Found this article by Steve interesting:

http://newsok.com/new-public-parking-cited-as-downtown-challenge/article/3586246?custom_click=pod_headline_business
New public parking cited as downtown challenge (Oklahoman, Lackmeyer, 7/17/11)

O'Connor sees two big challenges ahead for downtown: the need for new public parking and an uncertain future with First National Center.

O'Connor notes workers with Continental Resources and Enogex, along with SandRidge's growing workforce, will quickly absorb the space left behind at the Santa Fe Garage by Devon employees when they move to the expanded City Center West garage at Park and Hudson Avenues.

I know that many here don't think there is a parking problem downtown. I accept that. What do you all think of former Asst. City Manager O'Connor's comments?

That, that garage better be nice, and that COPTA should focus on improving some of their existing monstrosities before they plan to build more.

Just kiddddiiiiiinngggg...

Found this article by Steve interesting:

http://newsok.com/new-public-parking-cited-as-downtown-challenge/article/3586246?custom_click=pod_headline_business
New public parking cited as downtown challenge (Oklahoman, Lackmeyer, 7/17/11)


I know that many here don't think there is a parking problem downtown. I accept that. What do you all think of former Asst. City Manager O'Connor's comments?

That she's just as clueless as others, or that she hates to walk.

My DT or Bricktown parking challenge is limited to deciding do I wanna park easy, or do I wanna make a game of it and blow time trying to get closer than any of the right now open spots that exist. Easy peasy to park in the metro.

Guys, parking is not a problem right now, nor is Cathy saying it is. But what she is saying is that with the new companies coming in over the next couple of years, the city will need to be proactive to assure that a problem doesn't pop up and stymie growth.

So I guess a good question to ask is-How far is too far? How many blocks away would you consider acceptable?

What is acceptable for OKC standards? What do you think is acceptable under big city (NYC, Atlanta, Houston, Chicago) standards?

If we are to retain our title as the Parking Lot Capitol of North America we must be proactive. The Stage Center would be a perfect spot for a nice big flat parking lot.

I would like to see them replace the Century Center with about a 20 story parking garage like these:

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O'Connor sees two big challenges ahead for downtown: the need for new public parking and an uncertain future with First National Center.

Considering that renovation downtown will not be viable for multiple generations, it takes much too long to walk anywhere downtown, and the fact that the FNC is ideally located in the exact center of the CBD, the solution is obvious to anyone paying attention to people who currently don't like to visit downtown: level the FNC and use the space to provide free parking. Surface lots are preferred because then you don't have to take stairs or wait for an elevator. We could probably even work a plaza or two in.

Guys, parking is not a problem right now, nor is Cathy saying it is. But what she is saying is that with the new companies coming in over the next couple of years, the city will need to be proactive to assure that a problem doesn't pop up and stymie growth.

Thats the way I read it too, but it goes along with what I was saying over in the other Enogox(?) thread.

BDP - are you kidding me? Everything about that post goes against everything we stand for on this forum.

First off, how can anyone justify dozing FNC? Second, surface??? really? Not only is it the most inefficient way to create parking, but are you really so lazy that you can't use stairs...or an elevator? That flawed view of things is what got Oklahomas the fattest in the country.

bombermwc - I think BDP was being sarcastic. You of all people should love the automated parking garage idea. No looking for a parking space at all, no elevators or stairs to take, and no traffic jams trying to leave.

yay, another thread on downtown parking "challenges"

At least this one is dedicated to it and not a hijack!

That automatic concept is really interesting, but at :60 seconds per car retrieval, I can only imagine 100 or so people lined up right after work waiting for their cars one at a time. I'm not sure we have the patience for that.

... I'm not sure we have the patience for that.


I'm sure .... we don't.

Just watch folks in any short light left turn lane for clear proof.

I would like to see them replace the Century Center with about a 20 story parking garage like these:

qMWki9Ssdh4

UMyGhpV5-Gg

asiuq-OMMyQ


When past is prologue.......right here in downtown Oklahoma City (once upon a time). It did the same thing running the levels on gears.

