Quote Originally Posted by shawnw View Post
Why more studies? The work acog has already had done seems quite good
I agree. ACOG has done a great job over the last ten years undertaking numerous relevant studies...Fixed Guideway Study...Intermodal Hub Study...Commuter Corridors Study...to lay the groundwork for where we are today. In addition, Embark has undertaken various transit studies, including the Downtown Circulator Analysis, Transit Service Analysis and NW Corridor Multimodal Plan.

However, some of the information in those studies is either out-of date, too general or lacking. Before the RTA can approach the cities with a proposal to seek a vote for a permanent dedicated funding source for developing and operating a regional transit system, it needs to determine more precisely what that system will look like and the costs involved in creating it.

The previous studies provided us with general guidance, but not much in the way of detailed engineering feasibility analysis or infrastructure costs or operational funding needs. As one example, there has previously been no detailed engineering analysis to determine the feasibility and costs of implementing commuter rail service in the BNSF right-of-way between Edmond, Norman and OKC. Past studies have provided some general estimates, but now we need real hard numbers.

More importantly, the RTA needs to develop an up-to-date comprehensive transit system plan that includes all transit modes. That doesn't mean we need to start back at square one and reinvent the wheel. But we do need to update, revise, expand and assimilate all of the data from the previous studies into a single system plan and then undertake the necessary detailed engineering and cost analysis. The RTA and participating cities won't be willing to ask the voters to fund a regional transit system until we have a very good understanding of what that system will look like and how much it will cost to build and operate.

I'm as tired of undertaking new studies as everyone else. But it's especially critical at this point that we have all of the necessary detailed information.