https://www.okc.gov/government/maps-3/projects/sidewalks

https://i.imgur.com/Nxi4xAt.jpg

I know the image above of progess is old, but I couldn't find a thread on this subject.

Anyway, I just want to commend the city & the workers on the speed and quality of work that is going up. I'm seeing sidewalks pop up all over the city & it is really great work!

I live near 50 Penn Place and there are new sidewalks all around me, including my street and right in front of my house.

Then, all the way up and down Penn from NW 63rd to 23rd and even a bit further south to fill in some gaps.

And E/W along 50th between May all the way to MacArthur.

I stopped by Westmoore High School recently and there's stil zero sidewalks leading to a school that serves over 2,000 students... how would a school not be a priority for sidewalks?

I stopped by Westmoore High School recently and there's stil zero sidewalks leading to a school that serves over 2,000 students... how would a school not be a priority for sidewalks?
Schools were the highest priority criteria for the MAPS 3 sidewalks. There are more than 200 schools in the city limits, and there were other criteria including: Desire paths (worn out areas in grass/dirt where people have been walking), proximity to public transit, population density, employment density, # and rate of pedestrian collisions and fatalities, and proximity to hospitals, parks, and libraries. Check out page 5 in the document below.

https://agenda.okc.gov/sirepub/cache/2/dhccywuqyjhf5l55m2estm55/285645306162017074515416.PDF

I stopped by Westmoore High School recently and there's stil zero sidewalks leading to a school that serves over 2,000 students... how would a school not be a priority for sidewalks?

Is Westmore in Moore or OKC ?

Is Westmore in Moore or OKC ?

If this were a Jr. High or Elementary I would agree, being a High School, there's probably less then 10 students that walk to school so it makes sense to spend/build, where needed.

Is Westmore in Moore or OKC ?

Westmoore High School is in OKC.

If this were a Jr. High or Elementary I would agree, being a High School, there's probably less then 10 students that walk to school so it makes sense to spend/build, where needed.

Well, that's a chicken and egg scenario also. With no sidewalks at all, many may not even think of walking as an option. Aside from that, there are apartments and churches across the street and restaurants and businesses within a block that students walk to. More than that, there are over 2,000 students... it's insane that there are no sidewalks.

I taught government and politics at Westmoore and we did community projects of the students' choosing after the AP test. One class chose to do an environmental impact analysis of the school and some students chose to ride their bikes to school to discuss alternative forms of transportation. Drivers literally had no clue how to react to cyclists in the street. The culture and infrastructure are so car-oriented in the area around the school that I think many saw students as mischevious for riding bikes. I'm glad noone died (although I tried to talk them out of biking), but it just goes to show you how cars are positioned as the only option. Even adding sidewalks leading to the school can make a big difference.

Anyway, I hope Westmoore gets sidewalks soon.

At the beginning of the entire MAPS 3 sidewalks project, the group did a massive ranking and prioritization taking schools into strong account.

I'll see if I can dig up the original docs and post them.

But of course, there are hundreds of miles needed and only so much money for this round. But I believe the grading will be used as they go forward with MAPS 4 and other funding sources.

Is Westmore in Moore or OKC ?

Westmoore High School is apart of Moore Schools.

Westmoore High School is apart of Moore Schools.

But it's within in OKC city limits, west of Moore city limits.

Here is the map with the weighted sidewalks, lower number being the higher priority.

There is also a huge table that I will figure out how to upload later.

(to see bigger image, right-click and open a new tab)

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/sidewalksweighted.jpg

I would LOVE to see the older neighborhoods' sidewalk systems completed/built as well.

Yesterday I was walking on the sidewalk along Penn near 50th with my dogs and it's actually a scary experience.

Cars whizzing by only a couple of feet from the sidewalk. No shoulder on the road, most places the sidewalk is almost or right up against the roadway.

If I tripped it would be curtains; same if a car jumped the curb.


It's nice to have these new additions but adding them after the fact instead integrating into original plans is still plenty problematic.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/pennsidewalk.jpg

it still boggles my mind how the roads aren't constructed with sidewalks in place. it's even crazier how people can be so against sidewalks. I see posts online a lot of people saying "i'm not going to use so why am i paying for it!?" wtf
i guess growing up in a place where roads have sidewalks on both sides of the road (gasp!) is the norm makes OKC's lack of sidewalks weird to me

This pedestrian button setup, on the NE corner of SW 59th and S Santa Fe Ave, boggles my mind. After they did the MAPS 3 sidewalks on both of these streets, they didn't relocate the buttons to sidewalk level, so only those that are able bodied can reach them; there's a tall curb that you have to climb to even get to them. Major, major oversight. I tweeted at the City of OKC and Mayor Holt but haven't gotten any response back yet.

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Some of the **** they're doing with brand new sidewalks is just crazy. And again, I do NOT understand why the pedestrian signals aren't automatic here.

