OKC Boulevard

[soonerliberal]

Are those sidewalks to nowhere?

[onthestrip]

Here are some photos of the boulevard at Klein, showing the new light and intersection.

Previously Klein was one-way (south only) leading into Farmers Market, but now it is 2-way providing great ingress and egress.

The boulevard opened last August and this intersection has been the scene of several wrecks before they finally got this done.

I know its been said many times on here but this pic really shows it. We should have just gone back to the grid. This Blvd gets so little traffic and takes up so much usable and valuable land. I would love to see some studies showing what kind of additional property taxes the county would collect if the Blvd was gone and you had new developments in place of it. And it wouldnt have any negative effect to traffic, because again, there is so little traffic on the western stretch of the Blvd.

[AP]

I like how they add the sidewalks and crosswalks that don't go anywhere. You can just keep going around and around the intersection.

[Roger S]

I like how they add the sidewalks and crosswalks that don't go anywhere. You can just keep going around and around the intersection.

This ramp to nowhere has been there about 10 years and there are plenty more in that area.

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4600...4!8i8192?hl=en

[Ross MacLochness]

As someone who walks in athe area often, I appreciate the crosswalks and the new sidewalks at the intersection even if they don't lead anywhere. This has made the intersection way safer.

[Pete]

^

And there are tons of homeless around there and this will help keep them safe as well.

[dford2]

I like how they add the sidewalks and crosswalks that don't go anywhere. You can just keep going around and around the intersection.

I know, right, heaven forbid they think ahead and plan for the future. I would rather see them come back in a year or two and rip it out just to add sidewalks.

[AP]

To be clear. I like the crosswalks. My commentary is that there are no sidewalks leading there. It's a disgrace.

[Rover]

To be clear. I like the crosswalks. My commentary is that there are no sidewalks leading there. It's a disgrace.

The disgrace would be if they DIDN'T put them there. In the very least it shows the intent to connect. Apparently they are planning to put the connecting sidewalks in as budget makes it possible.

Just goes to show the old adage is correct... Damned if the do, and damned if they don't.

[Dob Hooligan]

Took the Boulevard home after the Thunder vs Clippers game a couple weeks ago. Parked in the Santa Fe garage and went south for the first time in my life. A right turn onto OKC Boulevard had us on track to the easiest route home to Hefner Parkway and Britton. Plan to use that route every time we leave the 'Peake in the future.

I think OKC Boulevard is very much a work in progress. And the repurposing of the surrounding land after a half century of use as an elevated interstate highway should take years to gain proper investment to reach it's highest, best use.

[Plutonic Panda]

The Boulevard is a great road and will be needed. Once downtown gets more built up we will be thankful it was built. It would have been better if it were entirely elevated or tunneled but that ship has sailed.

[dankrutka]

The Boulevard is a great road and will be needed. Once downtown gets more built up we will be thankful it was built. It would have been better if it were entirely elevated or tunneled but that ship has sailed.

I really don't understand how you think that elevating could be anything but destructive to development, walkability, and the local economy. Elevated roadways kill large swathes of valuable real estate so people can drive past and through the area as soon as possible. There's a highway half a mile away. It seems pretty clear they should have just restored the grid.

[Dob Hooligan]

Well.... they didn’t restore the grid and they didn’t build an elevated road. This is the configuration we are going to have well past all who read this are dead.

Any ideas on how to improve this roadway?

[Pete]

^

Believe the city will eventually add bike lanes.

The landscaping -- which is finishing up on most stretches -- looks pretty nice.

[AP]

The disgrace would be if they DIDN'T put them there. In the very least it shows the intent to connect. Apparently they are planning to put the connecting sidewalks in as budget makes it possible.

Just goes to show the old adage is correct... Damned if the do, and damned if they don't.

Just like their intent to connect this ramp.

This ramp to nowhere has been there about 10 years and there are plenty more in that area.

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.4600...4!8i8192?hl=en

It's mostly just damned because they won't.

