Population Growth for OKC

[king183]

It's all part of the worst aspects of OKC that need to change.

If you want free stuff, then be honest about what you are (a grifting 'influencer') and stop trying to pretend to be a journalist. It amazes me that people here aren't appalled. Just goes to show how low our standards have always been.

I am continually shocked at how people are simply happy to go along with the fake, pay-to-play insider crap they're being fed. Frankly, I don't understand why this is not outright insulting to most people. It has to be because of low standards and the resulting low expectations.

[TU 'cane]

I think the weekday ridership is fine for the streetcar it is on par with Seattle's weekday streetcar averaging around 3k riders per day

edit: I can't find any 2021 ridership info for OKC streetcar and I got daily ridership off of wikipedia for both cities and it doesn't seem to add even for weekday ridership for OKC

Light rail would be nice in OKC. Like a lot of cities mixed public trans would be great here having the bus, streetcar, and a light rail. I left Seattle in 2007 before Link light rail even had one station open in Seattle but I've visited many times since it has opened and now goes all the way the university district.

OKC's streetcar is averaging 3,000 riders a day? Sorry, trying to confirm what you're saying here. If that's so, can anyone personally vouch for those numbers? I'm more likely to believe 3,000 weekly is more in tune and that's if there are big events happening downtown. But, I could be completely wrong and am willing to accept that.

[Pete]

Latest COTPA report:

[TU 'cane]

Thank you, sir!

Three observations:

1. I am surprised ridership has actually seen such high levels throughout its tenure so far.
2. It definitely appears seasonal and people prefer to be out during cooler months (shocking, isn't it?).
3. We're looking at an average of 500-675~ daily riders over the last three months of this year. If I look at Mar-May and average out roughly 20,000 a month divided by 30 days.


I think it needs a couple more years to define long term trends. The last couple years should have asterisks next to them, unfortunately. Lots of possible unrealized ridership levels were lost to the winds. Does it cost to get on or is it completely subsidized?

[Pete]

I am continually shocked at how people are simply happy to go along with the fake, pay-to-play insider crap they're being fed. Frankly, I don't understand why this is not outright insulting to most people. It has to be because of low standards and the resulting low expectations.

It's because people here have never known anything different and because OKC is incredibly incestuous in some ways.

If you look at the background of area 'journalists' you'll see they all come from small towns, small schools or went to a J-school which is named after the worst family in the history of publishing and run by one of their former editors. I'm having a big problem with Channel 9 and was told by a long-term newscaster on another station, "We all just steal from each other" like that was completely normal and fine.

The cycle just keeps feeding itself. The Oklahoman will hire some kid from a smalltown newspaper and they are indoctrinated in the Oklahoma way of doing things right out of the gate, such as stealing stories without attribution and plagiarizing press releases.

I mentioned this before but all these "best" lists need to stop. Those things are completely manipulated (either through paid advertisement or ballot stuffing) and often used by bad actors to bring attention and credibility to semi-scams and highly questionable business practices. Or, the writers and publishers use them for favor trading of all types.

[BoulderSooner]

Thank you, sir!

Three observations:

1. I am surprised ridership has actually seen such high levels throughout its tenure so far.
2. It definitely appears seasonal and people prefer to be out during cooler months (shocking, isn't it?).
3. We're looking at an average of 500-675~ daily riders over the last three months of this year. If I look at Mar-May and average out roughly 20,000 a month divided by 30 days.


I think it needs a couple more years to define long term trends. The last couple years should have asterisks next to them, unfortunately. Lots of possible unrealized ridership levels were lost to the winds. Does it cost to get on or is it completely subsidized?

the street car is fee based except for a few days / weeks a year ..


it should be free all of the time .. but there is lots of resistance from COPTA from that even if it had sponsors to pay for it ..

