Thread: Friends for a Better Boulevard

CaptDave - now you know why ODOT insists on an overpass at Western. They know all the traffic will have to funnel to that location and if they put in a light it will be a cluster ****.

True JTF. How anyone can honestly think this is the best plan for OKC is beyond me. The people that bought the properties adjacent to the Central Park are going to do just fine regardless if there is more area in the Farmer's Market area to be redeveloped......

Hey if you guys go down for a protest count me in!!!! I will support a grid system. I think this city needs voice/s to be heard.

Put in a request to close those streets for an event. Then use the city's reasoning for denying the application temporarily closing those streets against ODOT and the traffic engineering department.

Originally Posted by catch22

Put in a request to close those streets for an event. Then use the city's reasoning for denying the application temporarily closing those streets against ODOT and the traffic engineering department.

That's brilliant!

Originally Posted by Plutonic Panda

Hey if you guys go down for a protest count me in!!!! I will support a grid system. I think this city needs voice/s to be heard.

agreed!!!

Originally Posted by CaptDave

So Plan 'A' cuts off 6 routes in order to build 1? What is more likely to move traffic better - 6 routes or 1? Hmmmmm........

Very similar with the relocated I-40. Reportedly we went from 6 access points down to 2...

Future Boulevard intersection?

Omg. .. Lets not confuse already stupid Oklahomans as denoted by ODOT officials lol

While funny, that is one of the safest traffic circles in the UK. It is called the Swindon Magic Roundabout. It can move a lot of cars at slow speeds but not pedestrian friendly. If ODOT tried to build that they would add fly-overs.

Originally Posted by Just the facts

While funny, that is one of the safest traffic circles in the UK. It is called the Swindon Magic Roundabout. It can move a lot of cars at slow speeds but not pedestrian friendly. If ODOT tried to build that they would add fly-overs.

...and a Starbucks drive thru...

Downtown OKC boulevard completion won't be until 2016 | NewsOK.com

Anyone who cared enough to protest the original design will be "blamed" for the delay. The statements from ODOT in this article were pretty reasonable I must admit.

I hope they never build it, so a 2 year delay is a good start for me.

Funny, I don't see any work on the east end and there hasn't been any delays or meetings about that end.

Originally Posted by Just the facts

I hope they never build it, so a 2 year delay is a good start for me.

I don't want them to build "IT". I do want them to reconnect the street network to I40 east of Bricktown and west of the Farmer's Market though. I cannot fathom the reason behind the resistance to this simplest of designs that takes advantage of one of OKC's best features.

Originally Posted by CaptDave

I don't want them to build "IT". I do want them to reconnect the street network to I40 east of Bricktown and west of the Farmer's Market though. I cannot fathom the reason behind the resistance to this simplest of designs that takes advantage of one of OKC's best features.

$$$$
Saving it is not a priority. If $XXX gets allocated, then, by-God, we need to spend $XXX or more, not $XX or less. Contractors, engineers, laborers, etc., all make more $$$ with the bigger, more expensive project.

Or I could be wrong!

Some new comments by Steve in his blog.

Boulevard Options | OKC Central

And Zeke Campfield's article about Tuesday's City Council meeting where this will be discussed.

Oklahoma City Council set to make decision on boulevard design | NewsOK.com

Its been almost a month, have they decided which design to go with?

So this gives us more time to organize such an event like getting with the city somehow and blocking off all the streets that would have to be closed if this new boulevard were to be constructed, right? If the FBB could organize this, even for just 24hours...I would be more than willing to come participate, for the entire 24hours. Would the city let that happen?

Originally Posted by Plutonic Panda

So this gives us more time to organize such an event like getting with the city somehow and blocking off all the streets that would have to be closed if this new boulevard were to be constructed, right? If the FBB could organize this, even for just 24hours...I would be more than willing to come participate, for the entire 24hours. Would the city let that happen?

I don't think that's going to happen... I don't think anyone was too serious about that. Was more hyperbole.

Tomorrow (well later this morning) the city will vote to approve Option A as the city's preferred alternative. From there, ODOT will approve Option A as the state's preferred alternative. ODOT will then send the proposal to the Federal Highway Administration, who is funding the project, for final approval. As far as the local governments are concerned, Option A is set in stone if the Council approves it later this morning (which they are going to do). Ultimately, the Federal Highway Administration has final authority to approve or reject the proposal.

Originally Posted by catch22

I don't think that's going to happen... I don't think anyone was too serious about that. Was more hyperbole.

Tomorrow (well later this morning) the city will vote to approve Option A as the city's preferred alternative. From there, ODOT will approve Option A as the state's preferred alternative. ODOT will then send the proposal to the Federal Highway Administration, who is funding the project, for final approval. As far as the local governments are concerned, Option A is set in stone if the Council approves it later this morning (which they are going to do). Ultimately, the Federal Highway Administration has final authority to approve or reject the proposal.

Well maybe not close them off, more going out there and alerting people which roads might be closed.

Why does no one seem to care about how crappy the boulevard is turning out? I'm surprised by the lack of outrage or activism right now. What am I missing?

I'm watching the live stream right now and am just too disappointed in this whole thing to even put it into words. The lack of forward-thinking when it comes to urban planning blows my mind.

I-40 was an elevated psychological barrier (the grid still existed under it) that devastated this part of downtown for 50 years. The boulevard is an actual physical barrier on the ground and the grid will be broken. The boulevard actually makes things worse.