OKANA Resort & Indoor Waterpark

[HFAA Alum]

Would love to see a road parallel the railroad track under I35and another iconic bridge over the river to connect to the Boathouse district.

Maybe that or build a sky-monorail over I-35 and across the river from it to the Boathouse District and then over 1-40 to Bricktown. Great skyline views from above the roads and a fun trip by itself. Connect all the entertainment areas and put a resort hotel and hostel in the Boathouse area and it creates a huge and wonderful entertainment destination area...... especially if they do a really good aquarium at the OKANA. The streetcar takes over from there to spread people out to the park, midtown and downtown and connects closely by the train station. That might help draw from DFW and Wichita areas.

Helps OKANA, Boathouse area, Bricktown, the trails, downtown, etc. And, if they happen to put the new stadium in the old cotton mill site, it could have a stop there too. Skyrail, riverboats, railroad, walking biking trails, streetcar, roads. Connectivity!

With a skyrail, from a first impression standpoint, travelers through OKC on both I-40 and I-35 would see a totally modern and cool city infrastructure and maybe look at OKC altogether differently. Might even divert their eyes from the labyrinth of highways jamming up the central city.

Sad thing about monorails is that they are often unpopular, slow, and underutilized, even from global perspectives. Most cities that have them, they have lots of traffic for the first few days, then it tails downward because most people would rather drive with the speed that the rail gives you. Now if we had a public bullet train system that could compete AND beat the time it would take to drive from one point to the other, it would be a great investment. But considering this is a country bought out by big oil companies, it's unlikely that will ever manifest here, much less in a "fiscally conservative" Oklahoma.

[Mississippi Blues]

Monorail is largely insufficient when there is a quicker/better option, particularly cars, but other forms of transportation apply. A line going between Bricktown and OKANA/FAM with a stop in the Boathouse District might be theoretically sustainable due to the mediocre-to-poor connectivity between those three areas. With I-35/I-40 intersecting and the Oklahoma River limiting the points for access between the three, an automated monorail with short stop intervals and small headways could provide a direct link from the heart of each area that otherwise is logistically inconvenient for those wishing to simply go directly from one point to the other. This is all forum talk so obviously I have no idea what the numbers might look like now or in the future, but it theoretically isn’t a sure failure the way most, I included, would assume for any modern monorail projects.

As far as politics and culture goes, I’m not sure it would ever progress beyond us theorizing on here either. I personally think most would go with the road/bridge simply due to that fitting with the Oklahoma transportation culture as well as not being as certain in terms of use, meaning the idea of monorail not working might be enough to push most leaders/voters/etc to shy away from it. (Assuming it’s a public project and not privately funded) Still, it’s a somewhat fun concept to think about possibly happening.

[Pete]

Reminder that there will be a dock built at OKANA for the river cruise boats that run from Lower Bricktown.

[Mississippi Blues]

Right, which will be a really neat way to travel to the grounds. Far more financially reasonable than a monorail too. Not sure if anyone would ever use it strictly for convenience over a car outside of not wanting to drive but I’ll always be happy for any alternative that lets me explore a city on foot.

[Plutonic Panda]

The should build a monorail from the airport, to downtown, the OKANA resort, and the adventure district.

[Rover]

Sad thing about monorails is that they are often unpopular, slow, and underutilized, even from global perspectives. Most cities that have them, they have lots of traffic for the first few days, then it tails downward because most people would rather drive with the speed that the rail gives you. Now if we had a public bullet train system that could compete AND beat the time it would take to drive from one point to the other, it would be a great investment. But considering this is a country bought out by big oil companies, it's unlikely that will ever manifest here, much less in a "fiscally conservative" Oklahoma.

The sky rail in Las Vegas is not slow and it is used a lot.

And try driving from one of these venues to the other and tell me how much better it is to go by auto. Drive from Okana to the boathouse district… I dare you. It isn’t easy and won’t ever be.

Not sure what a bulletin train between these venues would be. At what speed would you go for 1/2-3/4 mile to be a bullet train? With multiple stops.

[Rover]

Reminder that there will be a dock built at OKANA for the river cruise boats that run from Lower Bricktown.

Those boats are slow and a novelty, not really an answer to connectivity.

[HFAA Alum]

The should build a monorail from the airport, to downtown, the OKANA resort, and the adventure district.

Still awfully expensive, unfortunately. They might be breaking the bank for this one, but that's a whole other five banks to break open. I don't see them doing something like that. They could finally give in and connect the canal to the river and let the canal way be a mode of transport between the city and this establishment to better promote connectivity, but that might make too much sense and cost too much money also.

I wish Stitt wasn't so stubborn and let there be an exit made for this place right off the interstate.

[Pete]

Those boats are slow and a novelty, not really an answer to connectivity.

Yes, we need something more practical and realistic, like a monorail.

[jn1780]

Monorails are like building mini elevated roads across the city. How do you board those monorails, you have to build elevated stations. No street interaction and its easy for people to forget they exist.

[jccouger]

Yes, we need something more practical and realistic, like a monorail.

Lol

Please no monorail. People can take ubers and that will work great.

[Rover]

Yes, we need something more practical and realistic, like a monorail.

Airports all over use skytrams all the time. They are speedy and practical. I probably misused the term "monorail" as it is conjures up the 60's, but rather let all the critics here decide the actual mechanism. I see people transporters all over the world that work great for these kind of short haul connections that go over or under existing other structures. But to keep adding roads and access points for more and more cars that require parking on one or both ends is just crazy. Acquiring more right of way is more and more expensive. The only answer we seem to consistently support is all car intensive.

