Streetcar

[emtefury]

I was downtown last night and saw the street car driving around empty. Ok. Maybe there was one or two people in it.

[dankrutka]

I rode it after the Thunder game and it arrived soon after the game and got us to Midtown pretty quickly. Of course, it was packed with fans since the game had just ended.

[Anonymous.]

Hey I saw a thing! Streetcar was waiting behind this.

[Bullbear]

I really don't understand people. I would think they would be afraid their car would be hit if they aren't bothered by the possibility of it being towed. so crazy

[dankrutka]

I really don't understand people. I would think they would be afraid their car would be hit if they aren't bothered by the possibility of it being towed. so crazy

I honestly don't think most people realize that those tracks they're parking next to are for the streetcar.

[jerrywall]

OKC should allow private tow companies to impound cars automatically that are parked illegally along the street car route. This is a solution that is quickly implemented, and doesn't cost the city anything. The tow companies become the parking enforcement along the route, because they'll be patrolling the route looking for $$$$ from impound fees.

[Jersey Boss]

I honestly don't think most people realize that those tracks they're parking next to are for the streetcar.

What other possible uses would these folks think they were for?

[Jersey Boss]

OKC should allow private tow companies to impound cars automatically that are parked illegally along the street car route. This is a solution that is quickly implemented, and doesn't cost the city anything. The tow companies become the parking enforcement along the route, because they'll be patrolling the route looking for $$$$ from impound fees.

That idea makes too much sense to be implemented.
I would be for it.

[Swanky]

OKC should allow private tow companies to impound cars automatically that are parked illegally along the street car route. This is a solution that is quickly implemented, and doesn't cost the city anything. The tow companies become the parking enforcement along the route, because they'll be patrolling the route looking for $$$$ from impound fees.

Yes, that would be GREAT

[OKC Guy]

OKC should allow private tow companies to impound cars automatically that are parked illegally along the street car route. This is a solution that is quickly implemented, and doesn't cost the city anything. The tow companies become the parking enforcement along the route, because they'll be patrolling the route looking for $$$$ from impound fees.

I like the idea but since its a city ordnance being broken they can’t let tow companies be the decider. Lots of lawsuits would happen is my guess.

What they need is to hire and train enforcers and have them patrol just the downtown area focusing on SC routes and put tire clamps on and then assign rotating tow companies the rights to tow. Tow company could bid and pay city money for that right and then recoup as part of impound fee. But to make it a hassle for the improperly parked car require they come to city courthouse and pay fine in person and then given the paperwork which the tow company would need prior to releasing.

This would make it expensive and a huge hassle for illegal parkers. The trained ticket writer/clamper would take a picture showing violation and date/time for documented proof. Then just clamp it down and put ticket on window and call tow company who by contract would be required to move it within 5 minutes (thus why they bid and agree to terms one being having a truck in time vicinity). Based on potential of money earned the tow company could make a killing to pay for driver with truck being close by.

Might need to modify a few things but the clamp keeps illegal car driver from escaping fines and tow fees plus makes it a hassle to go to court to pay (if after 4pm Fri have to wait til Mon no car either).

If we make the penalty for parking illegal stiff enough problem will get better. I think for legality we’d need a city trained officer to write tix and clamp it down vs allowing tow trucks to randomly decide and end up suing city since its a city ordnance and not private property.

Something like that.

[dankrutka]

What other possible uses would these folks think they were for?

I suspect a lot of people either don’t pay close enough attention to notice them or they think they’re just old, out of use railroad tracks... which is the only thing some people have seen like this.

[Urban Pioneer]

Approaching a year later and the yellow construction fencing is still ziptied to all the railings of the stops. Whyyyy?!

Tomorrow we will be voting at our committee meeting on approving the contract that includes adding glass panels to the railings. The yellow fencing was required for us to get the system open. City ordinances and ADA compliance did not require any sort of barrier. However, the new rail safety office at ODOT mandated that a barrier be installed for children and animals. The city did a preliminary bid to add a cable-stay type system added to the existing railings. The numbers came back exorbitent and the project was re-bidded with glass panels instead. The city pretty much moves at its own pace with processes for bidding that are hard to accelerate. The glass railings are bundled with other improvements to system operation, redundancy systems, and additional safety features as well. From our internal summary-"Upon completion of an audit performed for the Oklahoma Department of Transportations's State Safety Office, additional improvements were identified for the streetcar system, including a new generator pad, new skirting and ground wire covers at traction powered substation locations, new in-fill panels at platform railings, new bumpers at platforms, new handrails along the Oklahoma City Boulevard between South Robinson Avenue and South Hudson Avenue, and additional improvments related to the NW 5th Street turn-back.Addenda Nos. 1, 2 and 3 were issued during bidding to revise the bid date and to modify and clarify the plans and specifications. Bids were opened November 13, 2019. The project engineer and City staff reviewed the bid and recommend awarding Base Bid No. 2 to the only bidder, Traffic & Lighting Systems, LLC. This bid does not include the 5th Street turnback improvements.Staff requests funding for the contract and change order contigency in the amount of $700,000 be paid from excess collections and/or interest from the Oklahoma City Capital Improvements Sales Tax Fund."

