OKC Boulevard

[Plutonic Panda]

You know the irony is that this picture is taken about 10AM with minimal traffic AND 2 of the flyovers are backed up.

Wrecks happen. There is construction in the picture. How do you it was 10am? Both of the flyovers are the ones going in the same direction which means that one highway is experiencing construction or there is a wreck.

[Just the facts]

Wrecks happen. There is construction in the picture. How do you it was 10am? Both of the flyovers are the ones going in the same direction which means that one highway is experiencing construction or there is a wreck.

Whatever the cause - the flyovers didn't alleviate the congestion.

[jn1780]

And I bet you there are people in California and Texas whining about the state not spending enough money to widen the roads even further to alleviate rush hour traffic. Its an on going battle.

[Plutonic Panda]

And I bet you there are people in California and Texas whining about the state not spending enough money to widen the roads even further to alleviate rush hour traffic. Its an on going battle.

They are spending close to a billion dollars adding one lane each way on the 405.

[jn1780]

They are spending close to a billion dollars adding one lane each way on the 405.

And I'm sure its not enough. Why not add 3 lanes? Shouldn't they plan for the future?

They have double our population so they kind of have to.

[Plutonic Panda]

And I'm sure its not enough. Why not add 3 lanes? Shouldn't they plan for the future?

They have double our population so they kind of have to.

It isn't. If I had the power and money, I'd spend over 5 billion to reconstruct the whole highway adding 8 lanes underneath the 14 lane highway. Almost like what they are doing to 635, but slightly larger.

[bchris02]

They have double our population so they kind of have to.

Oklahoma City MSA: 1,319,677
Los Angeles MSA: 13,131,431

They have pretty much exactly 10 times the population of OKC, not double.

[hfry]

Not sure it means much but I have seen ODOT referring to themselves as OKDOT recently, ie their twitter account. So I guess we can all hope this is a whole switch-a-roo and that extra K is going to mean some pretty impressive projects.

[hfry]

Or maybe Ohio stole the twitter name first but either way I'm really feeling this K. Adds some spice IMO.

[jn1780]

Off topic, but I drove southbound from Edmond to Norman around 5 today and doesn't seem like the number of lanes and the interchange along I235 and I 35 is the actual problem. I235 gets backup BEFORE getting to I 40/ I235/I 35 interchange from too many on ramps and offramps located too close to each other. It's going to get even worse when the Blvd exit opens. I235 is basically a younger version of the old crosstown bridge. Also, for whatever reason traffic backs up on 35 near that curve 44th street. After that it was smooth sailing.

They would have to demolish the entire I235 bridge structure and redesign it from the ground up to get traffic flowing through there properly.

[Urbanized]

We DO have more. That graph is 3 years old, and at that point miles driven per capita were at a 1999 level. Today they are at a 1993 level. So, the trend is even more pronounced 7 years after the recession than it was a few years ago. This was revealed to OKC developers this very afternoon in a report at the DowntownOKC Inc Developers luncheon by Brad Segal of P.U.M.A., a downtown expert who has assisted OKC with creation of of its BIDs over the years. You can find this and other relevant information in P.U.M.A.'s Global Trends Report, found here: PUMA

[Plutonic Panda]

We DO have more. That graph is 3 years old, and at that point miles driven per capita were at a 1999 level. Today they are at a 1993 level. So, the trend is even more pronounced 7 years after the recession than it was a few years ago. This was revealed to OKC developers this very afternoon in a report at the DowntownOKC Inc Developers luncheon by Brad Segal of P.U.M.A., a downtown expert who has assisted OKC with creation of of its BIDs over the years. You can find this and other relevant information in P.U.M.A.'s Global Trends Report, found here: PUMA

I have seen a couple articles that stated driving was starting to go back up and more drivers licenses were starting to be issued again. How much, I don't remember.

[Rover]

It is not 7 years after the recession. For most, the recession hasn't really ended as employment has slowly gone back up, but not wages. Earnings of the top 5-10% don't translate into buying cars and gas. I'm not saying that habits and desires don't change- maybe they have- , but it is too early to declare a victory for strict urbanists until there is a broader recovery. With ever declining middle income wages and numbers, maybe it won't ever improve again, but then again, the high numbers of low wage earners aren't populating high priced downtowns either.

[Urbanized]

It's not seven years since the recession "ended"; but it is certainly seven years after it began, according to accepted definition.

[Plutonic Panda]

I know. I'm just a horrible freeway fiend, what can I say?

[Rover]

Don't bring facts to this argument.

[Urbanized]

Out of 10,000+ registered users on this forum, there is probably only a single poster who would try to tell you that the suburbs are going away. I can't believe that people get so wound up like someone is actually trying to take away the option to live in the 'burbs. Heck, statistically it remains practically the ONLY option in OKC, and will for the foreseeable future.

[BrettM2]

Out of 10,000+ registered users on this forum, there is probably only a single poster who would try to tell you that the suburbs are going away. I can't believe that people get so wound up like someone is actually trying to take away the option to live in the 'burbs. Heck, statistically it remains practically the ONLY option in OKC, and will for the foreseeable future.

How do you expect people to have uncontrollable internet rage when you display such reason and logic? Damn you.

[Plutonic Panda]

How do you expect people to have uncontrollable internet rage when you display such reason and logic? Damn you.

if given the power, there is no denying that many on here would eventually make it very difficult to live in the suburbs and their definition of 'suburbs' is different than what I and I'm guessing Zuplar is thinking.

[okclee]

Out of 10,000+ registered users on this forum, there is probably only a single poster who would try to tell you that the suburbs are going away. I can't believe that people get so wound up like someone is actually trying to take away the option to live in the 'burbs. Heck, statistically it remains practically the ONLY option in OKC, and will for the foreseeable future.

And if I'm not mistaken that ONE person lives in the suburbs!

[adaniel]

Out of 10,000+ registered users on this forum, there is probably only a single poster who would try to tell you that the suburbs are going away. I can't believe that people get so wound up like someone is actually trying to take away the option to live in the 'burbs. Heck, statistically it remains practically the ONLY option in OKC, and will for the foreseeable future.

Never understood this line of thinking on here. The vast majority of OKC is made up of low density suburban areas (and people who prefer that lifestyle, which is fine btw) and people get offended because this site somewhat skews urban. Are people that seriously thin skinned? Do these people not realize they are in the majority? There's definitely a bit of a persecution complex going on.

[Urbanized]

Really? You base that on what, exactly?

[AP]

That happens a lot here. They always post an article written by someone who has an obvious bias toward the suburbs and claim it is evidence that urbanists are wrong and stupid.

[Rover]

That happens a lot here. They always post an article written by someone who has an obvious bias toward the suburbs and claim it is evidence that urbanists are wrong and stupid.

Why don't you refute the points of the argument instead of trying to discredit it because you just don't like it. You can't claim that any article that doesn't support your particular view is biased. That would be very arrogant. When we read both sides of an argument and make our own decisions we are better for it.

[AP]

nm