Downtown answers
City Manager Jim Couch takes questions from readers in Friday’s OKC Central Live Chat.
The Oklahoman’s Steve Lackmeyer was joined by Oklahoma City City Manager Jim Couch in taking questions from readers in Friday’s OKC Central Live Chat. The following is an abridged transcript. You can join Steve’s Q&A’s at 9:30 a.m. every Friday.
Q: My question is about what some people are derisively calling the “Parking Garage District.” It seems we are allowing downtown to be built for easy entry and exit for people who live outside the city by building these garages. This kills downtown after 5 p.m. as workers leave and it makes the city less pedestrian friendly, more polluted and less unique. How can we address this?
Couch: One of things we are doing is building the modern streetcar, which will help people move downtown, live downtown without the use of vehicles. That being said, while downtown residents are very important, they are only 1 percent of our population in the city limits and half of 1 percent of the people living in the metro. Most people choose to live outside of downtown and choose to take advantage of an easy commute.
Q: Do you like the new green bike lanes? Innovation is critical to the success of a city — what areas do you think deserve the most attention for reform and change?
Couch: I do like the green bike lanes. Intermixing bike traffic and vehicular traffic is a challenge everywhere. And as time goes on, people are becoming more comfortable with riding bikes and driving in traffic with bikes. We have the parking arrangement you speak of now.
There are a lot of changes taking place. It’s amazing to me in red Oklahoma we have a bike share program in downtown Oklahoma City that is successful. We have an office of sustainability that has made pretty good progress. We are enhancing our recycling programs within the City of Oklahoma City. We’ve done a lot of positive programs for the homeless population. And if the bond issue passes, we will have additional provisions for workforce housing assistance ($10 million).
Q: Is there any serious talk about expanding the Bricktown Canal into the Central Business District? Same question about the streetcar to the “Innovation District” or whatever they are calling it now.
Couch: The canal is unique. I don’t see it being extended into the Central Business District, but more probable is an extension into the former cotton mill. As to the streetcar, once it is open, I believe it will prove itself and after public acceptance, there will be an opportunity to expand it if there is another MAPS program in 27 months. It seems to me that would be a natural.
Q: What is OKC doing to add more trees? Could developers be given small incentives for planting more than the minimum?
Couch: Westarted improving our standards about a decade ago which include higher levels of required landscaping. It takes time to see those improvements. That said, there is an opportunity for streetscapes with the bond issue and sales tax improvements.
Q: Can’t something be done about the graffiti, litter left by the homeless, lack of trees and endless blocks of hot pavement to make the city more inviting? ... This makes our city look second rate. And we need trees, lots of them.
Couch: Trash and the homeless population is a problem. We are looking at ways to address that. It is a challenge. I agree it’s an issue. We’ve done a number of streetscapes particularly downtown and in certain areas that brought in more trees. We have a pretty intensive plan for landscaping for the new downtown boulevard we are funding outside of ODOT. And the new sales tax and bond issue both have streetscapes included. But we can do more.
Q: I think having even limited Sunday streetcar service will be important to its success. Maybe late morning to early evening. Has the city reconsidered the decision not to implement Sunday service on the streetcar? And has anyone traveled to Kansas City to see how that city has created an apparent success with its streetcar system?
Couch: We have never said there will be no service on Sunday. We have always planned to have Sunday service during special events. That being said, expanding that to more service will depend on demand. We will have to wait and see.
Q: Mr. Couch, what is to become of the Union Station building in the new park? Why are there no announced plans with such a gorgeous building?
Couch: Union Station is in public hands and will remain in public hands. There are strings attached because it was purchased with federal transit funds. We tried to swap with Santa Fe but it didn’t work. I think it will have some complimentary uses with Scissortail Park. It will take time before it reaches the ultimate utilization which has yet to be determined. I think it can become a pretty cool auxiliary building for the park.