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OKC Guy
08-16-2019, 12:39 PM
The median of NWE should be turned into a bus highway with signal preemption and flyovers at major intersections as to not disrupt vehicle traffic. This would also set the stage for LRT conversion in the future much like the Orange Line in the SFV(LA METRO). I'd compromise and let Classen go from 6 to 4 lanes as long as it was widened to include protected bike lanes.

NWE could be a scaled down version of this road in Buenos Aires:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Av.+9+de+Julio,+Buenos+Aires,+Argentina/@-34.6061252,-58.3840385,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x95bccacfdd1fa037:0xf1b1f 26b0eab3053!8m2!3d-34.6061252!4d-58.3818498

https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/aerial-view-de-julio-avenue-sunset-buenos-aires-argentina-119492930.jpg

The Classen portion more akin to this minus the urban fabric obviously

https://assets.dnainfo.com/generated/chicago_photo/2013/02/cta-cdot-unveil-loop-renderings-1361407279302.jpg/extralarge.jpg

I like the thinking out of box but several reasons these ideas won’t work.

1. NWE is a major corridor and reducing lanes would cause major traffic nightmares. Not a lot of room to expand side to side either.

2. Putting buses in median is a good idea but won’t work at street level. First it would only room for 1 lane due to width. And you need buses to go 2 ways. Then you would have to put up concrete barriers. Additionally this would eliminate turn lanes in between major intersections. The only way this works is to raise it up and outward like done in Houston on interstate but there is no way we could afford the costs.

It will be a challenge to make buses work soley because we never planned for buses years ago.

Heck, we can’t even get rush hour light priority accomplished after years of supposedly trying. We would rather stop 100 cars so 1 or 2 can cross instead of lengthening light cycles for majority rush hour traffic. They need to already be working on that before expanding buses happens soon enough.

Plutonic Panda
08-16-2019, 12:59 PM
I like the thinking out of box but several reasons these ideas won’t work.

1. NWE is a major corridor and reducing lanes would cause major traffic nightmares. Not a lot of room to expand side to side either.

2. Putting buses in median is a good idea but won’t work at street level. First it would only room for 1 lane due to width. And you need buses to go 2 ways. Then you would have to put up concrete barriers. Additionally this would eliminate turn lanes in between major intersections. The only way this works is to raise it up and outward like done in Houston on interstate but there is no way we could afford the costs.

It will be a challenge to make buses work soley because we never planned for buses years ago.

Heck, we can’t even get rush hour light priority accomplished after years of supposedly trying. We would rather stop 100 cars so 1 or 2 can cross instead of lengthening light cycles for majority rush hour traffic. They need to already be working on that before expanding buses happens soon enough.

I don't propose reducing lanes for NWE. My idea actually gives a possibility of making NWE and 8 lane road down the line. The BRT lanes would be placed in the oversized median. I also proposed more grade separated intersection for NWE but that is another topic for another discussion. There is so much ROW on NWE it can be widened to accommodate two way median running BRT.

My proposed Classen would place the buses on the right side and NOT the median. A flyover bridge to allow buses to bypass the intersection at Classen and NWE would be built and large multi-lane roundabout would be replace the intersection that replaced the Classen Circle.

I agree with the ITS network and have synchronized lights. My plan would move cars faster increasing the capacity of NWE without adding GP lanes. New grade separated interchanges replaced intersections at major areas. Sidewalks and bike trails are added along NWE connecting to the proposed protected bike lanes on Classen.

Swalell1960
08-16-2019, 03:56 PM
I don't propose reducing lanes for NWE. My idea actually gives a possibility of making NWE and 8 lane road down the line. The BRT lanes would be placed in the oversized median. I also proposed more grade separated intersection for NWE but that is another topic for another discussion. There is so much ROW on NWE it can be widened to accommodate two way median running BRT.

My proposed Classen would place the buses on the right side and NOT the median. A flyover bridge to allow buses to bypass the intersection at Classen and NWE would be built and large multi-lane roundabout would be replace the intersection that replaced the Classen Circle.

I agree with the ITS network and have synchronized lights. My plan would move cars faster increasing the capacity of NWE without adding GP lanes. New grade separated interchanges replaced intersections at major areas. Sidewalks and bike trails are added along NWE connecting to the proposed protected bike lanes on Classen.