[shartel_ave]

OKC's streetcar is averaging 3,000 riders a day? Sorry, trying to confirm what you're saying here. If that's so, can anyone personally vouch for those numbers? I'm more likely to believe 3,000 weekly is more in tune and that's if there are big events happening downtown. But, I could be completely wrong and am willing to accept that.

in my post I put an "Edit" saying I was going off of wikipedia info as far as OKC streetcar ridership and that it did not add up and I could not find current info which pete located and posted.

[Thomas Vu]

It amazes me that people here aren't appalled. Just goes to show how low our standards have always been.

Good point. Slightly sad that I'm apathetic to it all. Given how many opinions get shared here, I thought we all ignored the local food critic, Horton or otherwise. If for nothing else, they never say anything negative. That's why I don't read them a nyway.

[soonerguru]

the street car is fee based except for a few days / weeks a year ..


it should be free all of the time .. but there is lots of resistance from COPTA from that even if it had sponsors to pay for it ..

Agree it should be free. From what I understand, folks including possibly a former council member have threatened to file a lawsuit if fees are removed from the streetcar but remain for the buses.

Fear of lawsuits is the driving force.

I also believe it's time for the streetcar to reengage with the public, a new "grand opening" if you will. People need to be reminded of the stops, how to get a fare, where it goes, etc.

The streetcar was doing well ahead of expectations before the Pandemic. It's pretty obvious why people decided to stop riding it after that.

People also need to remember that the value of the streetcar only will go up (along with ridership), because it is a fixed route in an area that is growing in population: new apartments, new hotels, even new commercial real estate. What we paid to develop the streetcar will be considered a massive bargain over time.

People have selective attention and either note when it's full or when it's not. This culture absolutely is not a transit culture in any way. Buses are viewed as something for poor people. Rail transit is considered wasteful spending. Yet no one considers how much f****** money we spend to maintain the roads here.

The streetcar should be free, and as far as I'm concerned, so should the buses. We could pay for it.

[HOT ROD]

I think the weekday ridership is fine for the streetcar it is on par with Seattle's weekday streetcar averaging around 3k riders per day

edit: I can't find any 2021 ridership info for OKC streetcar and I got daily ridership off of wikipedia for both cities and it doesn't seem to add even for weekday ridership for OKC

Light rail would be nice in OKC. Like a lot of cities mixed public trans would be great here having the bus, streetcar, and a light rail. I left Seattle in 2007 before Link light rail even had one station open in Seattle but I've visited many times since it has opened and now goes all the way the university district.

Goes all the way up to Northgate now, and down to Angle Lake (SeaTac). Soon, it will go up to Lynnwood (eventually to Boeing then downtown Everett) and down to Federal Way and eventually Tacoma Dome (iirc). Also, the E-W route from Seattle to Bellevue to Microsoft (YAH) to Redmond town center will open in a year or two.

Also Tacoma Link has expanded, will open shortly and then expand again in 2030.

[BoulderSooner]

Agree it should be free. From what I understand, folks including possibly a former council member have threatened to file a lawsuit if fees are removed from the streetcar but remain for the buses.

Fear of lawsuits is the driving force.

I also believe it's time for the streetcar to reengage with the public, a new "grand opening" if you will. People need to be reminded of the stops, how to get a fare, where it goes, etc.

The streetcar was doing well ahead of expectations before the Pandemic. It's pretty obvious why people decided to stop riding it after that.

People also need to remember that the value of the streetcar only will go up (along with ridership), because it is a fixed route in an area that is growing in population: new apartments, new hotels, even new commercial real estate. What we paid to develop the streetcar will be considered a massive bargain over time.

People have selective attention and either note when it's full or when it's not. This culture absolutely is not a transit culture in any way. Buses are viewed as something for poor people. Rail transit is considered wasteful spending. Yet no one considers how much f****** money we spend to maintain the roads here.

The streetcar should be free, and as far as I'm concerned, so should the buses. We could pay for it.

the law suit would have gone no where ..

also the old down town circulator (circ) was free for a long long time because of sponsorship ...... COPTA doesn't want to do that with the streetcar ...... it is about bad policy decisions ..

