What's with the no sidewalks??

[OKCNGuy]

Hello everyone.
I have been reading various posts here for about a month, and I have just relocated to OKC from Massachusetts with the past 2 weeks.

I have found everyone that I have encountered to be very nice.
I do have serious reservations however about this move after searching the OKC area.

Why is it that I cannot even take a walk around my neighborhood?
I have tried to walk on days that have been nice, and forget it. Unless you want to take your life into your hands by walking in the street you are out of luck or stuck in the mud..
I cannot for the life of me comprehend that a city of this size has no walkable areas that I have found.

I know some say there are trails around the lake, and I have seen that.
Although even there it is lacking in the nature aspect..no trees etc..

I looked at downtown...forget it..there is nobody even on the street during a mid afternoon, and nothing to catch your eye either. No shops etc..

Please tell me that things will get better as spring approaches?

And as for the sidewalk issue..OKC City Hall..Please do something quick if you want the citizens to lose weight!

Thanks for listening

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Where do you live?

My entire neighborhood has sidewalks.

[jbrown84]

OKCNGuy, welcome to OKC.

To address your concerns, we just passed a large bond issue which includes I believe 800 miles of new sidewalks. I imagine in many areas, you will see more walkers and bikers as it does get warmer.

[julieriggs]

Welcome to Oklahoma City!

In December, city voters passed 11 propositions in a City Bond Issue, to include:
- (Prop 1) Walkers will also benefit from the construction of 350 miles of sidewalks and trails.
- (Prop 5) Quality parks raise property values, strengthen families, reduce obesity and provide a safe place for children to play. This proposition funds 14 new playgrounds, eight basketball courts, 47 walking paths, two new parks and improvements to 13 community centers, as well as the Myriad Botanical Gardens.

The City of Oklahoma City - 2007 City Bond Election

[jbrown84]

oops, I overshot that a bit.

[Patrick]

First of all, welcome to Oklahoma City and to OKCTalk.

Unfortunately, OKC, and many cities in the south for that matter, don't have sidewalks. I wish we had sidewalks, but back in the day when our city was developed, they didn't include sidewalks...or even alleys for that matter.
That's just a part of life here. Some of the older neighborhoods and the newer neighborhoods have sidewalks, but most of the neighborhoods built in the 1940's-1990's don't have sidewalks.

But, I wouldn't judge a city just because it doesn't have sidewalks. Sidewalks don't make a city or break a city, although I'll admit that they are nice to have.

As for getting exercise. Yes, you mentioned Lake Hefner. It does have trails all the way around it. Although the east side of the lake isn't very wooded, if you take the trails along the south side of the lake, as they weave in and out of the golf course, that side is pretty wooded....so you might give it a shot.
If you just want to exercise, you might try Martin Nature Park.....it's a farely preserved wooded nature park on Memorial Rd, west of Portland on the south side. They have miles of winding trails.
City of Oklahoma City | Martin Park Nature Center

The city actually has a system of trails now around each lake (Hefner, Oveholser, and Draper), and they're in the process of interconnecting these trails.


You might check out this website to see where they're actually located:
City of Oklahoma City | OKC Trails



There's also the trails along either side of the Oklahoma River, which is just south of downtown. Although the trails are there, there isn't much development there right now, although that will change over the next 20 years.

[betts]

Hello everyone.
I have been reading various posts here for about a month, and I have just relocated to OKC from Massachusetts with the past 2 weeks.

I have found everyone that I have encountered to be very nice.
I do have serious reservations however about this move after searching the OKC area.

Why is it that I cannot even take a walk around my neighborhood?
I have tried to walk on days that have been nice, and forget it. Unless you want to take your life into your hands by walking in the street you are out of luck or stuck in the mud..
I cannot for the life of me comprehend that a city of this size has no walkable areas that I have found.

I know some say there are trails around the lake, and I have seen that.
Although even there it is lacking in the nature aspect..no trees etc..

I looked at downtown...forget it..there is nobody even on the street during a mid afternoon, and nothing to catch your eye either. No shops etc..

Please tell me that things will get better as spring approaches?

And as for the sidewalk issue..OKC City Hall..Please do something quick if you want the citizens to lose weight!

Thanks for listening

Vote for the March 4th tax proposal, and downtown will get a lot livelier. I have the same sidewalk issue, but in my neighborhood the owners don't like sidewalks messing up their lawns, which I think is stupid. I walk at the lake and the river. And, trees will bud out here in the spring and it will look a lot greener, but it will take a while to adapt from Massachusetts greenness, sadly.