^

You shoud also submit via the City's Action Center:

https://www.okc.gov/residents/action-center/report

Agree with Pete. From experience I submitted a an AC request post new sidewalk by my work and they are currently working on the engineering plans to fix it.

This pedestrian button setup, on the NE corner of SW 59th and S Santa Fe Ave, boggles my mind. After they did the MAPS 3 sidewalks on both of these streets, they didn't relocate the buttons to sidewalk level, so only those that are able bodied can reach them; there's a tall curb that you have to climb to even get to them. Major, major oversight. I tweeted at the City of OKC and Mayor Holt but haven't gotten any response back yet.

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And, if you were new or just didn't know, you could be standing a long time waiting for a crossing. Buttons aren't always pointed out and sometimes almost hidden. and at most corners the sidewalks take odd turns. Seems like there was no real thought or design put into doing anything but making a hard surface. In mid blocks this occurs too with odd little sharp square turns around obsticals that shouldn't be there in the first place. It sometimes seems like they were trying just to satsify a requirement and not designing something for maximum use and safety, not to mention aesthetics..

And, if you were new or just didn't know, you could be standing a long time waiting for a crossing. Buttons aren't always pointed out and sometimes almost hidden. and at most corners the sidewalks take odd turns. Seems like there was no real thought or design put into doing anything but making a hard surface. In mid blocks this occurs too with odd little sharp square turns around obsticals that shouldn't be there in the first place. It sometimes seems like they were trying just to satsify a requirement and not designing something for maximum use and safety, not to mention aesthetics..
ALL OF THIS. And, again, why aren't the signals automatic?? lol

Yesterday I was walking on the sidewalk along Penn near 50th with my dogs and it's actually a scary experience.

Cars whizzing by only a couple of feet from the sidewalk. No shoulder on the road, most places the sidewalk is almost or right up against the roadway.

If I tripped it would be curtains; same if a car jumped the curb.


It's nice to have these new additions but adding them after the fact instead integrating into original plans is still plenty problematic.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/pennsidewalk.jpg

It's the same during many stretches of the sidewalk on NW 50th between at least Meridian and Portland. We don't walk our dogs there because my dog (who is high-energy and prone to lunging here and there) could easily get taken out by cars going 40+ mph, even on the sidewalk. Really wish there was somehow more of a gap between the street and sidewalk.

^

I've had dogs trip me many times in the past, by getting distracted and cutting in front of me or clipping my heels.

I can take side streets in that direction but of course, almost no sidewalks there which means walking in and on very hot asphalt, which also means I can't walk my dogs on warm days.


Reminds me, a few months ago I crossed over NW Expressway on Penn going north then wound my way through the very nice Belle Isle neighborhood, then over to Villa where there is another light, as I needed to cross back over NW Ex to get home. That intersection is almost comical! No crosswalk, no cross light and thus no button to push... You can't even walk down NW Ex the .5 mile back to Penn because there is no sidewalk.

So, I merely waited and waited then ran across with my dog in tow and of course NW Ex is so wide we didn't get across before the light turned green and traffic was bearing down on us.

It's as if they designed the whole intersection with the express purpose of not letting people cross. BTW, there is a large public library at that intersection which is completely inaccessible to pedestrians or bike riders if they are merely on the south side of NW Expressway.

http://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/nwexvilla.jpg

Our existing developments and lack of funding obviously didn't allow it, but it would have been great to have trees planted between the streets and the new (straight) sidewalks.

You should try to walk down MacArthur between NW63rd and NW50th. The sidewalk on the east side of the street is butted up against the curb with ZERO space between. You'd better keep your head up as traffic moves through there at 45+

Our existing developments and lack of funding obviously didn't allow it, but it would have been great to have trees planted between the streets and the new (straight) sidewalks.

I believe the traffic department doesn’t allow this on arterial streets because the trees are considered fixed crash hazards.

I believe the traffic department doesn’t allow this on arterial streets because the trees are considered fixed crash hazards.

Don't want those cars hitting fixed objects, but sure, let them hit moving objects (people)...

it still boggles my mind how the roads aren't constructed with sidewalks in place. it's even crazier how people can be so against sidewalks. I see posts online a lot of people saying "i'm not going to use so why am i paying for it!?" wtf
i guess growing up in a place where roads have sidewalks on both sides of the road (gasp!) is the norm makes OKC's lack of sidewalks weird to me
For many years previous city engineers fought sidewalks. If federal funds were used on any highway project sidewalks were required, Paul Brum demanded that sidewalks not be built.


I believe the traffic department doesn’t allow this on arterial streets because the trees are considered fixed crash hazards.
Unless there is a large amount of space between the street and the sidewalk trees can create a visibility hazard at intersections by reducing your ability to see down the road. Most street trees are allowed to "grow wild" and the lower branches never seem to get pruned. That is a real problem up here. I had an issue with landscape and site plan review on a NationsBank project in Plano. I had to get them together to come up with a solution even though they were in the same office and I was in Downtown Dallas.