I think it would be important, though not necessarily likely, to have a certain portion of the schedule include express options, skipping stops for events, peak, or even non-peak (to encourage travel and increase commerce at either end) hours. I say this as a fan of infrastructure development, and from the point of view of never having utilized any public transportation in OKC. To that end, I worry. Maybe I've just never been in the right place at the right time, but I've never seen a full bus here.

Just a few more thoughts from someone who was bred, born, and raised here--original homestead family in fact. It's a conundrum of sorts, but I think there's a little bit within us OKC life-longers that we have a definite sense of OKC having paid its dues (And thus its loyal denizens), and that it's time we get recognized, therefore we definitely sport a build it and they will come sensibility. But OKC is always going to be a baby city, sprung up from where nothing but a water stop had been, except of course for the indigenous tribes of the plains (who were probably pretty fond of their home too), and will always be "behind" in the waves of history that create civilizations and its cities.

So, tldr: I worry that we will NEVER have the urban density that would truly support the type of rapid transit associated with long-ago established traditional American "classic" big cities.

shawnw
08-16-2019, 05:56 PM
So, just testing the waters on general inclination of thoughts re BRT, are we headed toward using pantograpghs/overhead lines, articulated buses, and new dedicated lanes or dedicated pull outs for individual stops

The only thing I know for sure, based on the Embark ED's comments at the MAPS4 transit presentation is that there won't be articulated buses for the Classen BRT. They determined it would raise their maintenance costs too much as none of their maintenance facilities can take a bigger bus than what they have now so they'd have to spend on upgrades there. It will still be a 40 ft bus.

HOT ROD
08-17-2019, 12:12 AM
Makes a lot of sense? ???

Not - wont be too much Mass Transit once that 40 foot bus fills up before even reaching May and NWE during rush hours especially. Sort of defeats the whole purpose of BRT if the bus shows up full all the time. ....

TBH, if they're going to just do 40' buses and just implement curb cuts; then they should implement this by end of next year vs. waiting until 2023. They'd only need to purchase the buses (I assume) and then do some of the roadwork/platform installation (which, at only about 10 or 12 stops, EW; could be done in about a year). And if they're "saving money" by using 40' buses then there wouldn't need to be any maintenance facilities they could just use existing.

I'm not buying it. Again, the point of BRT is to have an available bus, frequently, along the designated 'high-speed' corridor. It is for this reason why EVERY other transit agency with BRT has chosen articulated buses - they provide flexibility so that seating is always AVAILABLE when the bus arrives. And they're getting a federal grant and probably some MAPS funds - why not go and build the next mode of transit correct? Articulated buses also allow for greater use of driver resources since one driver could haul 100+ pax in each bus!!!!

Good grief, does OKC have to half a$$ do everything?? Are they serious about building a transit audience? Build the darn new maintenance base for the BRT (which you'll need to do anyway) and buy articulated buses. I'm a little less concerned about the curb cuts vs. dedicated lanes since OKC will take some time for the system to gain critical mass ridership to justify restricting lanes. But at least implement the darn thing correctly otherwise people will get the wrong idea, that the 40' bus is nothing more than the scheduled Embark bus that is scheduled to arrive every hour.

BTW, articulated buses are run in cities much more dense with roadwork must more constrained than OKC. I get tired of hearing these pissy complaints about overhead transit wires or articulated buses wont traverse OKCs otherwise completely WIDE streets. ... Come on, grow up OKC. If you're going to implement transit then do it the right way. Otherwise, you're just wasting everyone's time and $$ on something nobody will really use (isn't that the current worry in OKC about existing 40' buses - that they're for the homeless/poor? - why not differentiate the BRT like every other system worldwide does).

shawnw
08-17-2019, 02:14 AM
I'm with you. I've had these same conversations with almost every Embark official at every public meeting for years now. But I also ride the bus in Oklahoma City every day and have ridden almost every route. We've got a long way to go to fill any bus. It doesn't matter how sexy a bus is, its launch will not be like the streetcar, crowds wise. It will be a more gradual adoption. We just need to get this thing online. There's nothing that says we can't evolve things once they're online. Once people believe in it, Once the two additional BRT lines proposed in MAPS 4 are online. Once the RTA is running strong. Etc.

