MAPS III??? Light Rail???

[ETL]

Will there be a MAPS III, and will it include light rail?

[OklaCity_75]

I think light rail is in Oklahoma City's future but not for another 25 years.


The main problem light rail faces is the fact OKC is not a 24-hour city. Most people in OKC are in for the night by 10 and in bed by 12. The only people you see on the streets after midnight are the partiers, the graveyard workers, and those of us who have to make a trip to the store.

Everyplace that has light rail is a 24-hour city for the most part. There always people coming and going from one place to another.

As the soon as metro reaches somewhere between 1.5 and 2 million light rail will happen. In the meantime, it is just a pipe dream.

[mranderson]

Although I am HIGHLY in favor of light rail, and know we have I took to thank for not having it now, look for MAPSIII to include a new headquarters building for the Police Department.

Probably not light rail.

[ETL]

When will there be a MAPS III?

[mranderson]

When will there be a MAPS III?

You can look for it about the time MAPS II is retired.

I think we will get more fire stations and possibly EMSA funds from it also. Probably not much as far as beautification.

[Stinger]

I know of at least part of the DART system in Dallas shuts down at 1 or 2am. Are parts of the system 24 hrs?

[jbrown84]

DC's Metro shuts down at 1:00 am or so. I was just there a couple months ago.

mranderson, I don't think police stations and ambulances are the kinds of things that belong on a MAPS project list.

[mranderson]

DC's Metro shuts down at 1:00 am or so. I was just there a couple months ago.

mranderson, I don't think police stations and ambulances are the kinds of things that belong on a MAPS project list.

Maybe not, however, the police department wants a new headquarters and EMSA will probably be part of the fire department. The best way to fund them is MAPS.

The city of Oklahoma City owns the EMSA fleet, however, the funds are needed to merge them into city services. (personnel, etc.)

[Patrick]

I think projects like police stations and fire stations are usually served by a bond issue.

[HOT ROD]

Just about everybody's metro system shuts down. The only ones I know of in the US that are 24 hours are in New York and Chicago.

So, the fact that OKC isn't a 24 hour city should not prohibit it from developing a light rail. I hope that the downtown circular will be part of MAPS III. Believe me, if it is - IT WILL speed up development of downtown, both in terms of housing and street retail. Just go to Portland and ask them about the development brought on by the www.portlandstreetcar.org

Portland Streetcar has developed their Pearl District into a great urban/upscale neighbourhood downtown - similar to a town centre concept. Recently, the streetcar was extended the other way which single handedly created development of a NEW housing district on the Waterfront. This is ALL because of their extension of the Streetcar - which is a free downtown circular. At the web site, note the hours!

OKC needs to begin with that, and it needs to be part of MAPS III.

[mranderson]

I think projects like police stations and fire stations are usually served by a bond issue.

Granted. However, as we all know, Oklahoma City has had better luck with tax issues. So, I figure MAPS III could include the new cop shop.

[metro]

Yeah, EMSA and Police are NOT likely to be a part of MAPS 3. And I believe you are wrong on the beautification issue. It will more than likely be a part of it. Have you sat on a Forward OKC III meeting or any preliminary talks/discussions/focus groups regarding the issue?

I have.

[Luke]

I like the downtown circular idea.

[ETL]

I think OKC should have had the rail system in MAPS I, but ISTOOK took the idea down and gave it to Utah. I think we do need a rail system in MAPS III. The new system should take people from the airport to places like Bricktown, the Zoo, the Reed Center, etc., but when will MAPS II be complete? Pleas send info on it because I don’t have much info on this matter. Also, what ARE the topics brought up in the meeting concerning MAPS III (if there are meetings)?

[Luke]

A circular from the Arts Quarter to Bricktown with stops in between (museum, gardens, Cox/Ford) would be a great starting point.

[ETL]

Would a monorail be too expensive?

[Luke]

I think monorails are expensive, but it would be so unique and we wouldn't interfere with current traffic patterns and less stuff would have to be destroyed since it goes above everything. Las Vegas did a monorail just recently. Disney World uses a monorail system all over the place. Two of the biggest entertainment meccas do... maybe we should.

[ETL]

I think we sould!!!!!!!!

[soonerguru]

MAPS III will probably have at its heart an extensive, viable quality of life improvement feature, as the previous versions of MAPS have.

That's why they are so successful with the taxpayers. When Tulsa's leaders tried to pimp those amateur sporting facilities, the voters revolted. My guess is that OKC voters would be none to impressed to have the MAPS brand applied to basic brick and mortar stuff.

We'll need to do some serious beautification work to coincide with the new I-40, or we're going to have slums as our gateway.

[Pete]

I just returned from Milwaukee, which has an extremely dense core with several big tourist attractions spread around about a 10-mile loop. There is so much infill and renovation going on there it is simply staggering, so the area gets more and more dense with every passing day.

They already have very high bus ridership and yet they are still nowhere close to getting light rail.

Instead, they are considering electric buses in dedicated lanes because the cost is so prohibitive.

[jbrown84]

I agree there need to be some flagship aspects of MAPS III. It can't just be... Trees along the interstates, HOV lanes, landscaping along the new downtown boulevard. It needs things like an expanded Myriad Gardens/Central Park (perhaps a Delmar Gardens revival), the downtown circular, perhaps a new museum downtown or on the river, an Asian District gate, etc.

Also, I was thinking we need some kind of entry signage for Bricktown at the Finley Bridge. Maybe an arch with the same Bricktown sign that is on the underpasses at Sheridan and Reno, or maybe someone like Rand Elliot can think of something more creative.

[Pete]

For MAPS III, a full-on convention center built adjacent to the Cox and Fords centers would greatly enhance tourism.

Also, perhaps incentives for a big new convention hotel (ala Hyatt) for just south of the Galleria parking facility.

And more improvements for the Oklahoma River would be nice as well.

[ETL]

For MAPS III, a full-on convention center built adjacent to the Cox and Fords centers would greatly enhance tourism.

Also, perhaps incentives for a big new convention hotel (ala Hyatt) for just south of the Galleria parking facility.

And more improvements for the Oklahoma River would be nice as well.

I like those ideas!!!, but where would this new convention center go, and how would it fill a gap in the city like the Ford did? Also, I was wondering, are we soon going to drown the market with TOO many hotels? Although we DO need them NOW!! I am talking about once the Residence Inn, Hampton, Embassy Suites, SKIRVEN, and Colcord are done, will we need more? I think the river and I-40 expansion area is the way to GO!!! We do need things on the river now that it is NICE. I think we need hotels, restaurants (local), some clubs and bars, tones of shopping, little office areas, some condos (no apartments), and some recreational areas. Oh, and if that is not enough, just make the river bigger (i.e. make it longer, some parts around the highway look bad, but you really can’t expand to that area for another 25 years). The river should be a tourist destination, like the St. Louis arch. I like the idea of a monorail along the river and downtown (I just hope it is not too expensive). Also, if that is a bad idea, then a train would do NICE. It could start downtown and along the river, then to the airport and Tinker, then the zoo and Cowboy museum, then to other areas like Norman, Moore, Edmond, etc. I DO love those ideas though!!!

[Luke]

I agree with ETL. The next MAPS project should focus on developing the river as well as at least establishing a foundation for monorail or light rail around the metro with the suburbs kicking in $$$ to make connections to them.

Oh yeah, and how 'bout a bid for the Summer Olympics in 2024?

[ETL]

We could give it a shot.

We do need a foundation for transit! MAPS Transit Dep.