[Roger S]

I had the day off yesterday and after we walked through Scissortail we took a ride on the street car at about 10:30 AM... Rode the entire loop and the only other person to get on was a guy wearing a Fare Enforcement vest.... He didn't ask to check our tickets.Otherwise we had fun on the ride and if we hadn't of had other obligations would have made several stops to grab a drink/snack or shopped along the route. Time just didn't permit it yesterday.I can definitely see using it before or after a Thunder game... Especially during the cold weather months.

[OkiePoke]

I would like to add my anecdotal observation; one of the streetcars was about 80% full on Sunday.

[Urban Pioneer]

My experiences are anecdotal too. I have been on jam packed streetcars and have been the only passenger as well. One thing that will improve convenience is that we are launching the real time location map app this month. I have many questions to pose at the meeting today. Some relate to parking blockages. Others to our signal priority stats. Regardless, the best way to increase ridership averages during the week is to make the streetcar system convenient, speedy, and reliable. We also need to stop wasting land on more parking, improve sidewalks, and build more housing units.

[David]

My experiences are anecdotal too. I have been on jam packed streetcars and have been the only passenger as well. One thing that will improve convenience is that we are launching the real time location map app this month. I have many questions to pose at the meeting today. Some relate to parking blockages. Others to our signal priority stats. Regardless, the best way to increase ridership averages during the week is to make the streetcar system convenient, speedy, and reliable. We also need to stop wasting land on more parking, improve sidewalks, and build more housing units.

Ooooo, nice. So, by the end of November?

[Urban Pioneer]

My guess is sometime in December. We were informed that our committee will be some of the Beta testers. I was wrong about the app. It will be a website so you don’t have to download an app. Apparently it is a more user friendly version of what we see in the Control Room.

[David]

Will the web site be properly mobile friendly such that users on their cell phones will have a good experience?

[Urban Pioneer]

I would sure hope so!

[PaddyShack]

My family and I rode the streetcar from Scissortail to Bricktown for All About Cha last night. Something strange happened along our journey back from Bricktown after we had coffee. While the streetcar was waiting to turn back west by the ballpark, someone came up and pushed the door button from the outside. Mind you, the streetcar was stopped at the light waiting to proceed through the turn. This activated the blue light for the next stop. When we arrived at the next stop the doors did not open. Now there was a different person waiting at the stop to get on the streetcar. The driver never opened the doors, despite a rider pressing the door button to allow the waiting person onboard. Was this a glitch caused by the person pressign the door button at the light, or did the driver notice the person waiting to get onboard as appearing to be homeless?

[Edmond Hausfrau]

My family and I rode the streetcar from Scissortail to Bricktown for All About Cha last night. Something strange happened along our journey back from Bricktown after we had coffee. While the streetcar was waiting to turn back west by the ballpark, someone came up and pushed the door button from the outside. Mind you, the streetcar was stopped at the light waiting to proceed through the turn. This activated the blue light for the next stop. When we arrived at the next stop the doors did not open. Now there was a different person waiting at the stop to get on the streetcar. The driver never opened the doors, despite a rider pressing the door button to allow the waiting person onboard. Was this a glitch caused by the person pressign the door button at the light, or did the driver notice the person waiting to get onboard as appearing to be homeless?

Home ownership is not a current requirement to get on the streetcar.
Although, according to some of these forum posts, neither is having a paid fare.

[OKC Guy]

Anyone seen the Nov ridership numbers?

[Pete]

[PaddyShack]

Definitely see the bump in ridership for the nice weather weekends. It has been nice to not have to purchase tickets though, just one less step I have to worry about when jumping onboard.

[kukblue1]

Those numbers during the week are not so pretty. 251 on the 11th? Ouch