Swalell1960
08-17-2019, 07:38 AM
Good grief, does OKC have to half a$$ do everything?? Are they serious about building a transit audience? Build the darn new maintenance base for the BRT (which you'll need to do anyway) and buy articulated buses. I'm a little less concerned about the curb cuts vs. dedicated lanes since OKC will take some time for the system to gain critical mass ridership to justify restricting lanes. But at least implement the darn thing correctly otherwise people will get the wrong idea, that the 40' bus is nothing more than the scheduled Embark bus that is scheduled to arrive every hour.


The infrastructure nerd in me always seems to trump the sensible public expenditure side of me. I would love to see catenary wires over Classen, and articulated buses on dedicated lanes. I'd also like to see the streetcar system expanding to something truly impactful, but that's obvious. Norman, Edmond.

And I wish Tulsa would catch up on their transit thinking. If there were a practical rail connection between the 405 and the 918 I would be fully supportive of that, but the existing RoW is an absurdity of twists and turns and wholly unsuited for passenger rail traffic, at least rail traffic whose mission is moving people in a meaningfully timely fashion from one place to the other.

Plutonic Panda
08-17-2019, 11:32 AM
The only thing I know for sure, based on the Embark ED's comments at the MAPS4 transit presentation is that there won't be articulated buses for the Classen BRT. They determined it would raise their maintenance costs too much as none of their maintenance facilities can take a bigger bus than what they have now so they'd have to spend on upgrades there. It will still be a 40 ft bus.
So no dedicated bus lanes, no articulated buses... fcking christ! How in the hell is this BRT!?

shawnw
08-17-2019, 12:38 PM
It's hybrid at best, which I hate, and which I've made clear to folks I've talked to (that a fancier regular bus is not enough), but they ARE pushing hard on the TSP, so hopefully the timing experience will at least be better.

the michigander
08-18-2019, 05:20 PM
I dont think the brt route is long enough I think the route should start at belle isle walmart and go to walmart on council most people who would need a nwe bus would need it past meridian that's where most if the housing and jobs are.

shawnw
08-18-2019, 08:09 PM
At the open house I made this point with every Embark person I could get to listen. Needs to go to Macarthur at a minimum but farther is better. Still needs to go to downtown though for route connectivity.

AP
11-22-2019, 09:37 AM
Any recent updates?

shawnw
11-22-2019, 10:44 AM
There have been minor updates at each of the ward MAPS 4 forums. Probably they update at COTPA board meetings as well. But I think still in design, probably still a couple years from construction (not scheduled to launch until 2023).

Plutonic Panda
01-15-2020, 01:11 PM
According to Embark response on twitter they plan on opening the NWE BRT line in late 2023. I was hoping it would be sooner than that. Honestly I was hoping for some movement this year or next year but the end of 2023 sucks. With that timeline I hope it is true BRT with its own dedicated lanes and perhaps some overpasses are major intersections.

shawnw
01-15-2020, 04:22 PM
It's always been 2023, since the very first open house. Also there is no indication via any plans I've seen as recently as December that it will be true BRT. I'm with you and am a frequent complainer on this issue.

Plutonic Panda
01-15-2020, 04:34 PM
I wasn’t aware of that. It helps a bit knowing it will be true BRT. No offense to Tulsa but their system is hardly true BRT. It’s more like enhanced rapid bus service.

shawnw
01-15-2020, 08:07 PM
To clarify I said I've seen no indication that it will be true BRT.

Plutonic Panda
01-15-2020, 08:38 PM
I misread your comment. That is a shame to hear.

shawnw
10-30-2020, 04:15 PM
We're still trying to get ours off the ground and Tulsa is working on their second BRT route for launch next year maybe:

https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/post/route-tulsas-route-66-bus-rapid-transit-line-taking-shape

Plutonic Panda
10-30-2020, 06:53 PM
I wish we would get an update on our regional transit projects. What the hell is going on with commuter rail? Wasn’t it supposed to be coming online in a year or two?? IIRC, NWE BRT project should open in 2022/23. When is groundbreaking?

They need to convert a lane of classen to bus only for this.

SEMIweather
10-31-2020, 09:17 PM
I wish we would get an update on our regional transit projects. What the hell is going on with commuter rail? Wasn’t it supposed to be coming online in a year or two?? IIRC, NWE BRT project should open in 2022/23. When is groundbreaking?

