Streetcar

[David]

I am certainly not opposed to double-tracking and actually prefer it. An educated guess is that extensions would be that they would be double tracks. An example is up Classen through the Plaza to OCU. OCU itself might be a circulator route. The same philosophy could be applied to Health Sciences Center.

The Adventure Line is probably a single track with sidings and signalization. The same could be said for Rapid Streetcar to Del City and Midwest City.

Downtown is more or less a circulator. Add spokes to that and you start to have broad impacts. Ingress and egress have to be much more efficient than a circulator though.

Capitol Hill is its own issue. Ideally we would build a double track down Robinson across on SW 25th and back up Exchange through the Farmer's Market and connect back into the main line on Sheridan.

What is the likely route to get over to Classen? Looking at the map I am imagining the line going over on 10th at the existing 10th and Dewey intersection, or maybe up Classen Dr. to 13th and then over. And through the Plaza District? That's interesting.

[shawnw]

Classen Drive seems like it'd be slightly fewer track miles at least, but then it would probably service fewer businesses, though the folks living at the future Villa Teresa would love it...

I feel like spurring off somewhere on the southern part of the route to then go through film row would be the most idea from a multiple birds with one stone perspective....

[Urbanized]

What is the likely route to get over to Classen? Looking at the map I am imagining the line going over on 10th at the existing 10th and Dewey intersection, or maybe up Classen Dr. to 13th and then over. And through the Plaza District? That's interesting.

Maybe I'm wrong but it almost seems to me like it would benefit more people by going down 10th and then up through CTP along maybe McKinley or Blackwelder and only touching 16th at the point of intersect rather than trying to run down 16th itself? That way you can service the neighborhood well (and Gatewood, BTW), yet not be bogged by traffic, still fully serve Plaza but also McKinley Park. If you then crossed 16th and found a way through Gatewood you could make it to OCU.

[Johnb911]

Maybe I'm wrong but it almost seems to me like it would benefit more people by going down 10th and then up through CTP along maybe McKinley or Blackwelder and only touching 16th at the point of intersect rather than trying to run down 16th itself? That way you can service the neighborhood well (and Gatewood, BTW), yet not be bogged by traffic, still fully serve Plaza but also McKinley Park. If you then crossed 16th and found a way through Gatewood you could make it to OCU.

Pie in the sky idea, but how about a double tracked line that goes from OCU (or 23rd and Penn even) east on 23rd, south on classen, east on 13th, southeast on Classen drive, east on 11th (to make the connection at 11th and dewey) then back north to 13th and east to the hospital district.

Might be a bit of a long line, but it would connect OCU, the asian district, uptown (more specifically, all the 23rd street entertainment), the plaza (with a little bit of walking) and the inovationhealthscienceouchildrenshospitalresearchp ark to the original loop.

[Laramie]

What are your thoughts on a streetcar line on Sheridan--splinter to Main thru Film Row: Jones Assembly, West Village, 21c Museum Hotel along Film Row then up Classen Dr., ...See David's post #7151 above: "...imagining the line going over on 10th at the existing 10th and Dewey intersection, or maybe up Classen Dr. to 13th and then over. And through the Plaza District?"

Construction has started on West Village, a $70 million mixed-use development being built by Mark Beffort, Andy Burnett, Zach Martin and Hall Capital.

Film row IMO could have the same potential growth impact as Bricktown.

Further expansion then could proceed from the Plaza District to the Asian District up to 30th to the Paseo District.

[baralheia]

My first thought to maximize service options would be a loop that begins at Hudson & Main, westbound to Classen, north to 23rd St, west to Penn, south to 16th, east back to Classen, south to Sheridan, and then east to Hudson. From this point, cars could either continue east along the Bricktown Loop, or turn north back to the starting point at Hudson & Main. This would provide service to 21c / West Village, the Classen Corridor (including Catholic Charities and Sunbeam), office and residential options around 21st and Classen, the very southern edge of the Asian District, OCU, the Plaza District, Sunshine Cleaners building, and Film Row. The Classen corridor would be double-tracked. This would also connect grocery options into the network, including Homeland, Walmart Neighborhood Market, and the former Buy-For-Less (if someone takes the building over and reopens the store). It does involve more track than simply connecting to the downtown loop in Midtown, but I think this would provide more service options.

[shawnw]

Yes please

[Urban Pioneer]

What is the likely route to get over to Classen? Looking at the map I am imagining the line going over on 10th at the existing 10th and Dewey intersection, or maybe up Classen Dr. to 13th and then over. And through the Plaza District? That's interesting.

The Classen Drive and Dewey intersection is where we designed the switching to be to go to the NW.

We need to host a public forum/charrette with The Plaza, Gatewood, and OCU about where/how the community thinks this area should be served. I agree with Urbanized about 16th. If it were to travel down it, the stops would need to be sidings or turnouts and actually leave traffic. Fortunately, there is enough space (ROW) in some key areas to actually pull this off.

