Ed Shadid running for Mayor 2014!

[soonerguru]

And by the way, I'd be upset too. Like I've said before, the streetcar must be built.

I agree, but I would be more upset if the city took money away from the streetcar. In the case of the sidewalks, they did not, they just didn't do the best job of budget planning.

[Spartan]

I also gotta point out it appears a LOT of people getting defensive about the streetcar aren't on the committee.

[betts]

You are mistaken.

I enthusiastically supported and voted for the original MAPS projects. I opposed MAPS for Kids because throwing money at OKC schools wasn't going to solve their problems. I opposed MAPS3 because of PRECISELY the horrendous ballot language that has induced the very kind of discussion in this thread - the blank check promise that OKC voters were voting for whatever future five members of the city council decided they wanted. And I make no secret of the fact that I supported construction of a new convention center even though it was apparent from most polling data that the broader cross-section of OKC voters did not, so much so that it essentially initiated the "non-log-rolling log-rolling" that became the MAPS3 ballot with all of the other sugar to draw in enough votes to get the convention center passed.

Sorry, I confused you with OkieDave. Sooner/Okie sound similar. And the message was similar.

[soonerguru]

There is so much irony here. I actually lol'ed. Thanks for that.

I did a poor job of saying what I meant to say. No irony. I was upset about the sidewalks being shorted. But their shorting was not the result of their budget being reduced or reallocated. Still, it is very disappointing to say the least.

[Steve]

The questions I'm hearing, and I think it's probably best that Ed gets to ask them himself - which I hear he has offered to do with Sooner and Urban Pioneer and others - is whether the plan presented to voters was the best way to boost public transit, and whether a pure streetcar system without other improvements to overall transit is the best way to go. He has also asked similar questions about the convention center, and while it's difficult to find advocates for the convention center at OKC Talk, the chamber, though far more sophisticated and above personal insults (at least in public), pretty much was just as hostile. Look back at this thread - I've been attacked as being lame in my comments, having a lack of objectivity and professionalism, and so on and so forth, and sometimes by people who I would have hoped would know better. To accuse me of being against public transit, or light rail, also bewilders me. To put it into context - I asked some very annoying questions to Public Works about Project 180 implementation, but that does not mean I'm anti- Project 180.
Sooner, your anger at me and others confounds me.... and Jeff, you know I've been fair to you in my reporting. To those expressing support, thanks. I think I should be questioned - but the attacks make no sense.

[Urban Pioneer]

Undoubtedly you have been fair to me personally Steve.

Hoping none of my comments came across as personal. The "Ed situation" for me goes beyond MAPS 3 transit as explained in my earlier posts.

My concerns about him relate to political adeptness, leadership, and loyalty.

The Subcommittee is the day-to-day public process. We will strive to make the best possible investment for transit overall while honoring the intent of the MAPS 3 campaign and resolution. That is what the 10 people intend to do. The rest is up to the Mayor and Council that appointed us.

[soonerguru]

The questions I'm hearing, and I think it's probably best that Ed gets to ask them himself - which I hear he has offered to do with Sooner and Urban Pioneer and others - is whether the plan presented to voters was the best way to boost public transit, and whether a pure streetcar system without other improvements to overall transit is the best way to go. He has also asked similar questions about the convention center, and while it's difficult to find advocates for the convention center at OKC Talk, the chamber, though far more sophisticated and above personal insults (at least in public), pretty much was just as hostile. Look back at this thread - I've been attacked as being lame in my comments, having a lack of objectivity and professionalism, and so on and so forth, and sometimes by people who I would have hoped would know better. To accuse me of being against public transit, or light rail, also bewilders me. To put it into context - I asked some very annoying questions to Public Works about Project 180 implementation, but that does not mean I'm anti- Project 180.
Sooner, your anger at me and others confounds me.... and Jeff, you know I've been fair to you in my reporting. To those expressing support, thanks. I think I should be questioned - but the attacks make no sense.

Steve, I am not angry at you. I disagreed with the tone of your comment from the chat. I was surprised you didn't report what Ed is planning, and chose instead to pick on streetcar supporters. Don't confuse me pointing this out with being angry. Confused? Maybe.

You wield a lot of power through your keyboard. Your audience is large. No one likes being questioned, per se, but I still contend it was an oversimplification on your part to suggest that streetcar advocates cannot handle questions and having their assumptions challenged, especially in light of the fact that questions and assumption challenges have been par for the course for the project since its conception. As you've made clear, there is nothing about your chat comments you would change. You obviously feel like what you posted was 100% on the up and up and deserves no further clarification. Therefore, we will have to agree to disagree. I am not alone in perceiving your comments the way I did. I'll leave it at that.