[shartel_ave]

Goes all the way up to Northgate now, and down to Angle Lake (SeaTac). Soon, it will go up to Lynnwood (eventually to Boeing then downtown Everett) and down to Federal Way and eventually Tacoma Dome (iirc). Also, the E-W route from Seattle to Bellevue to Microsoft (YAH) to Redmond town center will open in a year or two.

Also Tacoma Link has expanded, will open shortly and then expand again in 2030.

That’s impressive! Link light rail just keeps expanding!

My buddy lives in the building right above west lake station.

Wish it was up and running when I lived in Capitol Hill.

Only took 40 minutes to go from the airport to west lake station

[soonerguru]

the law suit would have gone no where ..

also the old down town circulator (circ) was free for a long long time because of sponsorship ...... COPTA doesn't want to do that with the streetcar ...... it is about bad policy decisions ..

Perhaps you're right. But, even if a threatened lawsuit would go nowhere, that doesn't mean the bureaucracy is willing to risk it. The city is lawsuit averse for a reason. The problem could easily be solved by also offering free bus transit, perhaps within the inner city zone only: SW 44th to NW 50th and May to MLK.

[BoulderSooner]

Perhaps you're right. But, even if a threatened lawsuit would go nowhere, that doesn't mean the bureaucracy is willing to risk it. The city is lawsuit averse for a reason. The problem could easily be solved by also offering free bus transit, perhaps within the inner city zone only: SW 44th to NW 50th and May to MLK.

agreed ...

[ChrisHayes]

https://worldpopulationreview.com/us...-ok-population It looks like we've surpassed a population of 700,000 and have had two years in a row of our population growing by 10k per year.

[Plutonic Panda]

It’ll be nice when OKC proper can pass the million mark.

[LocoAko]

https://worldpopulationreview.com/us...-ok-population It looks like we've surpassed a population of 700,000 and have had two years in a row of our population growing by 10k per year.

Interesting. Are these based on interim estimates from the census?

[ChrisHayes]

Interesting. Are these based on interim estimates from the census?

Probably

[josefromtulsa]

Interesting. Are these based on interim estimates from the census?

"The current population of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is 701,266 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates. The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 681,054."

They're basing it on a 2.97% growth rate with an estimated increase in 20,212 people since the 2020 census.

[Bellaboo]

I'd bet on the most growth for OKC will be from Eastern Canadian County. There is a solid 6 to 7 miles of housing development under construction from East of Yukon down to Mustang. Also from Surrey Hills East to County Line Rd.

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^^ take a drive through east Edmond one day if you’re bored. The amount of housing going up is pretty impressive.

[LocoAko]

"The current population of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is 701,266 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates. The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 681,054."

They're basing it on a 2.97% growth rate with an estimated increase in 20,212 people since the 2020 census.

Right, thanks. I'm mostly wondering where the 2.97% growth rate is coming from. From what I can tell, the census's 2021 numbers had OKC gaining 4,965 people for a 2021 population of 687,725 and an annual growth rate of ~0.7%. So that would represent quite an increase in growth.

[mugofbeer]

^^^^ take a drive through east Edmond one day if you’re bored. The amount of housing going up is pretty impressive.

New housing is now speading into Logan county near l-35.

[April in the Plaza]

I'd bet on the most growth for OKC will be from Eastern Canadian County. There is a solid 6 to 7 miles of housing development under construction from East of Yukon down to Mustang. Also from Surrey Hills East to County Line Rd.

Yep, that area is poised to see some Frisco-esque growth numbers over the next 10-15 years

[Laramie]

"The current population of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is 701,266 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates. The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 681,054."

They're basing it on a 2.97% growth rate with an estimated increase in 20,212 people since the 2020 census.

Valid point IMO, seems to be the most logical explanation, thanks.