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/6526/huckins.jpg

That automatic concept is really interesting, but at :60 seconds per car retrieval, I can only imagine 100 or so people lined up right after work waiting for their cars one at a time. I'm not sure we have the patience for that.

I thought about that also but here is the thing. In the one video it took 40 seconds to retrieve the car. As soon as the car is dropped off the machine goes and gets the next one. It take about 15 seconds to get in the car, put on the seatbelt, turn it on, and drive away. In less than 25 seconds another car will be delivered. Plus, most of these garages have mutiple retrival systems so more than one car can be retrieved at a time. I would rather wait in a line of people to get my car than to wait in my car sitting in traffic. Because cars would enter the roadway in a metered fashion it would improve traffic as well. Finally, these systems are used in major cities all over the world, and were used in OKC at one time (my wife said she used to park in one back in the day). Whatever timing issues they have, they seem to have that worked out.

Here is one in Germany.

http://twistedphysics.typepad.com/cocktail_party_physics/images/2007/12/08/volkswagen_autostadt_580x.jpg

For those people that are building urban houses in midtown, try this.

http://i.japanacts.com/uploaded_images/ParkingSpaceInJapan-790385.jpg

I love the idea. They've come a long way since the "automated garage" days at the old Huckins Hotel as shown in that postcard. I especially like the picture of the circular garage in Germany. Looking at the pic 'garage' doesn't even seem like the appropriate word.

I love the idea. They've come a long way since the "automated garage" days at the old Huckins Hotel as shown in that postcard. I especially like the picture of the circular garage in Germany. Looking at the pic 'garage' doesn't even seem like the appropriate word.

They actually have two towers. Here is what they look like from the outside. These are probably too cool to be used in Oklahoma.

http://www.autostadt.de/uploads/tx_lioverviewteaser/teaser_autotuerme-960x300.jpg

http://nimg.sulekha.com/others/thumbnailfull/germany-volkswagen-2009-3-12-10-34-1.jpg

http://www.woohome.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/volkswagen_storage_towers.jpg

curious. anyone know how construction costs compare? How rates to park compare?

Wow. those pics remind me a lot of a Hot Wheels storage case I had growing up. LOL

Wow. those pics remind me a lot of a Hot Wheels storage case I had growing up. LOL

You mean you stored all your Hot Wheels in some kind of container and didn't space them out in a single layer of rows all over your bedroom floor?

curious. anyone know how construction costs compare? How rates to park compare?

http://westhollywood.patch.com/articles/city-hall-to-install-automated-parking-structure


Construction will begin in June 2012 on an automated five-story parking structure at West Hollywood City Hall. With state-of-the-art technology, this new computerized parking structure will offer a valet-like experience where people leave their cars and the automated system then stores the vehicles in parking berths using motorized lifts, conveyers and shuttles. When a person is ready to leave, the system will then retrieve his or her car.

...

It will have the capacity for 200 cars, compared with the 66 spaces available in the current lot that the automated parking structure will replace.

...

The city toyed with the idea of the automated parking system when it first started discussing the parking problem at City Hall four years ago, but the cost at that time was prohibitive—$40,000 to $50,000 per parking space. However, the price has come down drastically in the past year, making it a viable option at $13,200 per space.

...

Earlier this month, the City Council awarded the $2.6 million contract for the technology to Unitronics. The city will have to build a shell around the parking structure as well as a motor court area for dropping off and picking up cars.

The total amount allotted for the structure, technology, motor court and community plaza area is $13 million.



Based on these number you could build a 500 space garage for $6.6 million if you didn't include all the plazas and public space. To flash back to a comment made by FritterGirl earlier, you probably wouldn't build 1000 car garages like this becasue the footprint is so small compared to a traditional garage it would be cheaper to build five 200 space garages that could deliver cars 5X faster than a single mega-garage. With an automated system like this Devon could have cut the space required for parking by 80%.

