Oklahoma City Gets Ranked as 5th Worst Place to Live

[FritterGirl]

You are correct in that I don't understand how bond issues work. Does this mean those of us who live along areas where roads were improved before the bond issue won't be getting sidewalks?

Here are the listings of where the street /sidewalk improvements and/or installations are going. Projects are started as bonds are sold, with a specific amount of money allocated annually based upon the sale rate of the bond (bond monies are collected from annual property taxes of all OKC citizens). City staff draft bond project budgets for presentation to Council, and the projects that are deemed highest in priority FOR THAT YEAR are then completed. The money has to be collected and bonds sold before projects can begin.

The streets slated for improvements where sidewalks will go are listed HERE, HERE and HERE.

[okclee]

Is there a list to see status of listed projects?

I would like to know approximate dates for projects started, scheduled to start, in-progress, and completed. Also it would be good to see how these projects are being constructed in relation to the budget.

[Spartan]

Are you new here...did you sleep thru MAPS 3?

From the City's site:

A new, approximately 70-acre central park linking the core of downtown with the Oklahoma River

Health benefits weren't specifically touted, but the lower Park is supposed to have athletic fields. The Upper Park is to be fully programmed with activities

A new rail-based streetcar system, plus potential funding for other rail transit initiatives, such as commuter lines and a transit hub
* A better transit system will lead to a healthier, more sustainable community.

Personally think this one is a little weak. What difference does it make if you are going by car or bus or streetcar, you are still riding..unless count the extra walking it might take to get to a bus or streetcar (as opposed to the short walk to your car).

Sidewalks to be placed on major streets and near facilities used by the public throughout the City
* The 2007 bond issue included $68 million for sidewalks next to all resurfacing projects (there were probably several other items in the Bond issue that promote a healthier lifestyle)
* Sidewalks help to build a healthier community.

57 miles of new public bicycling and walking trails throughout the City
* Trails help to build a healthier community.

Improvements to the Oklahoma River, including a public whitewater kayaking facility and upgrades intended to achieve the finest rowing racecourse in the world
* Rowing and kayaking promote a healthier community.

State-of-the-art health and wellness aquatic centers throughout the City designed for senior citizens
* These centers will promote a healthier community.

It might be a stretch, but might even include the walking around in the new buildings at the Fairgrounds (offset by everything that is deep fried on a stick...LOL)

What I am talking about is the fact that anyone that wants to walk alongside one of our roads will likely get mauled by a crazy truck driver. The city needs to re-examine every urbanized portion of the city limits and determine how to make it people-friendly. There need to be walking/running trails around the NW Expressway and Quail Springs--areas that could be pseudo-pedestrian friendly given the overlay between commercial density and residential density, if it weren't for automobile traffic density that makes it unsafe.

We need more dog parks, walking trails, and exercise centers in every square mile of this city. That would be the real solution. In my rant I was very careful to say making a healthy lifestyle accessible to the majority of people in this city, because MAPS 3 definitely goes a long ways toward creating an all-new part of town for healthy lifestyles. But I am saying it is something that should be universal and not relegated to a specific part of town. I am talking about sustainability for the entire city, not just one area of town where we give it lip service, and then our actions in the other 98% of the city limits cancel out everything we do to make downtown "sustainable." Honestly, what really goes on downtown cancels it out by itself...as we all know by now.

I think that there must be some kind of state issue as well that is leading doctors to move to other states. I have heard Senator Coburn speaking about an extreme lack of doctors in SE Oklahoma, and I've heard a lot about OKC's relative shortage of primary care physicians. Someone at the state capitol needs to look into that, as well.

The city also needs to put a lot of attention into making the city more physically attractive. If there was more landscaping that was attractive, creating some modicum of natural beauty in this city that severely lacks ANY natural beauty, then perhaps that would also draw people outdoors. It could be how ugly this city really is that has turned residents against being outdoors..just a thought.

[Spartan]

Wtf? I'm tired of this crap honestly. The only thing that will ensure anyone grows up to be overweight is yourself. That's just bull**** that if you move here you'll be unhealthy. I don't eat fast food. I run on our trails: South Grand, Earlywine, and the River. I walk around my neighborhood. I am a fit 18 year old. It all comes back to the citizens and their willingness to get off their unhealthy track of life and to motivate others and the city to do so also. If you don't want your kids to be fatties, then live a healthy lifestyle, put them in sports, and don't feed them McDonalds for dinner. It isn't the city's fault. It's the citizens of this city that have shaped and manipulated it to their unfit lifestyles and now the city is paying for allowing it to happen.

