Streetcar

[catch22]

I made this map today, I guess it would be my dream light rail system for OKC.

Posted in the other thread but felt it would also be appropriate here.

I use the Portland system quite often and have found it to be very useful personally and hope OKC adopts a similar system someday.

[Spartan]

Under budget! Haven't seen this brought up yet, but looks like the multi-modal transit hub bids came in a half-million under budget. That's a first in the MAPS era!

And that's WITH a complicated, historic landmark at the center of the project, I might add!

[catch22]

Under budget! Haven't seen this brought up yet, but looks like the multi-modal transit hub bids came in a half-million under budget. That's a first in the MAPS era!

And that's WITH a complicated, historic landmark at the center of the project, I might add!

Fantastic news and a great way to kick off MAPS 3 Transit!

[shawnw]

I made this map today, I guess it would be my dream light rail system for OKC.

Posted in the other thread but felt it would also be appropriate here.

I use the Portland system quite often and have found it to be very useful personally and hope OKC adopts a similar system someday.

Add an FAA spur along with WRWA and you have my vote...

[Laramie]

Under budget! Haven't seen this brought up yet, but looks like the multi-modal transit hub bids came in a half-million under budget. That's a first in the MAPS era!

And that's WITH a complicated, historic landmark at the center of the project, I might add!

Great news, Spartan!

Sales tax collections dipped last month in Oklahoma City, in line with a prediction that the slowdown in oil and gas could hit the city's bottom line.

Accounting for interest and the Oklahoma Tax Commission's processing fee, Oklahoma City received $32.2 million, down from $34.1 million last year.

Oklahoma City sales tax dips with April check | News OK

The 2015 trend continues:

May - up 1.8 percent
June - down 0.3 percent
July down 1.3 percent
August (out)

The oil debacle has many concerned about the future revenue collections for our city.

[Urban Pioneer]

Really great job on that map Catch 22.

[gopokes88]

being off ~1% while sucks shouldn't be devastating. It's no 10% hole the state always seems to be in.

[Urbanized]

I wonder if some of that overage could be used to address the fact that there is not currently adequate stroller/wheelchair access from the new Santa Fe tunnel to canal level. The monumental staircase is beautiful, but practicality suffers with no ramp or elevator.

[shawnw]

How do Amtrak riders get to the tracks presently, is there an elevator to go up?

I only ask because if so could the retrofit one that went all the way down to tunnel level?

[Urbanized]

Tunnel level is above canal level. Tunnel is at street level; tracks are above street level.

[shawnw]

My bad, it's hard to tell from inside of it, but the point still stands, is there presently an elevator shaft that could be extended lower?

[Urbanized]

Not sure, but the problem is that if it were there would need to be ANOTHER tunnel dug at canal level. And even if you did THAT, it would possibly open through the mosaic into empty space.

[Urbanized]

Here, maybe this will help:

[shawnw]

OH.. okay... there's an elevator at Oklahoma on the south side of the canal at street level. But it's kind of a bitch to go around the "T(erminus)" part of canal to get to it. Are they building a bridge to the other side from just south of the tunnel opening (kinda looks like it in that graphic but can't tell)? That might be okay though not perfect.

[hfry]

For me the stairway is just kinda bland, I would think and hope they could create some sort of ramp to either be built with it or next to it. I think a few months back I saw something on twitter(maybe Toronto) of a ramp built into a stairwell and while I don't know how well it would work it's something like that, that could really help make this a more iconic corridor from the canal to the tunnel and beyond. But I think you are exactly right Urbanized, it might be worth looking into since we came in under budget.

[Teo9969]

I made this map today, I guess it would be my dream light rail system for OKC.

Posted in the other thread but felt it would also be appropriate here.

I use the Portland system quite often and have found it to be very useful personally and hope OKC adopts a similar system someday.

Looks great.

I think I'd really want to run the Green line up to 23rd, West to Meridian, South to Reno, West to Outlet shops.

[baralheia]

One thing to keep in mind when thinking about what our regional transit network should look like is that existing freight rail can NOT be shared with Modern Streetcar/Light Rail vehicles by FRA rules. Any rail transit that follows existing freight rail corridors would have to be commuter (heavy) rail, including the Oklahoma Railway Museum spur (NE 10th to NE 50th).

