I'm just taking the piss, y'all. I'm sorry, I thought it was more obvious than that. I don't know anyone in NW Edmond.

Can I still get the helicopter ride?

I'm just taking the piss, y'all. I'm sorry, I thought it was more obvious than that. I don't know anyone in NW Edmond.

Can I still get the helicopter ride?That's good to know, because you never know.
I have known people who were afraid to fly, afraid to drive on urban interstates and afraid to make left turns on a busy street.

I've got close family members that I haven't seen in years because they chose to make their home in northwest Edmond.

Extending the Hefner Parkway would rectify that. I say we do it.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2364/2259568915_d5fd7e6f55.jpg

Oh, ODOT.. "Raping tax coffers and destroying our landscape all to unify loving families since 1960..." Nice ring to it.



I'm just taking the piss, y'all. I'm sorry, I thought it was more obvious than that. I don't know anyone in NW Edmond.

Can I still get the helicopter ride?

I seriously don't fault them for not realizing you were being facetious. There actually seems to be people ready to believe that we need another highway in order for you to see your family. LOL

That's like me composing a sob story that I won't be able to get any food until we get another Walmart within .5 miles of my house. NO we do not need another $#@!# Walmart. But I digress (sorry, parallel logic)

I think the extension of Lake Hefner PK is very much needed! That Deer Creek is growing at a rapid pace and putting stop lights on that 55 MPH RD is STUPID. And no we do not have enough highways. The KP needs to be extended sout to Norman also, but that area has grown so much, i don't think it will happen now, they waited too long because SOME people did not think it was needed. That is the reason to build the north extension NOW. people who say's we don't need these highways has no vision. Does Norman need a new highway? I am sure it does, I am not in Norman much. But a highway NW of Edmond had been needed for years.

What about responsibility for the cost and planning ramifications of said new highways? There is no factual need for a new highway until there is a problem with our existing highway network. You can't even say, "well not now, but there will be if we don't wait!" because the point remains that our highway network is severely under-capacity. We need more traffic, not more highways.

I left downtown today around 5:30 and went to the outlet mall to pick up a gift, and I was worried that it might take 30 minutes to get out onto the edge of the city during rush hour, because I was in a hurry. Instead I got there in 15 minutes. Through a construction zone.

This needing a new freeway line is absurd.

Another perfect example of us paying for sprawl. If we ever have to extend the Hefner Parkway, let's make it a turnpike so those who want it pay for it. I haven't been to Edmond in a year and can see even less need for a trip to Deer Creek.

I still don't think it's needed. I have yet to see anything here that would make me feel like it is. Highways are built based on the NEED, and there isn't one there. You may not like that there isn't a highway at the end of your street, but tough nooglies. Don't build there if you don't like it.

240 is a good example of what can be done. When it was still 74th, it was converted to the 74th Expressway, then 240.

Another perfect example of us paying for sprawl. If we ever have to extend the Hefner Parkway, let's make it a turnpike so those who want it pay for it. I haven't been to Edmond in a year and can see even less need for a trip to Deer Creek.

that is a great idea

Another perfect example of us paying for sprawl. If we ever have to extend the Hefner Parkway, let's make it a turnpike so those who want it pay for it. I haven't been to Edmond in a year and can see even less need for a trip to Deer Creek.

I would not be against that. The same for an Eastern loop from Norman to I-44, or any of the others we've discussed in the past. I would expect nearly any new highway would be a turnpike to ensure its cost is covered.

I still don't think it's needed. I have yet to see anything here that would make me feel like it is. Highways are built based on the NEED, and there isn't one there. You may not like that there isn't a highway at the end of your street, but tough nooglies. Don't build there if you don't like it.

240 is a good example of what can be done. When it was still 74th, it was converted to the 74th Expressway, then 240.

Summer of 1997, I would go to my job at Council & I-40 via Portland (HWY 74) from Nw 234th St. Even then, it was a nightmare so Im 100% positive that you have no clue...

I still don't think it's needed. I have yet to see anything here that would make me feel like it is. Highways are built based on the NEED, and there isn't one there. You may not like that there isn't a highway at the end of your street, but tough nooglies. Don't build there if you don't like it.

240 is a good example of what can be done. When it was still 74th, it was converted to the 74th Expressway, then 240.

At 5:00 pm on any week day, try to drive north from the LHP. A six lane highway dumps to a two lane narrow road at 150th.... You can get tied up for a good hour if not careful.