Pat on the back for you, managing to live a healthy lifestyle in a city that encourages death by eating and sitting.

Speaking of putting your kids in sports, one of the things that was running through my mind during the earlier rant in this thread that I forgot to type down was putting your kids in sports. We've taken sports out of the elementary schools in Oklahoma, making it very expensive to put their kids into a sports league at an early age, and we've eliminated a lot of funding for junior high sports, and funding for high schools sports is constantly on the chopping block. There seems to be this idea that sports and access to a healthy lifestyle is not a public right, and should not be offered as a service to school kids.

You could say this for any other piece of the puzzle a city can be judged on. Worried about Cali's unemployment stats? Get a college degree. Worried about Dallas' crime issues? Don't live in Oak Cliff. Worried about OKC's health problem? Don't eat McD's.

It only goes so far when you're discounting criticism. At some point you need to take criticism, OWN IT, and do something about it. People in OKC seem to be incapable of admitting their pitfalls. I think it is in part because of the delusions of grandeur that we're constantly being sold at the voting booth, although affirming MAPS 3 was definitely a step in the right direction--or at least it should be. It also really bothers me that I get such a bad rep for being overly negative all the time, when in my mind, I'm just someone who spends a LOT of time in other cities and can easily see where OKC is lacking AND how to get it where it needs to be.

You don't make OKC a shining beacon for sustainability, urbanism, strong economy, quality of life, and healthy living by pretending our problems don't exist. Period.

[FritterGirl]

Lack of dog parks I can agree with. I don't know how you get more, however.

Hi Betts,

Just now seeing this quote.

First question. One of the things we've been working on with the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) is why, exactly, dog parks are even included in their research criteria when other major fitness-related amenities, such as trails and greenways, basketball courts, spraygrounds, etc. are not. The amount of exercise a PERSON gets at a dog park is minimus compared to what they could get walking a trail, or playing a pick-up game of hoops. To us, the criteria is ALMOST as flimsy as the Men's Health fitness criteria of "proximity to snowboarding." In Oklahoma? Are you kidding me?

As for "how can you get more dog parks?" the answer is pretty simple. Public-private cooperation. The OKC Parks Department would love to have another partner that could facilitate the development, maintenance and operation of another dog park. The PAW Park at Lake Hefner was largely funded by and is operated by OK PAW (People for Animal Welfare), a non-profit funding group.

While the Parks Department owns the land, OK Paw maintains the bulk of the park. Volunteers take care of discarding dog droppings and keeping the park clean and maintained. They also raised the funds to enhance the beach area next to the pond so humans can have a better place to sit and observe their canine friends while in the water.

[Spartan]

Hi Betts,

Just now seeing this quote.

First question. One of the things we've been working on with the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) is why, exactly, dog parks are even included in their research criteria when other major fitness-related amenities, such as trails and greenways, basketball courts, spraygrounds, etc. are not. The amount of exercise a PERSON gets at a dog park is minimus compared to what they could get walking a trail, or playing a pick-up game of hoops. To us, the criteria is ALMOST as flimsy as the Men's Health fitness criteria of "proximity to snowboarding." In Oklahoma? Are you kidding me?

At first blush, some great points here. After thinking about it some more, I can see where that criteria is relevant, and not just because some places such as OKC just are at a natural disadvantage due to the hand dealt by God in terms of geography. There's a reason places such as Denver or Salt Lake are said to be "blessed by God" in terms of geography. So I'm not saying I agree with you or the criteria, but there's more to it than I think you're considering..

1. Proximity to snowboarding is fine as a criteria as long as other criteria includes sports that happen in another topography settings.
2. Walking a dog is very much a healthy lifestyle thing to do, because it does get you outside doing something with the outdoors. It's about as athletic as fishing or walking down the street, but I would contend that it's a little thing that may lead to someone doing more things outdoors.

