Whitewater Facility

[HangryHippo]

Just curious, can you actually walk there from Bricktown? I mean, yes you can walk anywhere but is pedestrian infrastructure in place and open the whole way?

You bring up a decent point. I noticed this weekend just what an absolute clusterf*** that whole highway/boulevard/Lincoln interchange has become. My god they've taken up a ridiculous amount of land and it's still a righteous pain in the ass to navigate. It's unreal. ODOT has really screwed this area up with all their work.

[CuatrodeMayo]

Just curious, can you actually walk there from Bricktown? I mean, yes you can walk anywhere but is pedestrian infrastructure in place and open the whole way?

Once the Union Pacific underpass debacle is resolved, I believe the answer will be yes.

[jccouger]

Yes it is. I walked it a few times before this Union Pacific issue arose. I believe it is one of the most important connections in all of OKC and I think the area between the boathouse district & lower bricktown is set to become one of the biggest developments hotbeds in the entire city.

[Dustin]

Make sure you don't read the comments on all the news sites about this project.

Lemme guess...

"Why are we wasting money on this when our schools have no money?!?!? Blah blah blah."

[AP]

Lemme guess...

"Why are we wasting money on this when our schools have no money?!?!? Blah blah blah."

Bingo.

[shawnw]

Once the UP thing is open (though you can do it now "on the sly"), yes, it's a pleasant walk all the way to CPK boathouse, and if you use the river side sidewalks/paths, then you can get all the way down to anywhere, and presumably eventually the whitewater area. However, if you decide to leave the trail where the stairs are at Regatta park, then you end up at the intersection of Lincoln and SE 6th. This is not a pleasant area to cross in general. There are no crosswalks, fast moving traffic when there is traffic, and no sidewalks at first, and definitely no sidewalks over to where the whitewater stuff will be, though hopefully that will all get rectified on the soonish side. Just wanted to say that it's getting there but still needs some work. Where the pedestrian access is tragic is between Bricktown/DD from Reno. Really hope that's addressed soon as well.

[Just the facts]

So you get to the boat basin, but what pedestrian infrastructure is in place from there to the whitewater course (or any of the other attractions for that matter)? There are no sidewalks from the boat basin to anything else. There is not even a marked crosswalk on Lincoln.

[OKCisOK4me]

So you get to the boat basin, but what pedestrian infrastructure is in place from there to the whitewater course? There are no sidewalks from the boat basin to anything else. There is not even a marked crosswalk on Lincoln.

JTF, for now, it's up to the pedestrian to figure that part out for themselves. If you want to complain about that not being in place, type an email up to the city.

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[shawnw]

There are sidewalks along the river itself all the way to where the whitewater thing will be. But yeah, no crosswalk, like I already said.

[AP]

JTF, for now, it's up to the pedestrian to figure that part out for themselves.

[Bellaboo]

So you get to the boat basin, but what pedestrian infrastructure is in place from there to the whitewater course (or any of the other attractions for that matter)? There are no sidewalks from the boat basin to anything else. There is not even a marked crosswalk on Lincoln.

You can walk on a sidewalk under Lincoln next to the river.

Looking at the 10th picture in the portfolio, it looks as if there will be a sidewalk all the way to the whitewater facility, just won't be built before the WW facility is, probably.

[boitoirich]

If I'm in the area for leisure, I take the river path to the Boathouse District. If I'm just trying to get there as quickly as possible, then it's across Lincoln I go. The biggest issue there is not that there isn't a crosswalk, though there definitely needs to be one. More pressing is Lincoln is over-engineered there. It's never carrying much traffic, but those cars driving on it are swooping through the area. That would be a great place to introduce a tree-lined median, a crosswalk/pedestrian island, and yield signs. Just the number of children I see in that area alone should make that change a priority, saying nothing of the improved flow it would provide.

[mkjeeves]

I could walk to that area with my kayak on a two wheel cart I suppose. (in the marked kayak portage lane?) Not sure if they will let me put my kayak on a bus to get it within easy walking distance though.

Yep. Some people will use the facility's boats, and some won't. I usually drive, most of the time pulling a trailer.

[shawnw]

Good point though.

[Just the facts]

The biggest issue there is not that there isn't a crosswalk, though there definitely needs to be one.

The big issue for me is public officials saying we have pedestrian oriented infrastructure from point A to point B - when we don't. It seems public officials now 'get it', but they don't know what it is that they got. Walkability isn't buzz words - it's pedestrian infrastructure on the ground coupled with appropriate land-use.

Anyhow, you are right boitoirich, for an area being setup as an amusement/entertainment area they sure went out of their way to make sure cars can get through it quickly.

[mattjank]

It's about as close to river rafting as you're gonna get in Oklahoma, so I'm excited!

Not after a good rain. Lots of great boating in the SE Okla mountains.

[Snowman]

It's about as close to river rafting as you're gonna get in Oklahoma, so I'm excited!

Close? From the planning documents and other renderings I am pretty sure that they will have rafts available in addition to the kayaks.

[bombermwc]

I'm talking 10 person rifer white water rafting. I'm not as big of a fan of the smaller type stuff like kayaks and whatnot, but if that's what we're gonna have, then i'll make the best of it. It will be nice to be in water that's not snow melt for a change...not nearly as bone chilling cold LOL.

[Snowman]

I'm talking 10 person rifer white water rafting. I'm not as big of a fan of the smaller type stuff like kayaks and whatnot, but if that's what we're gonna have, then i'll make the best of it. It will be nice to be in water that's not snow melt for a change...not nearly as bone chilling cold LOL.

Here is a rendering with both, the rafts are the blue things on the right edge of the course, a couple kayaks are shown in yellow at various stages of finishing the course. If I remember correctly the building where all the rafts are parked is where they are stored & the building at the top of the picture (far east) is the where at least the really nice kayaks are stored, there might be some starter ones with the rafts.

[bombermwc]

Let's add an ramp somewhere so you have to tip over too....or at least almost tip. It's not a good raft trip unless you all get dumped or get so close to dumping that you're all standing up to one side to keep it from tipping!!!!

[HangryHippo]

What are the two white structures on the right side of the foreground? Are those new boathouses?

[Dustin]

What are the two white structures on the right side of the foreground? Are those new boathouses?

The one attached to the WWF will get built with the WWF I think. The one at the very bottom is the future OU Boathouse.

[PhiAlpha]

The one attached to the WWF will get built with the WWF I think. The one at the very bottom is the future OU Boathouse.

WWF? Is someone starting a wrestling league down there? Haha


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[catch22]

WWF? Is someone starting a wrestling league down there? Haha


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Hahaha

[HangryHippo]

The one attached to the WWF will get built with the WWF I think. The one at the very bottom is the future OU Boathouse.

Do you know if it's planned to just be a general boathouse? General in that it's not dedicated to any one school or anything, but just to be there for the WWF?