Regarding the councilman, he sent me a private message indicating a discussion that I took to be a personal invitation. Then, it was posted as a quasi-public meeting advertised on OKCTalk. Clearly I misunderstood Ed's intentions and will not be able to attend. I am not a member of the subcommittee so I don't see how my attendance is relevant. I did ask Ed to clarify his position on the streetcar, something he has yet to do. It does seem odd to me that with multiple channels of communication available, Ed would call this strange meeting without publicly stating his plans. Perhaps they're not formed. I think he knows where I stand, because I have always been 100% honest with him about my opinions on the streetcar. I'm not sure how to take your interest in my private Facebook chat with the councilman.

I don't believe this is an attack.

[Urban Pioneer]

BTW, typing as we speak from the Heartland Flyer. Wanted to experience the trip first hand from our sister city, Fort Worth's, Intermodal Hub.

MAPS 3 Transit isn't just streetcar. It's Santa Fe Station too and how the buses and other modes interface efficiently with streetcar.

Ed rarely ever mentions that.

[Tier2City]

The questions I'm hearing ... is whether the plan presented to voters was the best way to boost public transit, and whether a pure streetcar system without other improvements to overall transit is the best way to go.

The concern I'm hearing is should what people have already voted on be changed?

Many things are needed to improve public transit overall and no one improvement will do it all. The streetcar is but one, albeit important, step in that direction that had and continues to have strong public support. What other steps can be taken in addition? These might include:

• improved transit funding (Sunday bus service, extended bus service hours?) in the FY2014 budget;
• allocation of MAPS 3 contingency funds;
• Next GO Bond vote;
• MAPS IV
• Regional Transit District tax; amongst others.

There are many other additional sources of funding and additional approaches to consider to improve public transit in the near, medium and long term. Clearly, public awareness and support of public transit is the greatest it's ever been in this city and region for a long time. That's not going away and this shouldn't be a zero-sum game.

[soonerguru]

Steve,

Respectfully, have you had the opportunity to ask Councilor Shadid if he has any plans to improve transit in OKC that don't involve poaching money from the MAPS streetcar budget? So far, he seems to be singularly obsessed with taking money from the streetcar. That is the only "solution" he seems to be proposing. Am I missing something else?

Obviously, we think the streetcar is the right first step to take. The buses so far have not been successful in OKC. I don't want to rehash all of the arguments -- and trust me -- they've all been made to Ed (who, until sometime last fall, seemed to agree with them).

But my question, and it's a serious one (no snark or sarcasm here): Does Shadid have any strategies to improve transit? What are his plans? Can these be shared with the public?

Short of the Facebook message -- which did not clarify his position -- I have very little insight into what Dr. Shadid is thinking or planning. I'm still having to get used to this because I thought I knew the guy quite well at one time.

[Steve]

Observations, responses to Sooner:
- Ed Shadid is one who seems to question everything and everyone. He isn't shy about ticking people off. Some see him as destructive, others see him as the only real challenge to the status quo. Is he out to make things better, or just tear things down? My observation: he is passionate about the city. But is he effective in how he goes about picking his battles? Is he capable of building consensus? Those are questions for others to answer.
- Poaching is a loaded term. I'm not aware of him making up his mind on all this, but he's certainly questioning it....
- I've never outright criticized transit advocates. That would be stupid. I observed that those who participate in the TRANSIT THREAD on OKC TALK are don't like to be questioned and challenged.
- Shadid brought in some folks seen as experts at a recent town hall meeting. They brought up some ideas and questions about the current transit proposal that Shadid is clearly pondering, and may go further with.
- Has the bus system been well managed? Folks at Metro Transit say privately that they're making nobody happy by trying to make everybody happy. Add in the question of whether union bus drivers help or hinder good public transit, and then look at the city's sprawl... well, heck, you can dice that up 20 different ways....
- You have a resolution that you're putting a lot of faith into ... I've been around long enough to know that resolution is a piece of paper that can be torn into shreds by five people.
- If Shadid has invited you to talk to him in person, even if it's in a group setting, why in the world wouldn't you say "yes"? Isn't part of the problem these days that people spend too much time online and not conversing person to person?

[soonerguru]

Observations:
- Ed Shadid is one who seems to question everything and everyone. He isn't shy about ticking people off. Some see him as destructive, others see him as the only real challenge to the status quo. Is he out to make things better, or just tear things down? My observation: he is passionate about the city. But is he effective in how he goes about picking his battles? Is he capable of building consensus? Those are questions for others to answer.
- Poaching is a loaded term. I'm not aware of him making up his mind on all this, but he's certainly questioning it....
- Shadid brought in some folks seen as experts at a recent town hall meeting. They brought up some ideas and questions about the current transit proposal that Shadid is clearly pondering, and may go further with.
- Has the bus system been well managed? Folks at Metro Transit say privately that they're making nobody happy by trying to make everybody happy. Add in the question of whether union bus drivers help or hinder good public transit, and then look at the city's sprawl... well, heck, you can dice that up 20 different ways....
- You have a resolution that you're putting a lot of faith into ... I've been around long enough to know that resolution is a piece of paper that can be torn into shreds by five people.