I do think it's relevant, in terms of a city's health, how close it is to a beach or a mountain. So perhaps some cities, especially OKC, is at a natural disadvantage when competing head-to-head on health rankings, but I would contend that doesn't make up for OKC sucking at everything that is still within its control. There are a lot of places we could improve by providing more infrastructure for healthy living. Lake Hefner and the Oklahoma River could use some improvement, and the river will be getting it soon. The trails system is a good start, but that was what OKC needed in 1990 and it still won't even be close to being finished after the MAPS 3 funding comes in for that. There should be major pedestrian improvements around Memorial Rd and the NW Expressway. There should at least be sidewalks along all major arteries, particularly in the inner city. The main drags through the inner city, such as NW 23rd, Western, Classen, SW 44th, etc--all need to become more walkable. The city needs to disallow development in these areas that include any deep setbacks, and discourage walking. They may even consider narrowing these streets and widening the sidewalks and introducing a dedicated bike lane in a lot of the inner city. As it is, bicycles need a place on our roads, which they currently do not have.

Wherever these MAPS senior centers go as well, they need to be very well-connected to neighborhoods so that seniors can safely walk there if they live close enough. There is no point in driving 5 blocks to go to the gym, it's just stupid. There also need to be shading elements and lighting elements placed along sidewalks so that they are lit at night (reduce crime) and shaded during the hot summer days (reduce people collapsing)--that will also go a long ways toward reclaiming the outdoors of OKC for people.

[Monkeypony]

i hope this all happens before i die!!
i have lived in Oklahoma since 69 and truly, it hasnt changed that much overall!
things happen very slowly in oklahoma. getting the public ( okies) to catch up with the rest of the world is a job in itself.
you have to disguise any hope for progress as a ' church'.. the only thing okies like and support..

[Monkeypony]

and BBQ with lots of fat and sugar.....

[soonerguru]

I see with your 15 posts that you're rather new here, but your premise that there hasn't been change in OKC is preposterous. There has been dramatic change in OKC in the last 5 to 10 years. Perhaps it's not as fast as you would like, but you have the option of getting involved and making change happen. That's what has made a difference here: people like yourself not happy with the status quo getting involved and making a difference. It's happened here and it's still happening. Why not jump into the fray?

[RadicalModerate]

All the focus on why OKC is rated bad is mostly health related. So people, shape up or ship out: 10 Worst Places to Live - DailyFinance

So . . . I just noticed that this thread got "necroed" . . .
Is having your head that far up the other end of your-- and your pollsters-- digestive tract still uncomfortable?
Like . . . Do you, like have to open your mouth, like to see where you are going? Or whut? =)

Sorry, Bunty . . .
I confused you with Monkeypony. Be assured it won't happen again. My apologies for unruly protogés and dissciples.

[bombermwc]

Im sorry, but while i think sidewalks are great, spending millions upon millions to put them in everywhere is NOT gonig to fix anything. The lazy people out there aren't suddently going to start walking and lose weight. Yes, those people that live NEARBY something might start making use of them, but that's it. It's not as though you're going to see someone walk 4 miles on NW Exway from home to a store and back, drop 50 pounds doing it, and turn their diabetes around. There are a WHOLE LOT of other things that go into a decision for a person like that. Availability of healthy food options that aren't high priced, availability of SOME form of exercise, and #1 INTEREST!!!!!

Walkability also means private sector support. For a true urban (which OKC is NOT) area to have honest walkability, you need SMALL shops nearby with a variety of options. Really every about 1/2 mile needs to have all options available since public transportation basically doesn't exist here. If you get some GOOD public transit, then you can remove that requirement. But you have to be realistic about what people are going to do. In a place where people won't walk from one end of a shopping center to the other, why do you think they'll walk from one block to another?

So before we start saying we're going to fix the city's problems by slapping sidewalks down, look at it from a real perspective.

Let me give a real life example. Midwest City got federal grants several years ago to put in sidewalks on the major streets. So at least 1 side of the road had them on 4-lane roads. Guess what, you dont see people using them any more now that the same people did when there wasn't a sidewalk there. It's just easier for those people to walk now. As always, the area that sees the most is the sidewalk that connected the walking trails at the largest park (Regional). It's a 3 mile trail that's always busy. But do you see anyone say walking from their apartment to Crest and back? Nope.

[skanaly]

The article is from 2010...I'm sure lots has changed

[LandRunOkie]

Im sorry, but while i think sidewalks are great, spending millions upon millions to put them in everywhere is NOT gonig to fix anything. The lazy people out there aren't suddently going to start walking and lose weight. Yes, those people that live NEARBY something might start making use of them, but that's it.