They need to convert a lane of classen to bus only for this.

Commuter rail is dependent on the RTA sales tax increase passing, right? I haven't seen a scheduled date for that election.

OKC1987
01-11-2021, 03:40 PM
NW BRT Project and Design Update - HNTB

COTPA Meeting (Jan. 8, 2021)

https://youtu.be/YvvrVi7Li-0

Pete
01-11-2021, 04:18 PM
I'm in the process of doing screen captures of most the slides.

Here is the first batch:

HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt1.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt2.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt3.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt4.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt5.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt6.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt7.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt8.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt9.jpg


HTTP://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt10.jpg

Pete
01-11-2021, 04:29 PM
http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt11.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt12.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt13.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt14.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt15.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt16.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt17.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt25.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt18.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt19.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt20.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt21.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt22.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt23.jpg


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt24.jpg

TheTravellers
01-11-2021, 04:43 PM
Thx for all the stop info, haven't been keeping up on it, didn't know there were so many stops - what's the estimated time it will take to get from one end to the other?

Pete
01-11-2021, 04:54 PM
12-15 minutes during peak time; 20 minutes max.

The stations will have real-time arrival info.


I'm doing a full write-up.

SEMIweather
01-11-2021, 07:24 PM
They should really think about adding a stop at NW Expressway/Villa, otherwise they're going over a mile and a half between stops and missing out on good access to a few neighborhoods in that area, plus a (soon to be) renovated library.

Pete
01-11-2021, 07:28 PM
It looks like they will be greatly enhancing the pedestrian access at Penn and NW Expressway, something several of us have griped about for a while.

Will also make it easier to move between The Oak and Penn Square Mall.

David
01-11-2021, 07:52 PM
I'm in the middle of watching the video and I was just coming here to comment about that. Gonna be a few years yet I assume, but eventually that will solve all of my complaints. On this particular issue at least.

Pete
01-11-2021, 07:55 PM
Does anyone know if there is a plan to extend this project farther up NW Expressway?

There is a massive concentration of apartments at Wilshire, about a 1.5 miles towards the northwest.

Teo9969
01-11-2021, 09:39 PM
Does anyone know if there is a plan to extend this project farther up NW Expressway?

There is a massive concentration of apartments at Wilshire, about a 1.5 miles towards the northwest.

Even if there's not, Embark needs to take the opportunity to increase the use of transfer service. The 010, 008, & 007 should cut off north of 36th and and the lines to the north should be re-created to tie into 2 or 3 transfer stops with the BRT. The southern parts can be assumed into other lines as well. Then the 005 should stop at NWX/Classen and transfer to BRT. In no world should I have to travel >15 miles to get form 63rd/MacArthur to 23rd/MacArthur.

LocoAko
01-11-2021, 10:14 PM
Thanks for the link—I somehow missed this latest meeting even though I've been seeking out more info as of late. I'm now only a half mile from a stop, so I'm increasingly excited about the potential here. I do hope we can ultimately achieve better than 12-15 minute headways for a true BRT... those sorts of frequencies were what were standard for all buses where I'm from. I'm worried that unless the BRT is a clearly easier option than driving that people here wont utilize it, and a 15 minute wait to even get on probably isn't gonna cut it for many when you could be downtown and parked by then. Still, the idea of being able to easily hop down to the Plaza for an evening without thinking about parking or who will DD sounds great. I remember seeing the results of a big planning they'd done for realtors where they stated their desire to grow density and destinations around each of the transit stops, though I don't know if that's still the vision. Also hope the attendant intersection/walkability improvements come to pass.

Really looking forward to the write-up, Pete.

shawnw
01-12-2021, 12:43 AM
Looks like they're still planning to share lanes. I haven't watched the video yet but will soon.

Just wanted to say I was in Grand Rapids this past weekend and their silver line BRT has bus only lanes during peak times (7a-9a, 4p-6p) and shared lanes all other times. It's a 4 lane road that goes down to 2 lanes during peak. IMO this could work well for both Classen and NW Exp.

