking two extra blocks, the police absolutely would find the pedestrian at fault if they were mowed down by an automobile. The car's driver wouldn't even get a ticket.

EKG is wide enough. Rent some jersey barriers and block off one NB lane and route all pedestrian traffic into the street. On days heavy equipment needs to be moved in, close the temp sidewalk until any heavy equipment is inside then open it back up.

Well, the sidewalk really doesn't need to be closed at all. They will encroach on it when working on the very front of the building. But that won't probably be until next year. The front steps of the building come very close to the sidewalk. However, scaffolding and a protective enclosure can be built as is done in other major cities.

How hard would it be for someone walking by the fences that gets p*ssed off by this stupidity to actually push the fences back so there is some kind of a semblance of sidewalk remaining? Take things into your own hands, just push (assuming there's nothing on the other side too big to move)...

I am so angry about it I have actually thought about doing this.

^^^^^ Use the anger, give in to the dark side, use the force to give pedestrians proper access........

lol. Just drove by it. It is still sitting in the middle of the sidewalk.

I wonder if someone did the "gorilla urbanism" thing (e.g. moved it back in the middle of the night) if they would notice or care or move it back where it was...

As works starts in earnest very soon, here is the latest plan.

Posted this part in the Bricktown thread as well but it looks like they will be adding one or two new pedestrian bridges over the west end of the canal, and the stairs to the level below seem to be reworked.

You can also see a dedicated bike lane on EK Gaylord. This stretch will soon be reworked as part of Project 180.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sfstation021016b.jpg

^^^^^^
The bridge across the canal from N-S between Mojo's and Harding-Shelton is an add alternate with no budget currently assigned.

^^^^^^
The bridge across the canal from N-S between Mojo's and Harding-Shelton is an add alternate with no budget currently assigned.

I hope they can find the money to include it

OKC has some really good projects in progress; we need to figure out a way to tie all the loose ends together.

^
Not to get off topic, but the amount of construction in OKC is, so far, doing a pretty good job of mopping up a lot of the laid off blue collar oil and gas workforce. I know personally of people working on BOK Park Plaza who were let go from drilling rigs but were easily able to get trained and hired. Obviously its not as lucrative as O&G but their bills are paid.

Lets just pray it keeps going as strongly as it is.

http://www.news9.com/story/31866343/restoration-of-downtown-okcs-old-santa-fe-train-station-in-jeopardy

http://www.news9.com/story/31866343/restoration-of-downtown-okcs-old-santa-fe-train-station-in-jeopardy

This state (SMDH)!

I know. The state has held back OKC in so many ways it f#cking sucks.

These are what I call investing activities that are now being jeopardized by the cut everything crowd led Jeff Hickman and Co. The hits just keep coming. If you were a teacher, why would you take a vow of poverty to work in schools with zero resources? If you were a business why would to want to come to state that doesn't take education seriously for their highly educated workers? It is time to eject these #$@!tards from office! People wake the hell up derplahoma. Oklahoma ain't overturning Roe v Wade anytime soon but it is time to start thinking about we are mortgaging the future for a price of a thunder ticket every year.

A ton of qualified teachers are running for office. I believe they'll do education justice and address other issues more pragmatically, and less ideologically, than the current lot of politicians. Get out and campaign for them.

Santa Fe Station needs to be done. Only in Oklahoma do you start a restoration project on a public venue and not finish it because everyone is up in arms about state education.

This project has federal funds tied to it. Unless the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is gonna give us a loan to pay for state education, then this project should go through!

Nuff said!

They are getting busy on the new plaza on the south end of this property:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/santafe081216.jpg

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/santafe082816.jpg

Any significant progress as of late here? Just checking in.

I walked inside a couple weeks ago. It's pretty torn up, you can basically only go straight up to the platforms, but you can look through the glass doors at what's going on inside.

On the schedule, they should have started on the outside some time ago but I've yet to see any work on the exterior of the building, apart from the parking area.

Some pictures from last Friday.

Dig those original terrazzo floors.



http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/santafe111116a.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/santafe111116a1.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/santafe111116.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/santafe111116b.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/santafe111116c.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/santafe111116d.jpg

That last picture is P180 work, yes?

Yes

When is this expected to be completed? I thought it was supposed to be by October 2016...

When is this expected to be completed? I thought it was supposed to be by October 2016...