[kmf563]

Here's what drives me nuts. We have sidewalks all through our neighborhood - no one uses them! Everyone still walks in the street and gives you evil looks when you go around them trying to drive. Use the freaking sidewalks people! That's what they are there for. We spent money to put them there, use them!

That is all.
Thanks.

[julieriggs]

jbrown - I wasn't trying to correct you! You are just faster than I. LOL

Have you all noticed they are replacing the sidewalk on top of the Lake Hefner dam? I am looking forward to that!

[Patrick]

Unfortunately, that bond issue that we passed will only build sidewalks in a small percentage of the city, but it is a start. 350 miles of sidewalks sounds like a lot, but it doesn't go vary far in a city that stretches for miles.

For the time being, I'd really consider looking into the extensive trail system our city has built, and is in the process of expanding and interconnecting, as I mentioned above. Lake Overholser is a little more wooded than Lake Hefner....but you might try the trails on the south side of Lake Hefner...the south side is a little more wooded. The east side of the lake is pretty barren.

Here's the link:
City of Oklahoma City | OKC Trails

Also, here's the link to Martin Nature Park:
City of Oklahoma City | Martin Park Nature Center

[FritterGirl]

Please also take at this trails map (it's a bit outdated, I think), but gives you an idea of the current trails and future trails in OKC.

The Oklahoma River is becoming more and more popular as a place to walk.

In addition, several local parks have walking trails, with, as julieriggs noted, more trails and walking paths on the way.

For a more natural experience, you can visit Martin Park Nature Center at 5000 West Memorial Road. There, you will find 3.5 miles of natural, unpaved walking paths set in 140 acres of a wildlife preserve. There are trees aplenty at Martin Park.

As someone new to the City, I ask that you keep in mind the following:

Oklahoma has always been, and will always be a prairie. Our earliest settlers (after the LandRun) were farmers and ranchers. Many of the early forested areas were clear-cut to make room for crops and tractors. Much of what you see in Oklahoma City today was once farmland, especially in the outlying areas and suburbs. While we have had lots of "natural" forest, most of the trees planted in neighborhoods and more urban areas, were planted.

The City does plant trees, but keeps a check on the number of trees it plants annually because of the maintenance cost of keeping them. In some years, other priorities have taken precedence. Funding for these types of projects comes from Bond Issue money that is voted on by the citizens of OKC. We just passed a new Bond Issue in November. For twenty-one years (1974 - 1995), we went without any Bond Issue monies because the citizens continied to vote them down. As such, the city fell behind on many of its infrastructure improvement projects, which is why it still seems to be playing "catch up" today.

I think most would agree that we would love to have as equal amount of trees as a state like Massachusetts, but that naturally, our landscape and conditions are much more harsh, and much of our "forest" is cultivated, and not a part of our natural environment.

There's a long answer to a short question!

Edit: Patrick beat me to the punch while I was typing. Thanks, Patrick!

[FritterGirl]

jbrown - I wasn't trying to correct you! You are just faster than I. LOL

Have you all noticed they are replacing the sidewalk on top of the Lake Hefner dam? I am looking forward to that!

This is more than a dam replacement. They are actually repairing much of the dam's infrastructure.

If you are a jogger or walker, please do not go past the construction barriers on the north side of Hefner Dam. It is dangerous, and you will be ticketed.

[Patrick]

Lol, Frittergirl. We were both thinking along the same lines!

Really, the city hall website details this all out pretty nicely. We've all given the links.

[FritterGirl]

Lol, Frittergirl. We were both thinking along the same lines!

Really, the city hall website details this all out pretty nicely. We've all given the links.

Yup!

On another note, the Parks Department will begin working on building a new trail at Bluff Creek Park (north of Lake Hefner at the instersection of Hefner and Meridian). They'll be putting in a 12' wide walking/jogging path there, a circuitous route of approx. 1.5 miles.

Work will begin most likely in the late summer.

[OKCNGuy]

Thank you for the welcome, and for your replies.

I sure hope that when the sidewalks go in they are in my area..LOL

I am over by Integris Baptist.
It has been hard adapting to this "new" atmosphere.

One other thing I feel obliged to mention..Is there any possibility that public transit will be expanded?
I come from an area that as you can imagine has public transit galore, and it is such a benefit.

You would not believe how many new businesses would crop up along transit routes if they were implemented and utilized.
Especially Light Rail lines.

I know this is not Boston, but hopefully with everyone's help and ideas it will continue to improve here in OKC..

I am ready!