At the corner of Sheridan and Oklahoma Ave, in the heart of Bricktown, there is a 44 car parking lot that could easily be converted into parking for 400 cars using this technology, with room for ground level retail I might add.

Wow. those pics remind me a lot of a Hot Wheels storage case I had growing up. LOL

I was thinking the same thing, I'm 52 and still have mine and most of the hot wheels as well, My son and I collect them, some are quite valuable.

Wow. those pics remind me a lot of a Hot Wheels storage case I had growing up. LOL

Yes. Sad and funny that Hot Wheels can think of a more efficient and attractive way to store toy cars than we can in real life.

I was thinking the same thing, I'm 52 and still have mine and most of the hot wheels as well, My son and I collect them, some are quite valuable.Sadly I don't have any of my Hot Wheels left. Most jumped the track and ran along the boards until they found a wide enough crack in the floor boards of the walk-in atticand disappeared. there is a Hot Wheels graveyard in a house in Little Rock...

I do have boxes and boxes of my Hot Wheels track somewhere in my parents garage...there may be a car or two come to think of it that may have survived. Mine were the cars you charged and ran on their own...


You mean you stored all your Hot Wheels in some kind of container and didn't space them out in a single layer of rows all over your bedroom floor? No. LOL Well, except for the ones under the floor boards mentioned above...

Still surprised that no one remembers the lack of parking on the West side (where Devon bought the garage). Putting a garage in bricktown or automobile alley won't help that. Apparently at one point, the city thought it worthwhile to have parking there, but now that hundreds more work in the area, it isn't as important.

I agree Hip. Putting a garage in AA or bricktown isn't going to help DT parking at all. I park in Broadway-Kerr. Rumor has it we will able to park there for quite some time but that is up to Sandridge. What if they decide they need all the spaces and kick everyone else out? Those 800 new curbside that project 180 is supposed to create isn't going to help. A garage in Bricktown isn't going to help. Is there room in Santa Fe for all the people kicked out of Broadway-Kerr, which includes the valet parking from the Skirvin. I'm not happy with the callous attitude of Rick Cain in Steve's article. To talk about the need for more DT parking then in almost the same sentence mention AA and Bricktown?

Maybe I'm overreacting. I hope I am. I hope Sandridge doesn't kick anybody out for years to come.

I agree Hip. Putting a garage in AA or bricktown isn't going to help DT parking at all. I park in Broadway-Kerr. Rumor has it we will able to park there for quite some time but that is up to Sandridge. What if they decide they need all the spaces and kick everyone else out? Those 800 new curbside that project 180 is supposed to create isn't going to help. A garage in Bricktown isn't going to help. Is there room in Santa Fe for all the people kicked out of Broadway-Kerr, which includes the valet parking from the Skirvin. I'm not happy with the callous attitude of Rick Cain in Steve's article. To talk about the need for more DT parking then in almost the same sentence mention AA and Bricktown?

Maybe I'm overreacting. I hope I am. I hope Sandridge doesn't kick anybody out for years to come.

Depending on the location in Bricktown, it would only be an additional 3--4 block walk and most could use the exercise.

I agree Hip. Putting a garage in AA or bricktown isn't going to help DT parking at all. I park in Broadway-Kerr. Rumor has it we will able to park there for quite some time but that is up to Sandridge. What if they decide they need all the spaces and kick everyone else out? Those 800 new curbside that project 180 is supposed to create isn't going to help. A garage in Bricktown isn't going to help. Is there room in Santa Fe for all the people kicked out of Broadway-Kerr, which includes the valet parking from the Skirvin. I'm not happy with the callous attitude of Rick Cain in Steve's article. To talk about the need for more DT parking then in almost the same sentence mention AA and Bricktown?

Maybe I'm overreacting. I hope I am. I hope Sandridge doesn't kick anybody out for years to come.

Maybe it's not best for downtown workers, but it's hard to argue that the city doesn't get more out of putting a public garage in Bricktown or AA. From the sounds of it, they're also wanting to leverage the remaining downtown public parking to incentivize mixed-use development in the core. You're seeing a priority shift (finally) from office to mixed-use becoming the preferred development type downtown.