Yes it was and I haven't seen an updated timeline since this was presented to City Council in April 2015:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/santafe040715.jpg

Found an updated timeline that was presented last month:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/santafe102616.jpg

Is the tunnel underway?

Also, what about that building right next to the tunnel that was supposed to get the ground level redone... what ever happened with that?

This schedule was just given last month and they are already off of it, as the Gaylord Plaza and interior should have been done by now and you can see from my pictures they aren't even close yet.

Seriously doubt this will be done even in the Spring of 2018 as they now project.

I will be writing a very strongly worded letter about this to the city.

Ironically, the only thing about this entire mess that seems on, or ahead of schedule is P180.

OKC can't even get a restaurant in its main transit station.


“From what I heard there was no interest in putting a restaurant in. No one was trying to get that space as a restaurant,” said Jeanne Smith, with Embark, which will serve has landlord of the property.

Instead, Oklahoma River Cruises will move offices into the ballroom. Spokies, the city’s bike share program, will also have offices in Santa Fe Station and their maintenance garage.

- http://www.news9.com/story/34101533/okc-santa-fe-station-renovation-brings-new-tenants

River Cruises and Spokies. Real exciting tenants there!

OKC can't even get a restaurant in its main transit station.

River Cruises and Spokies. Real exciting tenants there!

From my understanding, while envisioned to be a main transit hub for OKC, it will only serve the Amtrack and the Streetcar initially, the latter serving the station only by stops on Sheridan and Reno that don't even cross in front of Santa Fe Station. Although at a later time I believe there will be rail laid in front of the station.

While disappointing. I can see this space as a risky investment to potential tenants.

I agree. It would be foolish for someone to put a restaurant there for now, and that is no reflection on Oklahoma City.

I think the real restaurants in that area pop up when the old Convention center is razed and something new built in its place.

I think the real restaurants in that area pop up when the old Convention center is razed and something new built in its place.

Agreed.

It is supposed to ultimately be a multi-modal hub. However, the whole idea behind the renovation was to entice tenants that would generate revenues to maintain the facility itself and serve transit/AMTRAK riders, not just to give existing city initiatives a place to occupy. Maybe they think this is a temporary placeholder.

I hope so. It is certainly reflective of OKC if the market can't support a restaurant in its main transit hub regardless of what is there now.

I hope so. It is certainly reflective of OKC if the market can't support a restaurant in its main transit hub regardless of what is there now.

When it opens it really won't be functioning as a true transit hub until some other modes of transport are supported. Amtrak only has 1 Round Trip per day, so there really is nothing for the streetcar to connect to. The foot traffic inside the "hub" will not really change dramatically when the streetcar starts up. Hopefully in 1-5 years we can get a dedicated bus back up and running to the airport. Would need to be more of a shuttle bus that leaves every hour and goes straight to the airport. That would be useful transit. The old airport bus line failed because it wandered around the city stopping everywhere they could get it to stop on the way, and it only ran 3 times a day. If they ran a bus service 15 times a day every hour, nonstop to downtown/airport. It would be successful. It would also reduce the amount of rental cars required, as people who are visiting and planning on staying downtown for their trip will be able to take a bus to the city, and circulate around with the streetcar. They can then use the bus service to return to the airport. Denver's Airport Route was fairly successful and used a comfortable motorcoach with underdeck cargo for luggage. That size would not be required in OKC, initially, but could start with your normal shuttle bus with a main storage rack in the cabin. The ride is not very long, so the rudimentary comfort level of a shuttle bus would be acceptable for that distance. A larger bus like Denver's old system could be used if the program gained enough ridership.

That will be nice. Those are certainly good points.

MAPS 4 light rail between Santa Fe and Airport PLZ...

(I'd settle for true BRT down Reno/Meridian or something similar, but worry about that being watered down or cut in the future)

Yes I'm pulling a Shawshank Redemption 5002 on OKC and messaging them once a week about building light rail on the south side connecting to Will Rodgers.

WRWA does have a mini-bus shuttle system that's particular visible at the new $36.2 million car rental center. Would love to see light rail connecting to Will Rogers to whatever would be feasible in or around the central core.