If anyone with The Plaza, OCU, or Gatewood wants to reach out to me, feel free. Use the OKC Streetcar Initiative Facebook page messenger to do so or come by my office. We need to do something similar for Farmer's Market and Capitol Hill.

Thanks- Jeff

[Timshel]

Living in Shepherd, I would love for the streetcar to eventually get to 23rd and Penn - would barely have to drive at that point!

Jeff - If that part of town, slightly north and/or west of the areas mentioned in your post, falls into the realm of possibility I'd be happy to get involved.

[Urbanized]

Interesting discussion being had here...seems like now definitely WOULD be the best time to get those conversations started so as not to squander enthusiasm and good will at the time of the completion and launch. Also, having progress towards expansion would defuse the argument that the streetcar isn't about REAL transit, is just a toy, it's for tourists, etc.. Having real discussions regarding route expansion undermines that type of negativity.

[shawnw]

Where is Friends for a Better Streetcar System when you need them? Shouldn't they be organizing a grass roots effort to engage the city?

[David]

Another question about future routes, what will the path over to the Health Sciences Center look like? I've heard 4th mentioned as the likely route over to Lincoln, but is there any chance it might go up Harrison Ave on the way there? Could be some interesting integration opportunities with the I-235 cap plan, as well as a mild track length savings.



On the other hand, I could see the line going through Deep Deuce to be part of the overall goal for that part of the potential expansion.

[Anonymous.]

This may be a completely false rumor... But I thought I would post it in case someone has more information. The source is unreliable, but it seems too specific and random.

Rumor: It has been discovered that there is a design flaw either in our streetcar design or the track design in such that the streetcar cannot make the turns properly.

[Anonymous.]

edit: double post. site is lagging.

[baralheia]

This may be a completely false rumor... But I thought I would post it in case someone has more information. The source is unreliable, but it seems too specific and random.

Rumor: It has been discovered that there is a design flaw either in our streetcar design or the track design in such that the streetcar cannot make the turns properly.

Holy cow... That's HUGELY bad if true! I seriously, seriously hope that this rumor is unsubstantiated.

[baralheia]

nm

[yukong]

Location Markers going up at the street car stops.

[Ross MacLochness]

This may be a completely false rumor... But I thought I would post it in case someone has more information. The source is unreliable, but it seems too specific and random.

Rumor: It has been discovered that there is a design flaw either in our streetcar design or the track design in such that the streetcar cannot make the turns properly.

No mention of this on the most recent Agendas for MAPS 3 Board and Streetcar meetings..

[Ross MacLochness]

also, the streetcar has been turning just fine in and out of the maintenance facility... I think the rumor is bogus.

[catch22]

also, the streetcar has been turning just fine in and out of the maintenance facility... I think the rumor is bogus.

Not to mention it's not being built by Joe Smith construction out of Mustang, OK. It's being constructed by Stacy and Witbeck and Herzog. Both have extensive light rail and streetcar rail installation experience.

[Ross MacLochness]

That being said, if the rumor were true, it would be the biggest blunder since urban renewal! Made me sweat to even consider this haha...

[Urbanized]

I'd bet the rumor has spread mostly because testing is being done only on straightaway track right now (they are load testing equipment, testing speed, power delivery, braking, charging, etc and staying close to barn, AND because there were a couple of curved sections which were not installed yet and where the ends of the track had been asphalted over. In the absence of information people tend to infer or make assumptions, and that is how rumors start.

That said, there really is not an absence of info; there is actually a TON of information available on the streetcar, and it is always very up to date. You can of course follow @OKCStreetcar on twitter and Facebook, but you can also go here for the most recent construction info (updated every week): https://okc.gov/government/maps-3/pr...struction-news OR you can subscribe to the updates and have them sent directly to your e-mail: http://okc.us2.list-manage.com/subsc...&id=b50f882414

The curved sections required different manufacturing processes than the straight ones, so they took longer. Also, a number of them required switching, AND required intersection closures, which have been influenced by Project 180, adjacent construction, events, some (relatively minor) meddling from influential organizations which were impacted by said closures, etc.

The trains themselves are basically identical to trains already operating in other cities, so no, this is almost certainly an unfounded rumor.

[KayneMo]

Here are some ideas for expansion I've drawn in Google Earth. Feedback?

Note: Some lines are overlapped and are, therefore, obscured (the red line makes a complete loop and is partially hidden by the yellow line, for example). Also, lines that appear as one line are double-tracked.

Overall:


North side:


South side:

[Mott]

Here are some ideas for expansion I've drawn in Google Earth. Feedback?

Note: Some lines are overlapped and are, therefore, obscured (the red line makes a complete loop and is partially hidden by the yellow line, for example). Also, lines that appear as one line are double-tracked.

Overall:


North side:


South side:

Imagine 15-20 minute service from Will Rogers Airport to the downtown loop with connections to outer neighborhoods, even Austin doesn't have that!

[Plutonic Panda]

Please don't extend the streetcar out of downtown area. If any rail is to go across OKC metro, it needs to be grade separated light rail.