And as rcjunkie mentioned, we are talking about a difference of 3-4 blocks, in a downtown that will be served by streetcar soon. I'm thinking the most likely new garage would be building the transit hub garage on Reno. That would serve both Bricktown, CBD, and Thunder games.

Why would you build a parking garage at a transit hub? The whole purpose of a transit hub is to get people to ride transit, not make it easier for them to drive their own cars. The only garage that should be at a transit hub is one to hold about 10 rental cars, and that is only if the OKC-Tulsa route comes into existance.

And just how are you going to get yourself to the station to hop on that train Just the Facts? If you've ever been to a city with a car culture like ours, you'll see that there has to be a place to park your car for you to get on the thing. Since there is no suburban hub, if you want people to use it downtown, they need a place close by to park before they get on. It's just like you would have at a suburban station...except we're forced to do it downtown since the line doesn't connect anywhere else.

3 or 4 blocks is a very long way when it is raining or icy. And I will believe a street car that DT workers can take from a parking garage to their offices when I see one. I already walk about 3 blocks to work. You think adding 3 or 4 more is no big deal? If they are selling off DT parking garages to private companies for private use they have a responsibility to make sure there is still enough parking. When I read that article I wanted to hear what their plans were for replacing lost parking spaces. Not how happy they were that now they were debt free and can look into giving other areas garages.

If it is a serious transportation hub with intercity train service it will have to have affordable overnight parking nearby. If we want a system to go from bar to bar at night and only be used by downtowners, I guess we don't need one.

Bomber, are you seriously going to drive in from Midwest City and go to Midtown, via stopping at the downtown hub and riding the streetcar. Just go park in Midtown. If your destination is Bricktown then park in Bricktown. I can't think of a single city in the world that has a parking garage at their transit hub. Not saying it doesn't exist, but I have looked at a lot of system I have yet to see it.

Kerry, if you are taking Amtrack to Dallas....are you going to walk from Midwest City to the train station?

3 or 4 blocks is a very long way when it is raining or icy. And I will believe a street car that DT workers can take from a parking garage to their offices when I see one. I already walk about 3 blocks to work. You think adding 3 or 4 more is no big deal? If they are selling off DT parking garages to private companies for private use they have a responsibility to make sure there is still enough parking. When I read that article I wanted to hear what their plans were for replacing lost parking spaces. Not how happy they were that now they were debt free and can look into giving other areas garages.

People do it everyday in cities around the world. Have you thought about moving downtown and just avoiding the whole driving thing?

People do it everyday in cities around the world. Have you thought about moving downtown and just avoiding the whole driving thing?

My family and I are happy in our house, thank you. When the last kid is gone we have discussed looking into some of the places around DT but doubt we will because of cost.

And I don't care what other cities do or other people do. I have a right to be irritated when the head of the parking garage system acts like losing so much DT parking is no big deal and how wonderful it is that they have no more debt, and can look into putting parking in other places. Knowing that more people are coming DT to work. Maybe when DT workers are taking up all the fancy new curbside parking all day long they might rethink the importance of it.

In most cities a three or four block walk to work is not a big deal at all. An umbrella is a handy thing to have. When the streetcar is completed, on a particularly bad day one could hop aboard the streetcar and likely get closer. I too would like to see the next parking garage be the hub garage, if it's feasible to build it before the hub expansion. That would create a short walk to either Bricktown or the CBD for commuters or downtown visitors.

My family and I are happy in our house, thank you. When the last kid is gone we have discussed looking into some of the places around DT but doubt we will because of cost.

And I don't care what other cities do or other people do. I have a right to be irritated when the head of the parking garage system acts like losing so much DT parking is no big deal and how wonderful it is that they have no more debt, and can look into putting parking in other places. Knowing that more people are coming DT to work. Maybe when DT workers are taking up all the fancy new curbside parking all day long they might rethink the importance of it.

