Quote Originally Posted by Hutch View Post
You need to get your facts straight.

1) ACOG is just sponsoring the Commuter Corridor Study and Regional Transit Dialogue. Their staff is not the Steering Committee and they do not have a role in the decision-making.
2) The Steering Committee is not just a "few people". It's made up of more than 30 elected public officials, civic and business leaders and other representatives from the various municipalities involved, including Mayors and Councilmembers from Oklahoma City, Edmond, Norman and Midwest City.
3) It's not USR...it's URS Corporation and they are recognized international experts in rail transit system planning and development.
4) URS did NOT state that Light Rail is the best solution. In fact, their analysis found that Light Rail was "not warranted" for our system. The truth of the matter is that URS recommended Commuter Rail as the preferred rail transit solution for the Edmond and Norman corridors, and they recommended Bus Rapid Transit or Rapid Streetcar for the Midwest City corridor.
5) The conservative cost estimate provided by URS for development of Light Rail service was NOT $40 million per mile. It was nearly double that figure at almost $80 million per mile.
6) Commuter Rail was the rail transit mode of choice by a majority of public who took part in URS' open houses, webinars and online surveys.
7) Unlike the Amtrak Heartland Flyer, which does operate on a shared single mainline track with Freight Rail, the Commuter Rail system recommended by URS for the Oklahoma City metropolitan area is based on installation of a second mainline track on which Commuter Rail trains will operate independently and without interference from Freight Rail traffic during normal operational hours.
8) All Commuter Rail operations through Santa Fe Intermodal Station and at all other system stations will NOT require passengers to cross active freight or passenger rail lines or to enter active rail yards. Passengers will safely access and board all Commuter Rail trains directly from passenger platforms accessed directly from those stations.

Betts is right. If you're convinced you have the answer, then you should become a part of the political and technical processes, like many of the rest of us who are already working with our civic leaders and the planning and engineering consultants to try to develop an affordable and workable transit system for Oklahoma City that the voters will support. Short of that, your rants on this forum will have little meaning or impact.
All of you ( that disagree with me on this one ) should watch this. ( warning graphic )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w612s5faYtE

Hutch, when you say "affordable & workable transit system for Oklahoma City", this is what you are giving them. There is a reason it is so cheap. My wife is worth more than just "workable & affordable". This was a lady that died because the system in place was "average and doable". My role is to think this through even when the councilmen / mayors / committee members don't.

When I think of the reality that is here, it should be bone chilling to "dumb down" a system for the sake of a few million. The Santa Fe Intermodal Station may be dedicated but your other outlying stations will be a mix of freight & commuter lines on the same area. This is the Un-Acceptable.