The Future of Transportation - Citylab

[JohnH_in_OKC]

Here's a great series of articles about the future of transportation compiled by the Citylab website:

The Future of Transportation

[Laramie]

Oklahoma has two major metropolitan areas 100 miles apart; both are about the same distance from Wichita, Kansas to the north.

Could Oklahoma City serve as a future triangular transit hub (air & rail) for Tulsa & Wichita?

Distance: Miles/Nautical miles	Cities	Metropolitan Area Population - Central City
101 miles /87 nautical miles	Between Oklahoma City & Tulsa	Oklahoma City, OK 1,319,677 - 610,613
153 miles /133 nautical miles	Between Wichita & Oklahoma City	Wichita, Kansas 637,394 - 386,552
136 miles /115 nautical miles	Between Tulsa & Wichita	Tulsa, Oklahoma 961,561 - 398,121

Wichita, KC, OKC mayors support Heartland Flyer passenger rail expansion through Kansas | The Wichita Eagle

Progress on OKC-Tulsa passenger rail service - KJRH.com

Corridors

Air Traffic: (Both cities are 200 miles from nearest hub)
Dallas-Fort Worth is the hub for air travel from Oklahoma City.
Kansas City is the hub for air travel from Tulsa.
Kansas City is the hub for air travel from Wichita (175 miles from KC)

Rail:
Oklahoma City: ...to Fort Worth (Heartland Flyer); expansion to Wichita ...to Tulsa (Eastern Flyer) .

Interstates: I-35 Oklahoma City: North - Wichita, South - Fort Worth, I-44 Northeast - Tulsa

[JohnH_in_OKC]

Stillwater has to be a factor in planning. I think a (high speed) rail line between OKC & Wichita should connect through Stillwater. Another rail connection from OKC to Tulsa could easily use the same line to travel between OKC & Stillwater & then from Stillwater to Tulsa. This should provide at least 2 trips daily going to Stillwater and 2 trips daily from Stillwater to OKC.

We already have 3 express buses between OKC & Norman daily each weekday morning and 3 express buses between OKC & Norman each weekday afternoon. The buses terminate on the OU campus. Maybe OSU students could have the same opportunity.

I'm retired and my sister lives in Stillwater. It'd be nice to be able to take the train instead of driving.

[Rover]

Stillwater has to be a factor in planning. I think a (high speed) rail line between OKC & Wichita should connect through Stillwater. Another rail connection from OKC to Tulsa could easily use the same line to travel between OKC & Stillwater & then from Stillwater to Tulsa. This should provide at least 2 trips daily going to Stillwater and 2 trips daily from Stillwater to OKC.

We already have 3 express buses between OKC & Norman daily each weekday morning and 3 express buses between OKC & Norman each weekday afternoon. The buses terminate on the OU campus. Maybe OSU students could have the same opportunity.

I'm retired and my sister lives in Stillwater. It'd be nice to be able to take the train instead of driving.

I thought OSU has their own bus system already serving at least Tulsa.

[Plutonic Panda]

If we get HSR to any city, it needs to be DFW first.

[Laramie]

Great Thread John:

If we get HSR to any city, it needs to be DFW first.

Put HSR on 'hold' for now. Dallas will eventually turn into another Chicago.

Get some simple & plain rail transportation started between our major cities. Let Tulsa and Wichita feed us as we have feed Dallas.

Let us start to build our economy. Make Oklahoma City a corridor where we can attract and serve other areas. It's time OKC to get treated . We have fed the Dallas beast for 50 years.

It's our turn to become a magnet; strengthen & build our economy with the attraction of out-of-state money from Wichita, KS, Wichita Falls, TX, Amarillo, TX, Fort Smith, AR etc...