That said, through Google Maps, I've worked on a dream Commuter Rail map myself, utilizing the three main rail corridors that this city currently has:

• N-S BNSF Corridor: Santa Fe / Red Line
• E-W UPRR Corridor: Rock Island / Blue Line
• NE-SW SLWC Corridor: Burlington / Green Line

I wanted to name the lines according to the predecessor railroads, and give them colors appropriate to this scheme. My dream map is far from perfect - for instance, right now the lines go out too far. My fantasy Burlington line currently extends from Tuttle to Jones, my Rock Island line goes from El Reno to Shawnee, and my Santa Fe line goes from Guthrie to Purcell; demographics that far out would most likely not support commuter rail into the metro, except for maybe Shawnee or Guthrie.

Ideally, I'd like to see a proper N-S and E-W commuter line get done. I know that as long as all goes well with the RTA, we will have the N-S commuter rail, but I think it would be a really good idea to do commuter rail along UPRR's tracks too (either to Midwest City or pushing out as far as Shawnee), as long as we can build a wye to get up to Santa Fe Station.

Just for giggles, once I refine my Google map, I'll make it public and post it here.

[Urbanized]

For me the stairway is just kinda bland, I would think and hope they could create some sort of ramp to either be built with it or next to it. I think a few months back I saw something on twitter(maybe Toronto) of a ramp built into a stairwell and while I don't know how well it would work it's something like that, that could really help make this a more iconic corridor from the canal to the tunnel and beyond. But I think you are exactly right Urbanized, it might be worth looking into since we came in under budget.

Yeah, that was me on Twitter. The stairs are in Vancouver. The problem is - according to what I have been told - is that in the U.S. they would require railings to comply with ADA. Frankly, I think railings could actually ENHANCE the stairs, as they could create protected areas on the steps that would invite people to linger, eat lunch, read, or watch programming in the plaza below. Unfortunately I have received so much pushback when suggesting that I don't think the stairs have legs.

Here are the stairs we're talking about:

[Urbanized]

There are American examples of stairs of this type, however, including Chicago (recently-installed on River):



Portland:



More Portland:

[Urbanized]

OH.. okay... there's an elevator at Oklahoma on the south side of the canal at street level. But it's kind of a bitch to go around the "T(erminus)" part of canal to get to it. Are they building a bridge to the other side from just south of the tunnel opening (kinda looks like it in that graphic but can't tell)? That might be okay though not perfect.

Would still be a one-block walk to get to the elevator, then to canal level, even if bridge installed. Bridge is still an add-alternate I think.

[Urbanized]

Another example, on the High Line, in NYC:

[Hutch]

Another monumental transit milestone was reached yesterday with the unanimous approval by the OKC City Council of a Memorandum of Understanding between the cities of OKC, Edmond, Norman, Moore, Midwest City and Del City authorizing the creation and funding of a Central Oklahoma Regional Task Force for the development of a Regional Transit Authority to plan, finance, implement and operate a regional public transportation system. OKC City Council led the way as the first municipality to approve the MOU. The other participating cities are expected to approve the agreement in the next few weeks.

Regional Transit Authority Task Force - City Council Memo

Regional Transit Authority Task Force - Memorandum of Understanding

[hfry]

Thanks urbanized!! I'll post when I get back to my computer but I was just looking at the regulations and it all depends on the slope. There are countless examples in the U.S. Without rails and that brick one was one I was just looking at. Soemthing done in that style could really match well into Bricktown!

[Urbanized]

Yeah, the limiting factor is that to comply with ADA you cannot have a slope steeper than a 1" drop per foot of run (commonly known as a 1:12 slope) and no more than a 30' slope between landings so that if something gets away from someone it doesn't pick up too much speed.

In this case the vertical drop is maybe 10 feet, so that would mean about 120' of ramp minimum. The ramp would also need to have a certain width (not sure f that is 4' or 5' - I think ADA requires 4 and the City requires 5 in canal area). The good news is that the current retaining wall has quite a run, and it could be sacrificed to allow for long runs

Barring that, I think an elevator beside those stairs would still be great. They can be weather proofed better than the existing ones and cut down on maintenance.

[Hutch]

Another monumental transit milestone was reached yesterday with the unanimous approval by the OKC City Council of a Memorandum of Understanding between the cities of OKC, Edmond, Norman, Moore, Midwest City and Del City authorizing the creation and funding of a Central Oklahoma Regional Task Force for the development of a Regional Transit Authority to plan, finance, implement and operate a regional public transportation system. OKC City Council led the way as the first municipality to approve the MOU. The other participating cities are expected to approve the agreement in the next few weeks.

Corrected links:

Regional Transit Authority Task Force - City Council Memo

Regional Transit Authority Task Force - Memorandum of Understanding