Like many people in this city, I think you have a misconception for what a healthy downtown should be like.

My family and I are happy in our house, thank you.

Are you sure, because you seem to hate your future commute to work? Also, is the Conn-course an option for you?

Kerry, if you are taking Amtrack to Dallas....are you going to walk from Midwest City to the train station?

How do people do it now? 200 people ride Amtrak to Ft Worth every morning. However, like Rover suggested, if inter-city rail comes to OKC then a garage for those people would be warranted. But that is at least 20 years away. Why would the City/State/Region spend money to create commuter rail and then build a parking garage for commuters right next to the final destination? It would make the whole thing self-defeating. Build the parking garages in downtown Norman and downtown Edmond and let people park their cars their. Then we get pedestrians at both ends of the trip - or better yet, it urbanizes dowtown Edmond and Norman even more by people moving to be close to those train stations.

A lot of you seem be trying to build mass transit systems using the automobile as a primary design consideration. Try thinking in terms of eliminating the car from the entire equation. We shouldn't be trying to supplement the car, we should be trying to free people from it. Eliminate the 20 miles drive, not just the last 3 blocks of it.

OKC is not NYC. We do not have a great public transportation system. You can't snap your fingers and made it so overnight. Just because you want an urban DT where no cars exist doesn't make it feasible for those that work there now.

Someone said project 180 is going to add 800 more curbside spots. When DT workers are filling those spaces up all day long maybe the city will decide that parking DT is important.

Are you sure, because you seem to hate your future commute to work? Also, is the Conn-course an option for you?


I have no problem with my commute. I'm irked with the possibility of the city selling away my parking garage without plans to make sure there is enough parking for those of us displaced.

What do you mean by the Conn-course?

I have no problem with my commute. I'm irked with the possibility of the city selling away my parking garage without plans to make sure there is enough parking for those of us displaced.

What do you mean by the Conn-course?

The Conn-course is the underground/skywalk pedestrian system.

http://www.downtownokc.com/Portals/0/docs/Underground%20map%202007.pdf

OKC is not NYC. We do not have a great public transportation system. You can't snap your fingers and made it so overnight. Just because you want an urban DT where no cars exist doesn't make it feasible for those that work there now.

Someone said project 180 is going to add 800 more curbside spots. When DT workers are filling those spaces up all day long maybe the city will decide that parking DT is important.

I imagine there will be a 2 hour time limit on the parking meters so I don't know how many workers will be using those space. As for OKC not being NYC, I am not suggesting that we try. All I am asking is that the City not defeat itself by pursuing counter-productive efforts. At some point in the recent past OKC has decided to make an attempt at rebuilding sustainable traditional neighborhoods (a method of urban development that has been refined over thousands of years). But that becomes hard to accomplish when other parts of the City keep trying to reproduce what hasn't been working (see my whole commentary on the location of the Senior Wellness Centers).

Again, I am not saying don't build a parking garage - just don't do it at the transit hub. Personally, I would build a garage on the surface lot south of City Hall next to the Hightower Building.

I think that there is a real opportunity to integrate streetcar service with a parking garage on the line. We're at least a decade away from seeing any regional rail service. Phase 1 streetcar service is about 4-5 years out. The Sandridge campus will be flanked on both sides by northbound and southbound lines. The campus plaza is also a great location to interface with the underground Conncourse, if there is a desire to do so.

The Conn-course is the underground/skywalk pedestrian system.

http://www.downtownokc.com/Portals/0/docs/Underground%20map%202007.pdf

I use the tunnel now in bad weather. It doesn't go to Bricktown or AA so I don't see how that would help if that is where they choose to build a new parking garage.

I imagine there will be a 2 hour time limit on the parking meters so I don't know how many workers will be using those space. As for OKC not being NYC, I am not suggesting that we try. All I am asking is that the City not defeat itself by pursuing counter-productive efforts. At some point in the recent past OKC has decided to make an attempt at rebuilding sustainable traditional neighborhoods (a method of urban development that has been refined over thousands of years). But that becomes hard to accomplish when other parts of the City keep trying to reproduce what hasn't been working (see my whole commentary on the location of the Senior Wellness Centers).