[Dob Hooligan]

I think this a unusual circumstance where Interstate Highway right of way is being released, and how it all goes together with long term development is best served by taking time and letting the city grow into it. Possible some of the land will convert to private ownership and the who and how of doing it will have a big impact.

[MagzOK]

I think tying the exit into Reno and upgrading Reno would have been better and restore the original grid. I just can't picture any businesses building along the boulevard. Thee's just so much dead land space.

[Pete]

^

And almost all that land is still owned by ODOT and a lot of it has poor access because it was never meant to be developed.

If the grid had been restored, that problem would have been resolved instead of having basically a flattened interstate that impedes N/S access.

[HangryHippo]

Just look at Pete’s picture. This thing was an absolute waste. Reno is (and certainly could be improved) a boulevard that actually goes across town.

[Pete]

Just look at Pete’s picture. This thing was an absolute waste. Reno is (and certainly could be improved) a boulevard that actually goes across town.

And Reno was recently resurfaced and the part through downtown totally reworked through P180.

With ODOT, they are a hammer and thus everything looks like a nail. The boulevard in some ways worse than the old I-40 because that was elevated allowing better movement N/S. The boulevard is a big barrier.

[GoGators]

There wont be any development along the western part of the blvd because it wasn't designed to spur development. it was specifically designed to ignore the entire area. The the powers that be who designed it didn't think the area was or would ever be worth acknowledging. A short sided mistake that will hinder this area for decades.

[Pete]

There wont be any development along the western part of the blvd because it wasn't designed to spur development. it was specifically designed to ignore the entire area. The the powers that be who designed it didn't think the area was or would ever be worth acknowledging. A short sided mistake that will hinder this area for decades.

Which is why it is now a huge encampment for the homeless.

Lots of people warned against this and there is tons of great information and examples on how to have done this right. Almost all of it was ignored and we'll be dealing with those bad decisions for a very long time, just like we are now trying to undo the ample harm I-235 did by severing ties within the heart of the city.

And of course, it takes forever to undo the harm and costs staggering sums.

[Dob Hooligan]

I use the Boulevard a couple times a month. I find it more convenient and quicker than Reno or Main Street for my purpose. My concern is that more people are going to discover how good it can be and begin to traffic it up.

[Plutonic Panda]

I really don't understand how you think that elevating could be anything but destructive to development, walkability, and the local economy. Elevated roadways kill large swathes of valuable real estate so people can drive past and through the area as soon as possible. There's a highway half a mile away. It seems pretty clear they should have just restored the grid.

Lots of areas that are vibrant are adjacent to elevated roads and many countries are building them through urban areas. They are great alternatives to expensive tunnels though more unsightly.

Along with a walkable cityscape, realities like traffic movement have to be considered in making a city livable and functional as well. Yes well at the moment OKC doesn’t have to worry about traffic congestion but don’t count your blessings, IMO.

A tunnel would have been best with 4-5 portals and a street connection a great opportunity was presented for this. Cut and cover would have been a viable option reducing the need for a boring machine and process. That hope is gone. So now add protected bike lanes, roundabout in several locations, and pedestrian bridges.

PS, this road was intended to be a business route to work with the highway. It’s a supplement.

[dankrutka]

Lots of areas that are vibrant are adjacent to elevated roads and many countries are building them through urban areas. They are great alternatives to expensive tunnels though more unsightly.

Are there places that have overcome it? Sure, a few rare areas. Does it absolutely kill areas? Absolutely. It's like saying: Drink the poison, some people have survived it.

There's really no debate on the effects of highways on development and vibrancy in urban areas. Go near highways in all but a few places and it kills the area. Look at the dead area between booming downtown Dallas and booming Deep Ellum: absolutely dead. No one will even walk it and it's only a few blocks. People are too scared to walk near highways. Dallas didn't even include sidewalks on all the streets leading to probably it's most successful district from downtown.

PS, this road was intended to be a business route to work with the highway. It’s a supplement.

It doesn't even serve this function well. This whole thing was a massive waste of money that made OKC a worse city. Doing nothing would have been much better.