[jbrown84]

jbrown - I wasn't trying to correct you! You are just faster than I. LOL

Oh I know you weren't. We posted pretty much at the exact time. I should have looked it up!

[jbrown84]

Yup!

On another note, the Parks Department will begin working on building a new trail at Bluff Creek Park (north of Lake Hefner at the instersection of Hefner and Meridian). They'll be putting in a 12' wide walking/jogging path there, a circuitous route of approx. 1.5 miles.

Work will begin most likely in the late summer.

Oh that's great! I know it's been a popular mountain biking area for a while, but it's great to see some walking trails added. That's another area that is wooded and natural. There is also Lake Arcadia in east Edmond.

[mecarr]

Does anyone wanna take the task in addressing the OP's concerns about not enough shops downtown? I think one reason why you do not see many people walking around downtown in midafternoon is because they are all underground, walking in the undergruond tunnels. I hate that we have them.

[CuatrodeMayo]

That is not the reason you don't see people on the streets. They have nowhere to walk to.

[OKCNGuy]

Exactly...

I was thinking to myself, hmm maybe people are underground?
But the day was nice, close to 70 so why would they be underground?

From my experience, having lived in Boston, Portland, and Denver prior to OKC the reason is because there is no reason to be downtown unless you are working at let's say Devon.

I was shocked to not even find cafe's or similar establishments to keep a crowd. I thought the place was abandoned!
What is lacking is the streetscape..No vendor's, no shops to poke around in. What about a outdoor market?
When I was in Portland they had the best outdoor market every Friday-Sunday. Food was offerred, hand made items,crafts, art.
The city there invested in the Market and it brought many people downtown.

Does anyone else have any ideas?
We need to breathe life into the downtown. The old saying of if you build it, they will come really does hold water.

[Patrick]

If you live close to Integris Baptist, go into Integris Baptist and go down to the Basement level. Walkers always use their concourse system, and I think the distances are even marked out on the pathway. It's a pretty popular walking place, especially in the winter.

Also, a lot of people walk at Northpark Mall at 122nd and May. My wife and I go up there from time to time, and there's always a group of mall walkers up there.

As for your comment on public transit. Well, this isn't the northeast. Really, the only place you find decent public transporation systems are places in the NE, like New York, Boston, DC, etc. We're more like Los Angeles....we're a car city. Although we'll probably add commuter rail transit at some time, I bet it will be more like Dallas' system, which is geared more for moving masses of people, and doesn't serve everyone. Down south here, our cities are so spread out (no density), that creating a public transit system that benefits everyone would be impossible. We'll always be dependent on the car to some extent, because, just like with Los Angeles, our city was designed with the car in mind.

[Patrick]

Does anyone wanna take the task in addressing the OP's concerns about not enough shops downtown?

Well, after WWII our city followed the path of many cities across the nation.....interest turned to the suburbs, and downtown dried up. Suburban enclosed malls became the norm, and shops moved from downtown to the malls and suburbs. Urban Renewal in the 1950's-1970's tried to fix that, but the oil bust in the late 1980's put a stop to that. Unfortunately, our downtown hasn't fully recovered from that. But, with more people moving downtown now, retail will eventually follow. But, it will take time.

[donbroncho]

Thank you for the welcome, and for your replies.

I sure hope that when the sidewalks go in they are in my area..LOL

I am over by Integris Baptist.
It has been hard adapting to this "new" atmosphere.

One other thing I feel obliged to mention..Is there any possibility that public transit will be expanded?
I come from an area that as you can imagine has public transit galore, and it is such a benefit.

You would not believe how many new businesses would crop up along transit routes if they were implemented and utilized.
Especially Light Rail lines.

I know this is not Boston, but hopefully with everyone's help and ideas it will continue to improve here in OKC..

I am ready!

Welcome man. My only connection to Massachusetts is one side of my family came from there after immigrating from Europe. But anyways...

I like your optimism in wanting to improve the city. Sadly, there are people who live here who could care less yet complain about everything that they can think of. They do not do things like support local businesses(check out my thread on OKC made vodka) and are generally pessimistic about the city and its future.

Welcome aboard!

[jbrown84]

Downtown has significant foot traffic in the early morning and from 11-2 or so, when people are going to lunch (assuming the weather is nice). I'm not sure when you were there, but if it was during the work day, nobody was out because they're all working. If it was on the weekend, well there's fewer people because the residential options in the CBD are limited. But on the weekend you'll see lots of traffic in Bricktown as well as up around the memorial.

[bornhere]

Retail is a significant component of the Core to Shore plan, but that's still years from reality.