Pete
01-12-2021, 06:57 AM
First look at Bus Rapid Transit system to connect NW OKC to downtown (https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?r=716-First-look-at-Bus-Rapid-Transit-system-to-connect-NW-OKC-to-downtown)

Preliminary plans have been presented for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, a $28.8 million investment to quickly move passengers between northwest Oklahoma City and downtown.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt3.jpg


The city has contracted with HNTB, an infrastructure design firm based in Kansas City.

HNTB presented what they termed a “30% design”; a preliminary step to identify the system basics so that property and utility coordination can commence.

The proposed route includes 32 stops running from the heart of downtown, along Classen then generally following Northwest Expressway to a terminus near Meridian Avenue. The entire route would be 9.5 miles one-way.

The system is designed to move people much more quickly than a standard bus, with few stops, traffic signal prioritization and other features to increase efficiency.

The compressed natural gas vehicles would emit close to zero emissions and feature elevated stops that allow for level boarding, similar to the Oklahoma City streetcar.

Travel time from end to end would be 12-15 minutes during peak times and 20 minutes maximum. The buses would also come more frequently than in the current system and stations would provide real-time arrival times.

The route is designed to serve high-density locations and to be integrated with pedestrian and bike routes. Each station would have a bike rack and ticket vending machine as well as a shelter and ample lighting in addition to pylon signage with arrival information.

Like the streetcar, the BRT vehicles would have signal priority, either elongated or early green lights. At some intersections, such as Penn and NW Expressway, the vehicles would receive a green light before automobile traffic, allowing the BRT buses to “jump the queue” and get out in front of traffic.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt24.jpg


The goal is transportation that more closely approaches rail as opposed to a traditional bus.

The $28.8 million budget includes the vehicles and stations and signalization but there will also be matching civic funds for pedestrian enhancements and connections.

Two Park & Ride locations would be located at Penn Square Mall at the northern terminus.

An exact timetable for start and completion was not provided as the project continues to move forward.


http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt4.jpg

David
01-12-2021, 07:40 AM
I realized when looking at the article you tweeted this morning that you are missing the second NW Expressway and Penn slide, Pete.

https://youtu.be/YvvrVi7Li-0?t=874

Pete
01-12-2021, 07:51 AM
I realized when looking at the article you tweeted this morning that you are missing the second NW Expressway and Penn slide, Pete.

https://youtu.be/YvvrVi7Li-0?t=874

Thanks, I added it to the article:

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/brt25.jpg

lady_o
01-12-2021, 08:14 AM
I'm extremely disappointed that they decided to bump the route off of NW Expressway at Integris. I live just north of there on Independence and this pretty much guarantees we won't be using this line.

Agree with previous poster that this line should have stopped at the Belle Isle Library.

okccowan
01-12-2021, 01:50 PM
So does this mean Classen will never go on a road diet?

LocoAko
01-12-2021, 03:10 PM
Finally watched the full COPTA meeting video. Is there really an appetite for a park-and-ride? How many people are going to bother to drive all the way to a park-and-ride and then get out and wait for a bus when they could easily just continue onward to downtown with plentiful parking, etc?

Pete
01-12-2021, 04:39 PM
Finally watched the full COPTA meeting video. Is there really an appetite for a park-and-ride? How many people are going to bother to drive all the way to a park-and-ride and then get out and wait for a bus when they could easily just continue onward to downtown with plentiful parking, etc?

I'm sure it won't get used much.

The only real advantage is avoiding to pay to park if you're going downtown.

Plutonic Panda
01-12-2021, 07:10 PM
I used to advocate for a Classen road diet until I saw just how packed that road becomes at rush hour. Removing lanes would be foolish. They need to add a bus only lane by expanding the road. The room to do so exists.

Teo9969
01-12-2021, 07:37 PM
I used to advocate for a Classen road diet until I saw just how packed that road becomes at rush hour. Removing lanes would be foolish. They need to add a bus only lane by expanding the road. The room to do so exists.

Classen is never packed. I've lived off N. Classen since 2009 and I've never hit the same light twice except @ Expressway, but that intersection services an interstate exit and the origin point for one of the busiest thoroughfares in all of the city.

It does sometimes become a long process to turn left, but a lot of times that's because people don't know how to queue for turning within a median.

Signal prioritization vs losing a lane might even out, but I do think going down to 2 lanes each way could bump rush hour traffic to situations where you hit a light twice.

