Cyclist's death highlights OKC infrastructure needs
The death of a cyclist Thursday who was hit by a car along Classen Boulevard has drawn attention to the lack of cycling infrastructure outside of Oklahoma City's growing downtown.
Police are searching for the driver of a car who fled the scene after hitting Chad Epley, 31, who was riding a bicycle through the intersection of NW 16 Street and Classen Boulevard.
Police are still investigating the incident, but the intersection where Epley was struck around 2:40 a.m. had three streetlights that were not working as of Thursday night.
Classen Boulevard has been identified by urban planners as needing significant cycling and pedestrian infrastructure upgrades, especially as the nearby Plaza District continues to grow.
“There i s not a priority route that has been made extra safe for cyclists in that area,” said Shane Hampton, executive director of the Institute for Quality Communities, which is part of the University of Oklahoma.
“There is no bike lane that is marked that extends into t h e n e i g h b o r h o o d s f r o m
downtown. So, when you don't have a route that is prioritized, I think people just choose whichever route is along their way.”
Epley was a chef at a downtown restaurant and appeared to be headed to his home near the Plaza District, which is on the other side of Classen Boulevard.
The Institute for Quality Communities, in partnership with the city of Oklahoma City, issued a report in 2015 on ways to improve Classen Boulevard, which it identified as a major barrier to cycling.
OKC leads in bike deaths
Cyclists have long advocated for the city to invest in protected bike lanes and other cycling infrastructure. Oklahoma City leads all large cities in cycling death rates, according to the League of American Bicyclists.
The city has added some new cycling features in recent years, including dedicated trails and marked bike lanes in downtown, which are sometimes used as turn lanes by automobiles.
Bicycle lanes are coming as part of the Bike-Walk OKC Plan, which is funded, but city officials intentionally left out Classen Boulevard where Epley was killed on Thursday.
Community gatherings with planners and city officials under a grassroots “A Better Classen” campaign resulted in funding for resurfacing, crosswalks and lighting.
But with thousands of vehicles traveling Classen daily between Midtown, Gatewood and the Plaza District, traffic engineers concluded the street is unsafe for adding a marked bicycle lane.
`Not the safest corridor'
Aubrey McDermid, planning director, said the study by the Institute for Quality Communities determined Western and Shartel avenues would be good alternatives for north-south bicycle lanes in the area and are funded through Better Streets/Safer City.
“Classen is not the safest corridor to put bikes on due to traffic volume and speed,” McDermid said. “We can't have bicyclists using Classen when there will be safer corridors.”
McDermid acknowledged, however, that dedicated bicycle lanes using paddle sticks or raised concrete curbing as is done in other cities could allow for such a lane on Classen. But that would require more money.
So far, the city has created a limited number of dedicated bike lanes using just paint as part of the Project 180 makeover of downtown streets funded through the Devon Tower tax increment financing district.
One dedicated bike lane with delineator paddles will be established along E.K. Gaylord as part of a demonstration project. It will be up to the city council whether to fund more such projects.
“It could work for Classen,” McDermid said. “If at some point we could build more north-south bike routes, it would have to be designed to that level. But it's a matter to work with traffic engineering on how many cars they work with at peak volumes. Some roads you can put on a road diet, others you can't.”
Some changes are planned
Funded changes are coming to Classen to make it safer for pedestrians, McDermid said, and those changes will need to happen through traffic controls and infrastructure.
“There are a lot of things that have been done and budgeted, but are in the process of design,” McDermid said. “The street enhancement has $2.75 million from bond issue that will go along Classen from Sheridan Avenue to NW 10.”
The Better Streets/Safer City sales tax, meanwhile, is funding sidewalks to be built along Classen between NW 13 and NW 48.
Other streets in the area between downtown and Class en set tobe red one with bicycle lanes are NW 4, NW 6, Sheridan and Reno avenues.
The NW 6 and NW 18 bicycle lanes will cross Classen and connect with neighborhoods west of downtown.
The city council and mayor have expressed growing support for improved pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, including members joining the council next month.
“The intersection where Chad was hit? I've crossed it on foot dozens of times in the past year to get to my campaign offices. It never feels safe,” tweeted JoBeth Hamon, who was recently elected Ward 6 councilwoman. “We must do better as a city, and we must work to prioritize streets for people.”