We have the Santa Fe Station which could serve as a true intermodal hub (taxi, limousine, airport shuttles--light rail, future commuter rail between Edmond & Norman; let's also look at a possible return of the buses--city & commercial Greyhound Bus.


http://journalrecord.com/files/2014/12/mf-santa-fe-station-bbf-1-12-11-14-300x160.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Oklahoma_City_OK_Union_Station_Depot_(Taken_201209 26).jpg/300px-Oklahoma_City_OK_Union_Station_Depot_(Taken_201209 26).jpg
OKC's Santa Fe Station could be a grand central station type intermodal hub with the use of the Old Union Station as a sub station for the street car & buses.

Union Station currently houses the main office of the Central Oklahoma Transportation & Parking Authority.

The motor coach that goes straight to the airport once an hour is a great idea. Los Angeles has this at Union Station as well as other locations and it works very well despite the car culture.

There actually is a direct rail alignment all of the way into the Will Rogers World Airport property on the "Packingtown Lead" operated by Stillwater Central Railroad. It is conceivable that regular rail service is practical at a reasonably 'low cost' using a diesel-electric train unit. This could traverse the Packingtown Lead and connect to Will Roger's terminal through a rail extension. The lead currently does have a tie-in at the BNSF tracks in Capitol Hill. The train then could go elevated via the existing grade change and stop directly at Santa Fe Station.

Barriers to making this happen include negotiating operating agreements with Stillwater Central Railroad and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. Mixing passengers with freight service would also require Positive Train Control.

Opportunities include stops in Capitol Hill and Stockyards.


My gut tells me though that Light Rail would be preferable. It is possible that a line could be built that extends the streetcar through the Wheeler District or the Farmer's Market. It could then quite possibly share a expanded Right-of-Way with the Packingtown lead until it gets to Will Rogers. Using the streetcar system in "rapid mode" would enable it to operate more like Light Rail. It could still stop in The Stockyards. If we had the money, to me, this would be a worthwhile MAPS type investment. Typically cities do not receive Federal matching grants for airport connections. It makes sense for the city itself to cover such an initiative in its own capacity if costs are manageable.

There actually is a direct rail alignment all of the way into the Will Rogers World Airport property on the "Packingtown Lead" operated by Stillwater Central Railroad. It is conceivable that regular rail service is practical at a reasonably 'low cost' using a diesel-electric train unit. This could traverse the Packingtown Lead and connect to Will Roger's terminal through a rail extension. The lead currently does have a tie-in at the BNSF tracks in Capitol Hill. The train then could go elevated via the existing grade change and stop directly at Santa Fe Station.

Barriers to making this happen include negotiating operating agreements with Stillwater Central Railroad and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad. Mixing passengers with freight service would also require Positive Train Control.

Opportunities include stops in Capitol Hill and Stockyards.


My gut tells me though that Light Rail would be preferable. It is possible that a line could be built that extends the streetcar through the Wheeler District or the Farmer's Market. It could then quite possibly share a expanded Right-of-Way with the Packingtown lead until it gets to Will Rogers. Using the streetcar system in "rapid mode" would enable it to operate more like Light Rail. It could still stop in The Stockyards. If we had the money, to me, this would be a worthwhile MAPS type investment. Typically cities do not receive Federal matching grants for airport connections. It makes sense for the city itself to cover such an initiative in its own capacity if costs are manageable.

I think in the long term that should be the ideal future goal. However shuttle buses are cheap and would be a great way to build the connection now -- it is proven to work in several cities and with it being quick and nonstop, the operating agency can likely charge enough to cover most of the operating costs. We can have the link now and upgrade to fixed guideway as the route matures, funding mechanisms are identified, and political backing is found.

Edited to add: Having established ridership would also help to build political capital, public support, and overall demand data that could help to make a rail link to the airport a success.
Hope all is well Jeff! We will hopefully be in town next week.

Shuttle buses are massively inefficient and underwhelming. Most hotels are running free shuttles already.

not to downtown though.

Would be better to have light rail separated by grade instead of a streetcar imo

Streetcar would operate like Light Rail and be separated by grade once it got out of the core- thus "Rapid Streetcar".

Hope all is well Jeff! We will hopefully be in town next week.

Stop on by the studio friend!

Shuttle buses are massively inefficient and underwhelming. Most hotels are running free shuttles already.

Paying $20 one way for a taxi/uber is very inefficient and underwhelming. Not having a public transit link between the downtown public transit hub and the airport is underwhelming. Is a shuttle bus underwhelming compared to next to a direct rail link: yes. Is a shuttle bus underwhelming compared to the current public transit option: no, as it does not exist. Why should I have to purchase a downtown hotel room for a free shuttle to downtown?