Guess what, you dont see people using them any more now that the same people did when there wasn't a sidewalk there. It's just easier for those people to walk now.

I see plenty of fat people getting exercise on the sidewalks between 63rd and 50th on MacArthur. Maybe change just comes slower to you folks in MWC.

Eventually people who work at businesses nearby the sidewalks will move in to nearby housing. The smart ones will get rid of unnecessary cars and save hundreds per month. These type of changes happen too slowly for people to notice but they do happen.

[Bunty]

I guess plenty of Oklahoma City people love for a pass time to indulge in plenty of eating and drinking to work on forcing that belly to stick out nice and big. It sure beats running on a tread mill, going nowhere for a thrill.

[Bunty]

Let me give a real life example. Midwest City got federal grants several years ago to put in sidewalks on the major streets. So at least 1 side of the road had them on 4-lane roads. Guess what, you dont see people using them any more now that the same people did when there wasn't a sidewalk there. It's just easier for those people to walk now. As always, the area that sees the most is the sidewalk that connected the walking trails at the largest park (Regional). It's a 3 mile trail that's always busy. But do you see anyone say walking from their apartment to Crest and back? Nope.

When I walk on a sidewalk along a busy 4 lane street, I get the feeling that motorists passing by are looking at me like I'm an idiot for walking and wondering what's my problem. Am I too poor to have a car? (NO) Am I a weird homeless person. (NO) On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised other people not liking the noise and exhaust fumes. At least I feel comfortable about walking when at a park.

[Bill Robertson]

I guess plenty of Oklahoma City people love for a pass time to indulge in plenty of eating and drinking to work on forcing that belly to stick out nice and big. It sure beats running on a tread mill, going nowhere for a thrill.

There is something to that. I'm guilty of overindulging lately. I spent 35+ years as an avid cyclist. 4 to 6 thousand miles per year. Many, many sub 5 hour century rides. A few close to 4 hours. Then I got burned out and now would much rather go have a plate of nachos washed down with a few cold ones. But you know what. I'm fine with that.

[Plutonic Panda]

When I walk on a sidewalk along a busy 4 lane street, I get the feeling that motorists passing by are looking at me like I'm an idiot for walking and wondering what's my problem. Am I too poor to have a car? (NO) Am I a weird homeless person. (NO) On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised other people not liking the noise and exhaust fumes. At least I feel comfortable about walking when at a park.

HA. In Edmond take that feeling and multiply by a thousand. lol

[LandRunOkie]

There's an app for that, sunglasses.

[torea]

I was just considering to relocate from KC to OKC (because of the loud honking trains here in Kansas City).

But RadicalModerate (RadicalTeaPartyLover) can be proud of the result of this blog:

KC is not in the top 5 so I prefer to stay where I live now and not relocate to OKC...

[bchris02]

Many times lists like these exist solely to re-enforce a stereotype. It appears that is what is going on here since all the reasons OKC is so horrible is health related (and OKC itself has an obesity rate that's right at the national average, Oklahoma is much higher). This reminds me of another one that said OKC was the worst place in the nation to live because people's perceptions of it were so bad.

OKC isn't the only car-centric, spread out city. I moved from Charlotte which is very similar in that its suburban oriented. One thing Charlotte had that OKC doesn't is easy access to parks almost anywhere in the city.

[Bunty]

I was just considering to relocate from KC to OKC (because of the loud honking trains here in Kansas City).

But RadicalModerate (RadicalTeaPartyLover) can be proud of the result of this blog:

KC is not in the top 5 so I prefer to stay where I live now and not relocate to OKC...

Well, conservatives, here, expect you to make your own life great without expecting the government to make it great for you.

[bombermwc]

Honestly, if you want to encourage people to walk, the best way to do that is to get sidewalks in NEIGHBORHOODS. As mentioned above, the sidewalks on main streets aren't as big of a deal. You'll see far more people taking walks in their own neighborhood than heading to the store.

