Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

[shawnw]

Yes, MAPS 4 will see NE Rapid and S Rapid

[Pete]

The city has now filed permits for most of the other BRT stops.

[lady_o]

From the JamesForOKC post:

"Northwest Rapid also will include:
➡️sidewalks along Classen and NW Expressway
➡️wide crosswalks at intersections along Classen and NW Expressway
➡️covered, well-lit stations with enhanced stops, which means level boarding for universal access, boarding, and alighting
➡️real-time arrival information at each station
➡️upgraded seating and lighting for enhanced comfort
➡️wi-fi throughout the bus
➡️fare collection via our mobile app, Token Transit, or via kiosks located on each platform
➡️provide reliable, frequent service, thanks to the implementation of traffic signal prioritization"

[Plutonic Panda]

Hopefully the sidewalks will be on both sides of the street.

[Pete]

Some images showing the approved design:

[BoulderSooner]

really like the somewhat shared design between the streetcar and this ..

[David]

Consistent branding is important.

Rapid BRT always makes me chuckle though, someone call the Department of Redundancies Department.

[Anonymous.]

So are the lanes in these areas of stops going to be truly BRT? Or is it shares lanes still.

[shawnw]

unlikely

[Pete]

So are the lanes in these areas of stops going to be truly BRT? Or is it shares lanes still.

No dedicated lanes but at some of the stops there are dedicated turn-out lanes, and at a few intersections the BRT buses will be able to go to the front of stopped traffic and proceed first.

You can see the details for all the stops here:

https://www.okctalk.com/showthread.p...38#post1152838

[HOT ROD]

not at all happy about the 40' existing buses but hopeful with signal priority and dedicated stops it will be a success and get extended further up NW Expressway (WHY??? stop at Meridian when there's tons more EASY but very useful suburban PNR opportunities up the road). ....

[Plutonic Panda]

I really am not a fan at all of many components of this like especially how it deviates off NWE twice.

[Jersey Boss]

not at all happy about the 40' existing buses but hopeful with signal priority and dedicated stops it will be a success and get extended further up NW Expressway (WHY??? stop at Meridian when there's tons more EASY but very useful suburban PNR opportunities up the road). ....

So you are saying OKC will implement signal priority even though they couldn't implement that system wide for the streetcar? Why so optimistic?

[Pete]

I really am not a fan at all of many components of this like especially how it deviates off NWE twice.

The first deviation is to pick up the dense complex of medical buildings between Baptist and Deaconess, which employ several hundred people, including many who could make good use of public transport.

The second is to route closer to several apartment complexes near 63rd & Meridian and skip a part of NW Expressway that fronts the golf course.

It's a very smart design IMO.

[shawnw]

Also they based using that route alternative on feedback from the open house and public meetings.

[Plutonic Panda]

The first deviation is to pick up the dense complex of medical buildings between Baptist and Deaconess, which employ several hundred people, including many who could make good use of public transport.

The second is to route closer to several apartment complexes near 63rd & Meridian and skip a part of NW Expressway that fronts the golf course.

It's a very smart design IMO.

But the hospital is literally right on NWE. Why can’t they work to create a pedestrian corridor to the stop? That’s why we have things like first/last mile and running lines through the city in quickest, most efficient way. This seems like with all the extra curves, lights, and distance it could add 5-10 minutes of end to end travel times to the trip.

[Pete]

^

Because there are a bunch of big office buildings on 56th and the entrance to the hospital is nowhere near NW Expressway.

And by going that route, you also pick up all the office buildings near Deaconess as well as a senior center on Portland.

If you drove that route it would make perfect sense.

[Pete]

[Plutonic Panda]

I don’t know Pete it seems to me people could walk it and yes I know the weather here is bad but major routes like this should be as straight and quick as possible. But in all consideration I guess since this isn’t really true BRT just rapid bus service I can understand this routing more. People in Oklahoma need to walk and bike more.

I still contend that one day the median should be turned into bus only lanes with articulated busses going up to SH-4, down to Reno, and following Reno back to downtown OKC on dedicated lanes.

[SEMIweather]

You're essentially adding on two extra stoplights by taking the NW 56th route as opposed to staying on Expressway. Which shouldn't be a big deal, *if* the lights are timed properly for the bus. In my personal experience all of the lights on that stretch of NW 56th are horribly timed, but that doesn't mean they can't fix it.

The entire area around the hospital is currently a pedestrian nightmare, which of course can be fixed as well, but I'd give the city better odds to fix a few traffic lights than to install a whole bunch of new pedestrian infrastructure in an area with no immediate houses or apartments.

[Plutonic Panda]

I’m assuming the pedestrian infrastructure will be fixed here regardless given the route is coming through here? It’d be cool to see more details on the additional improvements.

[lady_o]

I personally wish they had decided to place their stops on either sides of NW Expressway and have a more direct route.

Under the approved design, everyone north of the expressway (Founders District, Highland Hills, Roberts Crest, Belle Isle) won't really have access to the BRT. It's funny since the study included them in the estimates of economic activity in the corridor, but their access wasn't considered in the planning.

They seem to be proposing crosswalks at intersections (which is great, it's virtually impossible to cross right now). But it will still be difficult and dangerous to cross NW Expressway even if they add crosswalks at the intersections, just due to the nature of the road.

The approved route is good if you're exclusively focused on the hospital and not the corridor as a whole.

[Plutonic Panda]

The approved route is good if you're exclusively focused on the hospital and not the corridor as a whole.

My thoughts exactly.

[the michigander]

Doesn't make sense the hospital area is covered by the routes 7&8 it should go straight down nw expressway from Walmart at Belle isle to Walmart on council they have missed the mark on all the housing and jobs passed nw expressway. Just my opinion.

[shawnw]

Many routes will change once this is in place if you recall from that survey last month there were several notional options leveraging the linkage provided by the BRT