Teo9969
01-12-2021, 07:52 PM
Anyone know if BRT is going to have night service?

Plutonic Panda
01-13-2021, 07:38 AM
Classen is never packed.

lol okay

AP
01-13-2021, 08:09 AM
Classen is never packed.

I have to second this. I lived at 42nd and Classen for years and my experience was the same. We used to walk from my house to Western Ave and would regularly push a stroller across all 6 lanes of Classen without jogging across. It is certainly overbuilt.

Plutonic Panda
01-13-2021, 08:18 AM
Well the good news is the city leaders do see Classen becomes packed during rush hour and aren’t removing lanes.

AP
01-13-2021, 08:34 AM
"Packed"

It's so packed it takes 11 minutes at 9:30 on a Wednesday morning in no traffic and 15 minutes on a Wednesday at 5 to go from 6th & Classen to NWE & Classen.

16674

16675

Plutonic Panda
01-13-2021, 08:43 AM
Right. So let’s make it worse by removing lanes and not think about the future. We can do this. Oh wait the city leaders are smarter than that so lanes won’t be removed. Thank God. Next.

runOKC
01-13-2021, 08:44 AM
I drive Classen during rush hour all the time. It is rarely, if ever, packed. It is a monster of a road, basically a six lane highway in the middle of the city. It needs to be reduced.

Pete
01-13-2021, 08:47 AM
I cross it twice a day for work and frequently drive on it.

People drive way too fast; it's like a freeway.

Plutonic Panda
01-13-2021, 08:49 AM
I drive Classen during rush hour all the time. It is rarely, if ever, packed. It is a monster of a road, basically a six lane highway in the middle of the city. It needs to be reduced.
Six lane highway. Thanks I needed a good laugh today.

LocoAko
01-13-2021, 11:49 AM
Well the good news is the city leaders do see Classen becomes packed during rush hour and aren’t removing lanes.

It's not packed. Honestly the most disruptive traffic issues in Classen are due almost exclusively to the horrible turns through the median and the backups that can suddenly cause in the left lane.
Having to wait at a light for two one-hour windows each day is not the same thing as being packed to any problematic degree. Take it from the people who actually see Classen daily.

I live right off Classen and have had to cross it jogging. Even at rush hour I've been able to cross it without having to wait. When I do have to wait, it's never for long. And don't sarcastically dismiss concerns about the speeds people drive on Classen. People frequently speed down Classen at dangerous speeds. I've seen close calls with people in wheelchairs nearly getting mowed down. People have gotten hit and died on Classen. It's not a joke. God forbid we have a nice, multimodal corridor through the heart of our city where people feel safe to walk, bike, and take public transit. What a travesty that'd be.

GoGators
01-13-2021, 01:26 PM
It's not packed. Honestly the most disruptive traffic issues in Classen are due almost exclusively to the horrible turns through the median and the backups that can suddenly cause in the left lane.
Having to wait at a light for two one-hour windows each day is not the same thing as being packed to any problematic degree. Take it from the people who actually see Classen daily.

I live right off Classen and have had to cross it jogging. Even at rush hour I've been able to cross it without having to wait. When I do have to wait, it's never for long. And don't sarcastically dismiss concerns about the speeds people drive on Classen. People frequently speed down Classen at dangerous speeds. I've seen close calls with people in wheelchairs nearly getting mowed down. People have gotten hit and died on Classen. It's not a joke. God forbid we have a nice, multimodal corridor through the heart of our city where people feel safe to walk, bike, and take public transit. What a travesty that'd be.

So you want roads that are designed to serve the wants and needs of the communities who actually live near them instead of making neighborhoods more dangerous and less desirable so a guy who lives 30 miles away can get home 7 min faster once a month? Is that really a world we want to live in?

BDP
01-13-2021, 05:57 PM
"Packed"

It's so packed it takes 11 minutes at 9:30 on a Wednesday morning in no traffic and 15 minutes on a Wednesday at 5 to go from 6th & Classen to NWE & Classen.

Yeah, um, I know it's anecdotal, but just today at 5:05 PM I drove from NW 10th to Classen circle going averaging about 40 MPH (while being passed) and stopped at one light, for one cycle at 23rd.

I can't say whether eliminating car lanes for other modes of transit is a good idea or not, but it certainly has nothing to do with Classen currently being "packed" at any time. That's just not reality.

