Norman 12th Avenue/East Side

[OUman]

I looked a few pages back and didn't find a topic for this area but if there is one, moderators feel free to merge this post with that one.

I found out about the Norman Development Facebook page through another topic here, and it has some good information on all things Norman. One post in particular caught my eye, and apparently the new development on the NW corner of Alameda and 12th is called the "East Park Crossing." The new Del Taco is part of that, and it appears that a Chick-Fil-A will be going in just north of it. A strip mall will go in just to the west of the Chick-Fil-A, and a new restaurant will be built on the west side of the Walgreens.

Anyone know what the new restaurant and/or strip center will contain?

From the site plans, the Chick-Fil-A will seat 108. This does raise some concern, since any Chick-Fil-A brings in people by the dozens, and traffic on 12th, especially in the evenings between 5 and 6:30p.m. gets really bad especially in that particular area. The left turn lane (to get on eastbound Alameda from southbound 12th) gets backed up well beyond the point where it ends, but there is no provision to extend it because the left turn lane in the opposite direction is right next to it. I can imagine the mess this new addition will cause once everything is built out. Right now even without the Chick-Fil-A, many drivers will actually get into the southbound left turn lane to avoid blocking the other southbound lanes on 12th. I hope the city has something planned because otherwise it's probably going to be a mess.

[Robert_M]

Heard rumors of CFA on the East side but nothing that it was definite or an exact location and was 2+ years out from opening if it happened.

Haven't heard anything about the other restaurant but would guess some chain type and strip center size I would guess would be generic one with insurance / dry cleaner / liquor store / whatever else usually goes into those things.

[Robert_M]

I asked around some more and it looks like the CFA is a go and maybe by the end of the year beginning of next.

[OUman]

Interesting, thanks for that info! So we'll have a Chick-Fil-A, Raisin' Canes and KFC competing with each other all around the same corner.

[Roger S]

Interesting, thanks for that info! So we'll have a Chick-Fil-A, Raisin' Canes and KFC competing with each other all around the same corner.

Might as well get a Chicken Express and Golden Chick and complete the trifecta..... No wait... That would be a fifecta.

[OUman]

^lol. There's a Chicken Express not too far down the road on Lindsay, near 12th.

[Scott5114]

The 12th/Alameda intersection needs to be reworked with dual left turn lanes. Redoing the signal timing would probably help a lot, too, since it seems like a lot of the time that turn lane just gets a blinking yellow, which, due to the volume of traffic on 12th, is as good as a red light.

There are parts of 12th that have traffic volumes higher than that of Highway 9, if you can believe that. I think part of the problem is that 12th carries US-77, so ODOT might be involved somehow. That probably makes improving the street much more complicated (Norman only upgraded Lindsey Street after ODOT ditched its designation as State Highway 74A).

[OUman]

^Totally concur with that. Also compunding the problem is the sheer number of entrances and exits around that intersection, on southbound 12th, cars that want to go into the KFC or Homeland parking lot either block the traffic behind them or block the traffic in the neighbouring lane. Especially since that lane isn't long enough. I agree though that dual left-turn lanes are needed, in all directions. I think dedicated right-only lanes will also do quite a bit to help.