Problems facing walking in OKC.
Major reason 1 - They dont walk here because they're lazy.
Major reason 2 - They don't want to carry what they buy, home.
Major reason 3 - They don't a reason to change what they're doing today....cars are easier. Until they aren't, there won't be any reason to change. It's not like Chicago where you need to spend 20 minutes and $20 to park for a trip to the grocery store. OKC is NOT urban. It's a suburban city all around....even downtown.

How do we alter those perceptions and get people off their duff?
Step 1 - encourage getting off your duff. The whole city on a diet thing was a start. But more programs of encouragement can help. Something like TV spots to encourage exercise. We see them for not dumping hazardous waste down your crapper, so why not one to get you moving?
Step 2 - forget all the crap people spread about what they THINK makes a city walkable. Stop only listening to the outside consultants that think they are God's gift to walkbility and urbanity....they aren't. START listening to the people that live here as to what they WILL do. If you build some wonderful design, but no one uses it, then you've wasted millions of dollars listening to some blow-hard. What you can do, is get a cross-section of people that DON'T currently walk much and listen to why that is, what barriers currently prevent them from doing so, what might encourage them to do so. It's not always because they're fat. Sometimes it's lack of sidewalks, sometimes there's no where close enough to walk TO, etc.
Step 3 - Once the seed is planted, you really need to start looking at ways to alter the culture of the city. We're a fast-food Mecca and fatty fat town. Maybe we should consider banning transfats, overly stupidly large sodas, etc like NYC. However, you have to get your suburbs on track for that too. There are 3-400K people in the 'burbs that need to get their own town on board as well.

[NoOkie]

I was just considering to relocate from KC to OKC (because of the loud honking trains here in Kansas City).

But RadicalModerate (RadicalTeaPartyLover) can be proud of the result of this blog:

KC is not in the top 5 so I prefer to stay where I live now and not relocate to OKC...

We have trains too, though? Hell, everywhere has trains. I was in Seattle and there were trains.

Honestly, I lived in Kansas city from 2001 to 2007 and in general liked it more than OKC at the time. I haven't really been back, so I can't speak to the current situation. Culturally, they're very different places.

[Plutonic Panda]

I was just considering to relocate from KC to OKC (because of the loud honking trains here in Kansas City).

But RadicalModerate (RadicalTeaPartyLover) can be proud of the result of this blog:

KC is not in the top 5 so I prefer to stay where I live now and not relocate to OKC...

Not trying to be smart ass, but to understand this right. You were looking to relocate to another city 300 miles away because KC has trains? But, you decided not to because of a list that said OKC is the 5 city worst to live in? No offense, but you starting to sound like a troll. If I was looking to relocate to another city I would visit it myself and decide whether or not I liked it. I also would certainly not move just because of "loud honking trains". Did you not know there was a train track near your house when you moved there? It's not like train tracks just appear over night.

[WilliamTell]

Problems facing walking in OKC.
Major reason 1 - They dont walk here because they're lazy.
Major reason 2 - They don't want to carry what they buy, home.
Major reason 3 - They don't a reason to change what they're doing today....cars are easier. Until they aren't, there won't be any reason to change. It's not like Chicago where you need to spend 20 minutes and $20 to park for a trip to the grocery store. OKC is NOT urban. It's a suburban city all around....even downtown..

I agree - Some other reasons why this early 30 something thinks OKC sucks (such a harsh word, obviously i still live here after 6 years)

-Weather, Im a huge fan of dramatic weather changes but summers that start in March and dont end until October are getting beyond old. As we all know we arent talking about mildy uncomfortable days either, 100+ nightmares the majority of the time. I consider myself an outdoor lovers and even run when its above 100 but the weather makes it so hard to enjoy living hereor for average people do do anything besides going through the drive through on their way home.

-Wind, it rarely is ever below 10-15mph regardless of the outdoor temp which make outdoor activities hard to truely enjoy. I'm an avid runner and like a challenge but it can be brutal. Overall the city is pretty flat, barren, and devoid of any aesthetically pleasing aspects to help protect you from the elements.

-DroughtWhats becoming non ending drought conditions - going to end up being pretty bad when peoples wells start drying up and since we are almost to the point of year round water restrictions. Just look at hefner, draper, and thunderbird...writing is on the walls...

Culture, people here rejoice in the fact that we are pretty closed minded to anyone's lifestyle that doesnt completely mirror our own. Lets be honest, collectively speaking we are an incredibly friendly city, if you look, talk, act, believe, and vote how we do.