The only time it may be "packed" is when there's emergency vehicles involved. And, even then, you're in the grid, so it's super easy to go around. Roads get overly packed when the system is designed so that drivers have no other option but to use that road. That's why Memorial Road and Broadway in Edmond are the roads that get "packed" every day during rush hours. There's no other option to take.

SEMIweather
01-13-2021, 08:55 PM
It's not packed. Honestly the most disruptive traffic issues in Classen are due almost exclusively to the horrible turns through the median and the backups that can suddenly cause in the left lane.
Having to wait at a light for two one-hour windows each day is not the same thing as being packed to any problematic degree. Take it from the people who actually see Classen daily.

I live right off Classen and have had to cross it jogging. Even at rush hour I've been able to cross it without having to wait. When I do have to wait, it's never for long. And don't sarcastically dismiss concerns about the speeds people drive on Classen. People frequently speed down Classen at dangerous speeds. I've seen close calls with people in wheelchairs nearly getting mowed down. People have gotten hit and died on Classen. It's not a joke. God forbid we have a nice, multimodal corridor through the heart of our city where people feel safe to walk, bike, and take public transit. What a travesty that'd be.

Agree wholeheartedly with the bolded portion of LocoAko's post. If the city just knocks Classen down from six lanes to four lanes without fixing the median issue it's probably going to be a huge mess, but if they do a road diet in concert with fixing the medians, I think it's possible that the road becomes more pedestrian friendly while also improving safety and traffic flow. There's no reason anyone should be able to turn left onto Classen at 5 p.m. on a Wednesday from NW 44th St. or whatever. Putting in dedicated turnaround lanes similar to Lindsey St. between Barry & 24th Ave. SW in Norman while reducing the number of through lanes from six to four would probably result in a net improvement in traffic flow while also making the road more pedestrian-friendly.

shawnw
01-13-2021, 09:48 PM
To get back on the topic of BRT, I finally got around to watching the video, and I didn't catch some things just by looking at the screenshots posted of the slides.

For example, at 13/Classen, didn't realize the pink lines were the planned intersection work for the OnCue, stated on the audio was that the slip lane is definitely going away. Also on that slide, didn't notice the protected bike lane before.
16676

In this one, the city is adding an outside lane to this part of NW Exp in the future so the bus stop is going where that lane will be so it won't have to be moved later (holy cow, advanced coordination). Similar thing caddy corner, planning for a future turn lane.
16677

Lastly for the NW Exp/Meridian slide, it's mentioned that there are plans for a roundabout and some mixed use development (not by Embark obvs) and so the station location is not yet locked in.

Anyway, thought I'd share these points for those that hadn't listened. Sorry if I repeated anything already pointed out.

LocoAko
01-14-2021, 06:57 AM
To get back on the topic of BRT, I finally got around to watching the video, and I didn't catch some things just by looking at the screenshots posted of the slides.

For example, at 13/Classen, didn't realize the pink lines were the planned intersection work for the OnCue, stated on the audio was that the slip lane is definitely going away. Also on that slide, didn't notice the protected bike lane before.
16676

In this one, the city is adding an outside lane to this part of NW Exp in the future so the bus stop is going where that lane will be so it won't have to be moved later (holy cow, advanced coordination). Similar thing caddy corner, planning for a future turn lane.
16677

Lastly for the NW Exp/Meridian slide, it's mentioned that there are plans for a roundabout and some mixed use development (not by Embark obvs) and so the station location is not yet locked in.

Anyway, thought I'd share these points for those that hadn't listened. Sorry if I repeated anything already pointed out.

Good stuff. I assume that bike lane is just a protected section of the one proposed for "Western" from 18th down to Main?

I was also curious about this mention of mixed-use development and the roundabout at the Lake Hefner site. I hadn't heard anything about that before.

shawnw
01-14-2021, 07:18 AM
Correct about the bike lane.

Same, hopefully Pete can dig into it.

AnguisHerba
01-14-2021, 08:18 AM
I really wanted there to be a dedicated bus lane to ensure this was a success, but I had never heard of the "queue jumping" idea before. Sounds like it could work as long as the intersections are constructed appropriately.

shawnw
01-14-2021, 08:26 AM
Agreed, wanting there to be more of these