At 5:00 pm on any week day, try to drive north from the LHP. A six lane highway dumps to a two lane narrow road at 150th.... You can get tied up for a good hour if not careful.

But, wait. . . there is plenty of excess freeway capacity in OKC ... e.g., rumor has it there is no congestion on I-40 West during rush hour, so it's absurd to think we might need a new freeway elsewhere in the metro.

Next time you need to go north from the LHP at 5:00 pm on a weekday, just head out to the outlet mall instead. By the time you get back, traffic north from LHP might be cleared out. Problem solved. ;-)

Without traffic counts this is a meaningless discussion ("It's worse here than there)," or "They should do this before that"). Let's start with the counts on Portland either side of 150th - who's got them?

Without traffic counts this is a meaningless discussion ("It's worse here than there)," or "They should do this before that"). Let's start with the counts on Portland either side of 150th - who's got them?

29,098 just south of 150th
19,354 just north of 150th

Those are 2012 numbers.

Excellent!

Without traffic counts this is a meaningless discussion ("It's worse here than there)," or "They should do this before that"). Let's start with the counts on Portland either side of 150th - who's got them?

You can also look at the what the state provides to compare.

http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/aadtcnt/map.aspx?map=Oklahoma%20%20County

The traffic count in 2010 on Portland at a point slightly north of 150th shows 18,100 cars/day. That's indeed very busy for a 2 lane road but nowhere close to most freeway counts around urban parts of OKC, which generally start at 70-80,000 cars/day.

Lake Hefner Pkwy between 122nd and Memorial averages 77,000 cars a day.

I imagine the large drop off in traffic is due to many people exiting onto Memorial or the Turnpike.

Just a comparison, NE 23rd/US 62 between 35 and the river, gets about 19,200 cars/day. I don't think anyone going through that section would agree a 6 lane freeway is needed.

Nobody is building a 6 lane freeway there. 4 lane divided to just north of 150th, then 5 lane section north to the existing 5 lane section. Existing traffic counts would justify this.

I left downtown today around 5:30 and went to the outlet mall to pick up a gift, and I was worried that it might take 30 minutes to get out onto the edge of the city during rush hour, because I was in a hurry. Instead I got there in 15 minutes. Through a construction zone.

This needing a new freeway line is absurd.

How does this justify not needing to extend Hefner Parkway?

If we ever have to extend the Hefner Parkway, let's make it a turnpike so those who want it pay for it.

I'm on board with this.

Summer of 1997, I would go to my job at Council & I-40 via Portland (HWY 74) from Nw 234th St. Even then, it was a nightmare so Im 100% positive that you have no clue...

That's 25 miles through a major U.S. metro. That drive is going to be a nightmare no matter what.

How does this justify not needing to extend Hefner Parkway?

I keep saying. The traffic counts.

I keep saying. The traffic counts.

The Highway Capacity Manual would beg to differ with you. But then again, it's based on engineering principles.

29,098 just south of 150th
19,354 just north of 150th

Those are 2012 numbers.

What you people don't realize is that this is a five lane road (the fifth and middle lane being a left turn lane) with controlled access lights at every one mile intersection. It's not a freeway with limited access. Drive north of Covell...aka NW 206th St. to get a wiff of what I'm talking about or look at it on Google Maps. Other than it being a city street, which technically it is, while also being a state highway, there is nothing any different to widening Portland (HWY 74) than there has been with widening May, Penn, NW 164th, NW 150th, NW 178th, Western...etc. All those streets on the NW side of OKC used to be 2 lanes and traffic was re-DONK-u-lous.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Commute_Comparison.jpg

Is that the 75/85 connector in Atlanta?

That thing suuuuuuuuuuuccks!

Anyone in OKC who is complaining about our traffic has obviously not been to vehicular hellholes like the one pictured above.

That's 25 miles through a major U.S. metro. That drive is going to be a nightmare no matter what.

OKC as compared to LA? Chicago? New York? We ain't that major yet, even with all our roadways, lol.

BTW. I was thinking that a survey would be good for future planing 10 years down the road.(Although it would be nice to just have it now, there are more important highways that need to be widened or just completely redone) Like I44 west of 235, that would be great if they would just tear it down and redo it.

How about the City of Edmond build a 6 lane road that connects to I-35, and to HWY 74 that extends to the magical North Edmond? Sure there would be the little bit of a squeeze from the end of Lake Hefner Speedway/HWY 74 to the Golden Brick Road, but it would help a lot.