Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

[Anonymous.]

So they posted that the lanes are for bus and right turning vehicles only. Seems pretty un-enforceable.

[LocoAko]

Been seeing a ton of buses out testing driving the past week—pretty much every time I'm on Classen. Pretty cool to see. They have purple (or blacklight?) lights on inside the bus at night.

[Teo9969]

Been seeing a ton of buses out testing driving the past week—pretty much every time I'm on Classen. Pretty cool to see. They have purple (or blacklight?) lights on inside the bus at night.

Yeah, I saw one stuck behind a bunch of people at the NWX/Classen interchange lol. I really wanted to stop and see how long it took for that turn. I'll get to see it regularly though as I hit that intersection between 15 and 30 times per week.

[mugofbeer]

I really wish they would build a NBClassen to WBNWHiway flyover.

[Teo9969]

I really wish they would build a NBClassen to WBNWHiway flyover.

Why? So you can get stuck at any of the 3 lights before Penn?

The intersection functions just fine and is mostly pretty easy to get through. They could probably improve light timing during evening rush hour in general. From NW 23rd/Classes all the way to Villa and NWX they could stand to Time the lights. We'll see how the BRT affects it all though.

[mugofbeer]

Why? So you can get stuck at any of the 3 lights before Penn?

The intersection functions just fine and is mostly pretty easy to get through. They could probably improve light timing during evening rush hour in general. From NW 23rd/Classes all the way to Villa and NWX they could stand to Time the lights. We'll see how the BRT affects it all though.

(Plupan thinking) Realistically, those 3 lights should be eliminated, too. Especially if, somehow, the l-44/NW Hiway interchange is rebuilt, design nonstop NW Hiway lanes past Pennsylvania.

[SEMIweather]

Saw a new sign on SB Classen just south of 23rd regarding the bus only lanes from 6-9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m.

[Mesta Parker]

It most likely will never happen, but the NW Expressway and 39th St west of I44 should be controlled access highways

[Plutonic Panda]

At the very least they need to build interchanges at Penn and Classen/NWE to move cars better. It would become much more efficient. The that Northwest Expressway is called an Expressway is a joke. It should have any traffic signals at all.

[Mountaingoat]

Nm

[Teo9969]

It most likely will never happen, but the NW Expressway and 39th St west of I44 should be controlled access highways

39th would never happen because there is not enough ROW.

For NWX, what would be your plan/concessions for the businesses?

I just don't think traffic is bad enough to warrant this. In 20 years of the Grand Loop grows 40%+ in population and the employment count in the area jumps 60%, I could see maybe an elevated turnpike that takes you from May and/or LHP to Council or County Line with no stoplights, but if Houston didn't do anything like that with Westheimer, I don't think OKC is going to address NWX in the next 40 years.

[Canoe]

Been seeing a ton of buses out testing driving the past week—pretty much every time I'm on Classen. Pretty cool to see. They have purple (or blacklight?) lights on inside the bus at night.

Does any know the expected time to ride from classen to Northwest expressway?

[David]

Wasn't NW Expressway more formally turned over to the city in the last few years? It becoming more of a controlled access highway is the opposite of what seems likely.

[SEMIweather]

Wasn't NW Expressway more formally turned over to the city in the last few years? It becoming more of a controlled access highway is the opposite of what seems likely.

Agreed, and in any case the time where there was any real possibility of making it a controlled access highway was literally decades ago. Maybe they can do something like US-60 between I-17 and AZ-303 in the Phoenix Metro.

[Plutonic Panda]

Wasn't NW Expressway more formally turned over to the city in the last few years? It becoming more of a controlled access highway is the opposite of what seems likely.

If it hasn’t already it will be.

Unfortunately, IMHO, yes it is becoming less and less of a controlled access facility. In my OKC plans it would be a full freeway from I-44 to Denver. Traffic would disperse and then depending on routing a southeast connection would carry the the same interstate designation to Texarkana to connect with I-20 and I-49.

Realizing of course this will likely not happen(at least the OKC portion) it would be nice to see some intersections converted to interchanges. Better for all modes of transit. Hell, I wouldn’t mind tolling the overpasses for cars to fund free BRT. My plans would also have busses in their own dedicated lane 24/7 similar to Bogota or Buenos Aires bus highways.

Edit: I-30 not I-20 my apologies.

[Mississippi Blues]

They should just turn every major intersection on NW Exwy into large roundabouts. Same for 39th, Classen, Shields to 44th, and Lincoln through the OU Medical District.

[Teo9969]

They should just turn every major intersection on NW Exwy into large roundabouts. Same for 39th, Classen, Shields to 44th, and Lincoln through the OU Medical District.