Again, I am not saying don't build a parking garage - just don't do it at the transit hub. Personally, I would build a garage on the surface lot south of City Hall next to the Hightower Building.



I would be ok with parking on the west side of DT as opposed to the east side.

And as for the 2 hour time limit on parking meters, I've heard of people feeding meters all day. It isn't rampant, but I guarantee you if downtown businesses are told that available parking for employees is in AA or Bricktown, you will see a lot more of it.

I think that there is a real opportunity to integrate streetcar service with a parking garage on the line.

That is what I am talking about. It is one thing for parking garages to be located along the line (in fact, it would be impossible not to do it), but it wouldn't make sense to build a parking garage right next to a central hub that is only being built to accommodate future rail based commuters - otherwise, why even build a transit hub.

Why would you build a parking garage at a transit hub? The whole purpose of a transit hub is to get people to ride transit, not make it easier for them to drive their own cars. The only garage that should be at a transit hub is one to hold about 10 rental cars, and that is only if the OKC-Tulsa route comes into existance.

Oh my goodness, this is not your finest post if you want to show that you have much knowledge of what's going on. I would encourage you to take a look at the transit hub masterplan, which involves expanding Sante Fe Depot to be our "Grand Central Station." It won't just be the streetcar, but also commuter rail, LRT, and Amtrak--and it will involve a very large parking garage connected to the station at Reno Avenue. If memory serves me correctly, about 500 spaces.

Spartan, I agree. There are going to be plenty of folks that drive their cars in order to get to the transit hub. I don't see it as being that much different than driving your car to the airport, a park-n-ride lot or anything else. If a mass transit option isn't conveniently located to where you are already at, then you have to be able to get to it somehow...

...Why would the City/State/Region spend money to create commuter rail and then build a parking garage for commuters right next to the final destination?...
But that is the point, the transit hub is NOT the final destination, just a place to connect with the next transit means to get you to your final destination.

Bomber, are you seriously going to drive in from Midwest City and go to Midtown, via stopping at the downtown hub and riding the streetcar. Just go park in Midtown. If your destination is Bricktown then park in Bricktown. I can't think of a single city in the world that has a parking garage at their transit hub. Not saying it doesn't exist, but I have looked at a lot of system I have yet to see it.

Kerry, please note this article which projects 2,000,000 square feet of parking in Denver in their new transportation hub development.

http://www.unionstationneighborhoodco.com/expanded-detail.aspx?id=11

Just as in OKC, not all of the parking will directed at those who use the transportation hub.

why wouldn't there be a need for parking near a multi-mode transit hub? Presumably there would be folks using the hub who are traveling away from OKC as well as traveling to OKC. They need parking as well, unless they'll ride a city bus or a cab in from where ever they live.

3 or 4 blocks is a very long way when it is raining or icy. And I will believe a street car that DT workers can take from a parking garage to their offices when I see one. I already walk about 3 blocks to work. You think adding 3 or 4 more is no big deal? If they are selling off DT parking garages to private companies for private use they have a responsibility to make sure there is still enough parking. When I read that article I wanted to hear what their plans were for replacing lost parking spaces. Not how happy they were that now they were debt free and can look into giving other areas garages.

I agree with OSUMom, with additional reasons. I have moderate to severe RA. I know that exercise is good and I walk when I can, but there are times when a walk of even a block is agonizing. "Handicapped" accessible parking is more than a block from the IRS building. We have had taxpayers in wheelchairs come in and tell us they've had to park blocks away and (especially now) not even have sidewalks to navigate. GSA will not let us leave the CBD as some idiot thinks we can serve more of our customer base from DT. Maybe that's true in NYC or Chicago, but not in OKC.
Government (county, state and federal) employees don't get employer-supplied parking - we get to pay $75-100 a month for the privilege of parking to come to work. I've probably paid enough in 27 years of DT working to purchase a small lot and I understand it's the price we pay. All I ask for is the ability to come to work and park in a spot that is safe and a reasonable distance from my office.
And for those of you who judge folks who are unable to walk 4 blocks - walk a block in my orthopedic shoes.

