OKC Central
Steve Lackmeyer discusses streetcars and more in his OKC Central chat.
After one week in operation, downtown Oklahoma City’s streetcar system dominated discussion during this week’s OKC Central Live Chat with Steve Lackmeyer. You can join Steve’s Q&A on Fridays at 9:30 a.m. and submit your questions about the happenings in and around downtown Oklahoma City. Q: I heard that the city is looking for extra money to improve the travel signals to increase how fast the streetcar can finish a loop. Is that true? A: The city isn’t “looking for extra money” so much as it is looking whether to spend $450,000 from the MAPS 3 surplus funds to provide some priority signalization for the streetcars. Q: Why is city of OKC Public Works so reluctant to install traffic signal prioritization for the streetcar? A: Vehicular traffic is still the priority. Q: To successfully use the new streetcar system I’m supposed to buy a pass on token transit app, but access the system map on OKC streetcar and inside the car it states to interact on the cinc app. My wife and I rode it the other day and were lost on one central access point for it. A: Be patient. They’re still working through glitches, which may be another good reason service is free the first three weeks. Q: One big concern that must be dealt with is the darkness of the streets around the streetcar area. I had a five-block walk going north of the Hudson exit and was scared to death and ran back. They must fix this before violent crimes happen and they certainly will if this doesn’t change, and ridership will decrease. A: I agree. The lack of lighting in Midtown and Deep Deuce is worrisome and dangerous. This shouldn’t be a difficult or time-consuming challenge to address. Yet after years of discussion, nothing has changed with the lighting even though the population in these areas has surged. The city did install some lights on some of the streetcar poles, but not in the areas that need the lighting the most. Come on Oklahoma City, this should be easy. Add lights to the poles along Robinson and along NW 11 in Midtown at the very least. Q: So this may be an unpopular question but does the streetcar have too many stops? I am excited for the potential of expanding this service east and south and creating real transit commuting options that allow all citizens including working class in NEOKC and Capitol Hill to benefit
but as someone who works in Bricktown and travels to the CBD regularly it is faster/easier to walk to all but the farthest points.
A: This is the challenge I’ve worried about all along with the city’s decision to go with a linear instead of a dual track route. Consider that in Kansas City, you can hop on and off a streetcar going in either direction. It’s easy and fast. Oklahoma City is assuming you will figure out you can walk the block between the different directions.
But even that isn’t so simple. Consider my choices when it comes to taking the streetcar from Century Center. My access to and from Bricktown is great, it’s a simple and quick loop on either line.
But I’ll never, ever take it to Midtown or Automobile Alley. To do so, I either have to ride the streetcar into Bricktown and by Scissortail Park first before looping back into Midtown or walk several minutes from Sheridan and Robinson to Sheridan and Hudson — and then still have about a 10-minute ride into Midtown. Nope. Not worth the time when I can drive to Midtown in less than five minutes.
Q: When do you expect a MAPS 4 proposal and vote?
A: I expect a proposal to start emerging this spring and a vote in December, with timing aimed at keeping the tax rate where it is when the Better Streets Safer City temporary sales tax expires.
Q: What area of OKC do you see being revitalized next?
A: We’re seeing a lot of investment in the area north of Reno Avenue, west of Classen Boulevard and south of NW 6. We even have two competing names for the area — Sunshine District and Iron Works District. So yeah, that will be fun.
Q: Oil is crashing again. Will this halt momentum and projects like it did the last time?
A: I don’t see it hurting Oklahoma City — we are rapidly diversifying. But if there is a national crash, well, that could be a different story.
Q: Do you see any large scale development happening along the river in the next five years?
A: Yes. Behind the scenes, talks are already happening.