We'll, that would certainly force the residents of OKC to learn how to use them lolol!!!

[Teo9969]

If it hasn’t already it will be.

Unfortunately, IMHO, yes it is becoming less and less of a controlled access facility. In my OKC plans it would be a full freeway from I-44 to Denver. Traffic would disperse and then depending on routing a southeast connection would carry the the same interstate designation to Texarkana to connect with I-20 and I-49.

Realizing of course this will likely not happen(at least the OKC portion) it would be nice to see some intersections converted to interchanges. Better for all modes of transit. Hell, I wouldn’t mind tolling the overpasses for cars to fund free BRT. My plans would also have busses in their own dedicated lane 24/7 similar to Bogota or Buenos Aires bus highways.

Edit: I-30 not I-20 my apologies.

W
Were that to ever come to pass, it just needs to make it to the Turnpike. Overall, traffic on NWX should be able to be mitigated with better light management during rush hour. It's still easily 3 min miles on average and unless there's some major accident or construction, it never exceeds 5 minute miles. Portland to Rockwell is the worst stretch but that's also because there is a lot of local traffic in those areas.

[Mesta Parker]

39th would never happen because there is not enough ROW.


I just don't think traffic is bad enough to warrant this. In 20 years of the Grand Loop grows 40%+ in population and the employment count in the area jumps 60%, I could see maybe an elevated turnpike that takes you from May and/or LHP to Council or County Line with no stoplights, but if Houston didn't do anything like that with Westheimer, I don't think OKC is going to address NWX in the next 40 years.

Houston built the Westpark Tollway 1/2 mile south of Westheimer to improve traffic flow.

[Teo9969]

Houston built the Westpark Tollway 1/2 mile south of Westheimer to improve traffic flow.

Right, but they didn't turn Westheimer into controlled access was the point.

The long term answer to this will just a widening LHP to 4 lanes and creating a flyover for NB LHP to WB Kilpatrick, and if traffic gets bad enough, creating HOV or Toll lanes for LHP to get you to Kilpatrick quickly.

But again, we're a pretty major boom in population away from that being needed. Until average times are closer to 4 min miles and peak times well north of 5 min miles, we're nowhere close to needing to take this kind of action. NWX could widen to 8 lanes if necessary.

[Mississippi Blues]

We'll, that would certainly force the residents of OKC to learn how to use them lolol!!!

Hey, I ain’t no psychologist but sometimes exposure therapy is the best way for folks to work past their anxieties, lol.

[mugofbeer]

If it hasn’t already it will be.

Unfortunately, IMHO, yes it is becoming less and less of a controlled access facility. In my OKC plans it would be a full freeway from I-44 to Denver. Traffic would disperse and then depending on routing a southeast connection would carry the the same interstate designation to Texarkana to connect with I-20 and I-49.

Realizing of course this will likely not happen(at least the OKC portion) it would be nice to see some intersections converted to interchanges. Better for all modes of transit. Hell, I wouldn’t mind tolling the overpasses for cars to fund free BRT.

DEN to OKC lnterstate YES!

NW Hiway tolls? No! NO! and HE** NO! (totally kidding PluPan! )

[AnguisHerba]

Yeah, I saw one stuck behind a bunch of people at the NWX/Classen interchange lol. I really wanted to stop and see how long it took for that turn. I'll get to see it regularly though as I hit that intersection between 15 and 30 times per week.

When the signal priority is fully implemented, the new pedestrian signal at 42nd St will turn red to allow the bus to make an easy right-to-left lane slide across NB Classen. Then the left turn signal at Classen/Expressway will turn green to allow the bus to go straight through as it approaches. We should see the testing of that implementation over the next four weeks.

[LocoAko]

Five more days! Noticed they also installed new sidewalks on Classen in the Asian district just north of NW 23rd as part of this project, which is great to see.

While it is somewhat over the top for a bus line, I will admit they're really pulling out all the stops for marketing (at least for those who follow the BRT social media pages): https://www.facebook.com/RapidBRT/vi...75415656378497

[AnguisHerba]

Five more days! Noticed they also installed new sidewalks on Classen in the Asian district just north of NW 23rd as part of this project, which is great to see.

While it is somewhat over the top for a bus line, I will admit they're really pulling out all the stops for marketing (at least for those who follow the BRT social media pages): https://www.facebook.com/RapidBRT/vi...75415656378497

Yes! I'm pretty pumped for this. I will be a regular user. I saw the bus effortlessly jump the red light using the right-turn only/bus only lane at Penn/Expressway yesterday.