If a parking garage is built next to the central hub it will do nothing but rob commuter rail of passengers.

Kerry, please note this article which projects 2,000,000 square feet of parking in Denver in their new transportation hub development.

http://www.unionstationneighborhoodco.com/expanded-detail.aspx?id=11

Just as in OKC, not all of the parking will directed at those who use the transportation hub.

I think that 2,000,000 sq feet of parking is for the 900,000 sq feet of residential. They don't intend for people to drive their car to the central hub and then take local mass transit the final 4 or 5 blocks.

http://www.unionstationneighborhoodco.com/expanded-detail.aspx?id=6


Through Transportation
Downtown Denver is pedestrian friendly, to a point. You can get in and out of the city quickly, but there is one major problem with venturing downtown, parking. An overabundance of two-hour meters and overly expensive parking garages is not the answer. Denverites are looking for convenience.
And, convenience comes in the form of public transportation.

With the development of the Union Station Neighborhood, all of downtown Denver is connected. Connected through urban shuttles and buses, connected through pedestrian bridges and walkways, and finally, connected through light rail and commuter rail.

It is easier to get from home to work to dinner, and back home again, using public transit than your automobile. Plus, it is more cost effective.

A fluid public transportation system is the final, and most important, puzzle piece in the development of downtown Denver.

I agree with OSUMom, with additional reasons. I have moderate to severe RA. I know that exercise is good and I walk when I can, but there are times when a walk of even a block is agonizing. "Handicapped" accessible parking is more than a block from the IRS building. We have had taxpayers in wheelchairs come in and tell us they've had to park blocks away and (especially now) not even have sidewalks to navigate. GSA will not let us leave the CBD as some idiot thinks we can serve more of our customer base from DT. Maybe that's true in NYC or Chicago, but not in OKC.
Government (county, state and federal) employees don't get employer-supplied parking - we get to pay $75-100 a month for the privilege of parking to come to work. I've probably paid enough in 27 years of DT working to purchase a small lot and I understand it's the price we pay. All I ask for is the ability to come to work and park in a spot that is safe and a reasonable distance from my office.
And for those of you who judge folks who are unable to walk 4 blocks - walk a block in my orthopedic shoes.

Out of curosity, what if you could park in a remote lot just outside downtown and be dropped off and picked up right at your office door by a private shuttle bus. Would that be worth $150 per month (including the parking)?

I agree with OSUMom, with additional reasons. I have moderate to severe RA. I know that exercise is good and I walk when I can, but there are times when a walk of even a block is agonizing. "Handicapped" accessible parking is more than a block from the IRS building. We have had taxpayers in wheelchairs come in and tell us they've had to park blocks away and (especially now) not even have sidewalks to navigate. GSA will not let us leave the CBD as some idiot thinks we can serve more of our customer base from DT. Maybe that's true in NYC or Chicago, but not in OKC.
Government (county, state and federal) employees don't get employer-supplied parking - we get to pay $75-100 a month for the privilege of parking to come to work. I've probably paid enough in 27 years of DT working to purchase a small lot and I understand it's the price we pay. All I ask for is the ability to come to work and park in a spot that is safe and a reasonable distance from my office.
And for those of you who judge folks who are unable to walk 4 blocks - walk a block in my orthopedic shoes.

The streetcar will be running directly in front the IRS building and will provide low floor ADA accessibility for people in wheel chairs. We haven't identified the stop locations yet, but presumably there will be two very nearby if not almost in front.

Regarding parking, Project 180 is adding many spaces although I would expect the IRS not to have any near the building for security/car bomb reasons post OKC and 9-11. The same for any IRS building or Federal Courthouse. Why they aren't even planting trees out front even though they were specced because the Federal Marshals asked them not to.