Thank you.

[Urban Pioneer]

I met with Jarrett Walker "Ed's expert" privately for several hours. I'm actually am the one that initially put him in contact with Ed.

He seems to be a brilliant guy with bright, smart, and reasonable ideas regarding building a better bus system.

We also talked at length about the streetcar proposal. He also had some great ideas and differing perspectives on the project. I listened to him, debated with him, and the experience has definitely affected how I will positively advocate for the implementation of MAPS 3 streetcar and Hub.

I think that there are profound opportunities within MAPS to also improve the bus system should Ed or others exert meaningful leadership within council. I'd say look at those $25 million in contingency funds for the substation Ed!

If we come in under budget on the streetcar/hub and still meet our campaigned for and publicly pledged rail objectives, lets spend the rest on meaningful bus infrastructure. You won't find protest here.

[soonerguru]

Observations, responses to Sooner:

- Poaching is a loaded term. I'm not aware of him making up his mind on all this, but he's certainly questioning it....

OK. "Poaching" would be considered editorializing by AP. But in this context, he's "questioning" taking the money, so the meaning is the same. LOL.

I've been around long enough to know that resolution is a piece of paper that can be torn into shreds by five people.

Weird. Shadid said something very similar to this to me.

If Shadid has invited you to talk to him in person, even if it's in a group setting, why in the world wouldn't you say "yes"? Isn't part of the problem these days that people spend too much time online and not conversing person to person?

Thank you for your concern. I've discussed this with Ed endlessly. I told him I'm willing to talk, but it's been my experience that 1) he doesn't disclose what he's really planning when you have a "discussion," and 2) he doesn't really listen.

I'm not the city councilman. I'm just a concerned citizen, so my position on this isn't that important, but since you're asking. Here's my position, for you and Ed and all of the world to see: Build the streetcar as proposed to the voters (and supported by voters) with the budget proposed, and come up with a better long-term funding mechanism for overall transit.

I do think it important for Ed to publicly state his positions and plans.

[Just the facts]

The questions I'm hearing, and I think it's probably best that Ed gets to ask them himself - which I hear he has offered to do with Sooner and Urban Pioneer and others - is whether the plan presented to voters was the best way to boost public transit, and whether a pure streetcar system without other improvements to overall transit is the best way to go.

The Streetcar is not the total transit solution, and I don't know anyone who has billed it as that. It is just a part of the overall transit network that includes regional rail, bikes, buses, sidewalks, canal boats, river boats, inter-city buses, and even roads. MAPS III is not the solution or the plan; it is just a funding mechanism to build a very expensive part of the transportation network. If Shadid, or anyone else, wants to spearhead a transportation revamp in OKC I would be all-in for it.

I have proposed an urban transit zone where speed and service is maximized, placing every front door in the urban core (I-35/I-44/I-240) within 3 blocks of a bus stop that has a bus come by every 15 minutes and centered around neighborhood based transit stations. That kind of service comes at the expense of people who choose to live in low density sprawl. I have also encouraged the rebuilding of OKCs waterways (many of which I have been put in concrete boxes and buried) to act as natural corridors connecting the entire urban core which would allow people to bike anywhere. OKC needs a regional transit plan; not a fixed guideway study, a road-building PW department, a parks department off doing their own thing, etc... If we have a regional transit plan there sure as hell isn't anyone following it.

Over the next 20 years several hundred thousand people are going to move to OKC. Those new citizens can move to low density suburbia and take up 4,356 sq feet each or they can move to urban neighborhoods and take up 450 sq feet each. OKC can't afford for all of them to live in low density suburbia. We can't build that many miles of roads, water that much grass, build that many police and fire stations and libraries, etc... but we can build a transportation system that allows people to live car free while at the same time producing safer streets and neighborhoods. We don't need safety via police manpower, we need it via better urban design.

[catch22]

I met with Jarrett Walker "Ed's expert" personally for several hours. I'm actually am the one that initially put him in contact with Ed.

He seems to be a brilliant guy with bright, smart, and reasonable ideas regarding building a better bus system.

We also talked at length about the streetcar proposal. He also had some great ideas and differing perspectives on the project. I listened to him, debated with him, and the experience has definitely affected how I will positively advocate for the implementation of MAPS 3 streetcar and Hub.

I think that there are profound opportunities within MAPS to also improve the bus system should Ed or others exert meaningful leadership within council. I'd say look at those $25 million in contingency funds for the substation Ed!