[Plutonic Panda]

More roads and access points need to be added regardless. To be fair the monorail idea is silly given there is zero chance OKC could or even would be willing to take it on. It definitely would generate too much controversy through MAPS so it would have to funded another way. It would definitely be directed more towards the tourist crowd but OKC is lucky where most of its tourist hotspots could hit on a single line.

In general I’m not a fan of monorail just like I am not a fan of streetcars with some exceptions. They’re trying to propose monorail through the Sepulveda pass and I’m very much against that. But if we’re being real here I’d say we get MagLev HSR to Tulsa before an inner city monorail which was actually seriously proposed with the Pei Plan.

With that said many cities around the world do use monorails as a real and practical form of transit which move tens of thousands of people per day: https://www.monorails.org/tMspages/Where.html

[Rover]

More roads and access points need to be added regardless. To be fair the monorail idea is silly given there is zero chance OKC could or even would be willing to take it on. It definitely would generate too much controversy through MAPS so it would have to funded another way. It would definitely be directed more towards the tourist crowd but OKC is lucky where most of its tourist hotspots could hit on a single line.

In general I’m not a fan of monorail just like I am not a fan of streetcars with some exceptions. They’re trying to propose monorail through the Sepulveda pass and I’m very much against that. But if we’re being real here I’d say we get MagLev HSR to Tulsa before an inner city monorail which was actually seriously proposed with the Pei Plan.

With that said many cities around the world do use monorails as a real and practical form of transit which move tens of thousands of people per day: https://www.monorails.org/tMspages/Where.html

So, a dedicated mass transport system spanning 1.5 miles is silly because it isn't going to pass in OKC, but a MagLev costing multiple billions is a great idea. Got it.

Just curious as to realistically how many people would use the OKC transport between attractive city destinations and hotel centers vs an express train to Tulsa where you have to have cars at each end to actually get around. How much legislative support do you think 23rd street would provide given no rural areas would be served while spending billions for the urban areas?

[Pete]

The streetcar we have cost $132 million and is subsidized by millions every year. That's over $30 million per mile, not including the subsidy and that was at ground level, on city-owned right-of-way, and before the substantial inflation of recent years.

Any type of monorail/sky tram/bullet train/hyperloop/maglev/teletransporter is pure fantasy.


Some type of shuttle bus in addition to the planned river boats might make some sense.

[Rover]

The streetcar we have cost $132 million and is subsidized by millions every year. That's over $30 million per mile, not including the subsidy and that was at ground level, on city-owned right-of-way, and before the substantial inflation of recent years.

Any type of monorail/sky tram/bullet train/hyperloop/maglev/teletransporter is pure fantasy.


Some type of shuttle bus in addition to the planned river boats might make some sense.

So, we are back to cars and busses as the only mass trans OKC will support. No appetite for modern mass trans because OUR streetcar system is poorly devised. Too bad we get one shot at things and then fall back to earth. Just build more streets and parking lots. LOL.

OKC motto: Progress... It's just a word we like to use.

[Plutonic Panda]

So, a dedicated mass transport system spanning 1.5 miles is silly because it isn't going to pass in OKC, but a MagLev costing multiple billions is a great idea. Got it.

Just curious as to realistically how many people would use the OKC transport between attractive city destinations and hotel centers vs an express train to Tulsa where you have to have cars at each end to actually get around. How much legislative support do you think 23rd street would provide given no rural areas would be served while spending billions for the urban areas?

I’m just saying this is the case for Oklahoma. Oklahoma can’t think big. What OKC does or has accomplished has been done many times in other cities with success yet pales in comparison to the mega projects we see happening in other major metros. Jacksonville, FL built an elevated sky train. I fail to see how a monorail like the one I proposed would be built for anything less than 1 billion dollars and that’s a conservative figure. That said I’d absolutely support one if it were proposed.

[Pete]

We are way off the topic.


Back to discussing OKANA.

[stdennis]

And try driving from one of these venues to the other and tell me how much better it is to go by auto. Drive from Okana to the boathouse district… I dare you. It isn’t easy and won’t ever be.

.

Drive from Okana to the Boathouse district? go up eastern turn left on reno, turn left on lincoln and you are there.... seems very easy, maybe i am missing something but that is a very short and easy drive.

[BoulderSooner]

Drive from Okana to the Boathouse district? go up eastern turn left on reno, turn left on lincoln and you are there.... seems very easy, maybe i am missing something but that is a very short and easy drive.

very very easy

[Plutonic Panda]

very very easy

Lol my first thought as well. If driving from the Boathouse District is OKANA is considered easy I’d like to know what’s considered hard.

[Rover]

very very easy

It is technically possible, but not easy.

[BoulderSooner]

It is technically possible, but not easy.

it is 2.2 miles with 2 turns (both at lights) ... how is that not easy

[G.Walker]

The issue is the traffic light at Reno/Eastern. It is one of the longest lights in all of Oklahoma City. And it gets pretty backed up during rush hour. Okana will only increase traffic at that thoroughfare. A exit off of I-35 North directly the resort will be needed.

[G.Walker]

After the dust settles with the excitement of Okana, most of the patrons will be tourists. Therefore, proximity hotels, especially in Bricktown will need to change their programming and provide shuttles to and from the park. I know when my family and I visited Sea World. Most hotels within a 5 mile radius renamed or coined Wyndham/Sea World Hotel or Marriot at Sea World etc. The hotel we stayed at was 5 miles away, but they had shuttles too and from the park every 30 minutes. This will be key, and help alleviate traffic on that thoroughfare and parking. I mean we already have the museum, now we are adding the resort, and possibly an aquarium, its gonna be packed.