If we come in under budget on the streetcar/hub and still meet our campaigned for and publicly pledged rail objectives, lets spend the rest on meaningful bus infrastructure. You won't find protest here.

I believe I read or heard somewhere that the bus system would like to incorporate some of their downtown stops using the Streetcar stops. This presents a great opportunity to sell transit as a brand. You'll have the trendiness of the streetcar drawing new riders to these stops. When they see that buses are using the same stops as the streetcar downtown, it might click that bus is just yet another form of mass transit and is not the stereotypical thought of it being only for poor people. Maybe future bus stops can look similar to the streetcar stops to further drive the branding. Streetcar is just another form of transit just as buses are. The common theme is transit and that's the important part we need to convince riders of.

[zookeeper]

We don't need safety via police manpower, we need it via better urban design.

Ideally and in the long-term, absolutely. But *right now* we need more cops on the street. Our ratios versus other cities is ridiculous.

[Just the facts]

Ideally and in the long-term, absolutely. But *right now* we need more cops on the street. Our ratios versus other cities is ridiculous.

Other cites suffer from bad urban design more than we do - they need more cops. But if OKC does need more police that shouldn't come at the expense of building a proper transit system. If we keep short changing the long-term plan for the short-term fixes we'll never solve anything. How many police officers would the Boulevard pay for?

[soonerguru]

At one time, I worked for a large government agency. Some of this reminds me of that. As I was there many years, it would always amaze me how when we got new leadership at the top (after turnovers in political party leadership at the Capitol), each new boss would come in and argue things that had already been studies, tried, argued, etc. by all of their predecessors. These "new ideas" would actually amount to returning to half-baked old arguments.

It's very hard to advance institutional knowledge under this scenario.

[Tier2City]

With apoloigies to Steve:

"Nothing to see here, people. All part of butchering the steer."

[betts]

I must say I've never looked at hard data on this subject, but is there any evidence that more police actually deter crime? I know if you have more police they can show up after a crime has been committed, but short of having one as a personal chaperone, I would think the numbers required to act as a deterrent are so enormous as to be unaffordable. What I don't want is a more consistent speed traps on Broadway, more police at Starbucks and more yakking with each other in Bricktown. I'd rather have a streetcar and almost any other civic improvement.

[Urban Pioneer]

With apoloigies to Steve:

"Nothing to see here, people. All part of butchering the steer."

Hahahaha. LOL. Now that's funny. No offense Steve... But it is. Lol

[kevinpate]

Yeah, one man's reversed and/or pet cow is another man's bbq party.

[Spartan]

The thing I dont understand is dwelling on the resolution. As if anyone could have done anything about that. The city at the time wanted a park and a streetcar, the chamber wanted a convention center, and the council just wanted control. To not give them unprecedented control in the form of a nonbinding resolution would have pulled the plug on the whole thing. Then no streetcar, park, river projects, convention center, or anything. Just 9 angry geriatric folks.

[Hutch]

The concern I'm hearing is should what people have already voted on be changed?

Many things are needed to improve public transit overall and no one improvement will do it all. The streetcar is but one, albeit important, step in that direction that had and continues to have strong public support. What other steps can be taken in addition? These might include:

• improved transit funding (Sunday bus service, extended bus service hours?) in the FY2014 budget;
• allocation of MAPS 3 contingency funds;
• Next GO Bond vote;
• MAPS IV
• Regional Transit District tax; amongst others.

There are many other additional sources of funding and additional approaches to consider to improve public transit in the near, medium and long term. Clearly, public awareness and support of public transit is the greatest it's ever been in this city and region for a long time. That's not going away and this shouldn't be a zero-sum game.

Exactly!

We all want a great transit system...intermodal hub...bus and rail...serving everyone. It will take time to get there. It will take support from a great many. And it will take our cooperative efforts.

In the short term, the best thing that could happen for beginning to develop that system would be to build the best modern streetcar system we can...Bricktown to Midtown...serve the "jewels"...connect to the hub...AND to implement a complete redesign of the current bus system...go to a grid...reduce the service area...increase frequency...utilize technology...integrate with the streetcar...attract new transit users for the streetcar and bus systems.

Some have been working diligently on the streetcar system. Others on the intermodal hub. Those efforts are moving forward, thanks to the dogged determination of many. The City has recently hired Nelson/Nygaard to study the bus system and make proposals for its possible redesign. So who's doggin' that effort?

If it's a better bus system we want, instead of creating dissention and division among the transit community and wasting valuable time and energy trying to defund and dismember the streetcar project, how about more wisely utilizing those resources in a constructive way to ensure that the Nelson/Nygaard study actually results in the changes we need and that other available funding sources are utilized for improving the bus system.

Now there's a novel idea.