Downtown - Transit, Infill, etc.

I was reading earlier on another blog about all of the problems OKC is facing with the development of their downtown. I would rather not list them all here, I'll let you read about them on the link I posted or do your own research. All I have to say about them, is that I am not jealous of, nor do I think that OKC is outdoing us in any way. But, a bash OKC thing was not the point of this post, so I'll stop now. They have so many great projects right now under construction or planned. They are making quick and huge strides in their inner city.

Now let's move on to Tulsa.

So many great things have been happening lately, so many opportunities to write that I have missed. I am really busy this time of year, and have barely found time to do homework, much less ramble on about my opinion.

My favorite announcement of the past few weeks is definitely Blake Ewing's plans for a five - screen movie theater downtown. But not only will it be a theater, it will also serve meals and alcohol. Ewing himself has stated that it will be nicer than the Alamo Draft House. He has also said that the building will include a large marquee, which is one of my favorite parts of the entire development. What I'm not too thrilled about, but I'm sure all the old people will be, is that no one under 21 years of age will be allowed in the theater. Yes, I know why it is being done, and I have to admit that it will set a higher standard for the establishment.

Another thing that has been talked about recently are the newly released One Place renderings. Yeah, it's one of the most uninspired pieces of architecture I've ever seen. I don't mean to be rude, but the taste of the architects that designed this building really sucks. It is definitely not something that will catch anyone's eye except for perhaps other architects who will note the complete lack of creativity in the building. With that said, I do not think the building is downright ugly, it just comes in much lower than my expectations for a development of such high caliber.

Switching gears once again, today there was an article about the Brady District and it's development in the Tulsa World. The part of that article that really caught my attention was the little section that discussed a street scraping plan for the Brady. I absolutely loved it. I loved it because it was not some grandiose plan costing millions upon millions of dollars that creates a mess in the district for a long time. It was simply, "You pay sixty percent of the cost to upgrade the sidewalk in front of your property, and we'll pay forty percent." (The money coming from the Brady District TIF.) I think this plan will do the most to help the appearance of the district, and it is entirely organic.

Now let's move on to transit.

With downtown well on its way to becoming a dense, liveable, attractive neighborhood, the time to start thinking and acting on the issue of transit is now. The day we have all been waiting for is finally here. Surface lots are disappearing downtown, and parking is beginning to become a bit more of a challenge. If we wish to continue having visitors to downtown that do not live there, we need to begin piecing together an effective public transportation system. This needs to happen immediately. Not in five years, not in ten years, not as a part of some long range plan. There are many things we could do with our current bus system tO make it more efficient and useful. What do you think we should do, right now, to improve public transportation?

Coming Soon....

For a little while I'd like us all to discuss transit on here. I'm planning on getting it started tonight at the earliest and tomorrow night at the latest. Remember, this only works when you participate! So be sure to vote on the polls and leave comments. If you ever have anything you'd like to say in length, shoot me an email and I'll post it. Feel free to do this anytime, sometimes I just run out of ideas.

Thank you all for reading.

Transportation-What should we do?

Transportation is a topic that frequently arises when discussing urbanism. It is definitely an important subject. It can also be a very sensitive subject, espescially here in Oklahoma. Right now I think we should discuss the future of transportation in Tulsa. Where should money be spent? What improvements should be made? Ultimately, since we live in America, the decision is up to us, the citizenry. (Well, at least you old people that can vote...)

For many years there have been lengthy discussions both in person and online over public transportation in Tulsa, with both sides making good points. There are those who hate public transit, and argue against it in every way, as well as avid supporters who would do away with their automobile completely. My viewpoint is somewhere in the middle, as I would assume most people's are.

As of now, we have a failing public transit system by way of bus. They have random schedules, and what little structure there is still implements infrequent stops, with passengers sometimes waiting over an hour for a single bus. This is flat out unacceptable. A city our size should be able to have buses running at the very most 20 minutes apart, with that wait time preferably being less than ten in the more centralized districts of Tulsa. This needs to be dealt with. Our current transit system isn't making anyone's life any easier.

So what in my opinion should be done? Well, the first step is already complete, we have developed a plan. That's a great start, and we should begin to implement aspects of that plan as soon as possible. But if it were all up to me, I would spend for the next five years about 80% of the public transit budget on improving bus service. Theoretically this could be done in a matter of only a couple of months, and we could have improved transit almost immediately. After that, I would take actions to build streetcars through Tulsa's inner city. The first routes would be down eleventh street between TU and downtown, and down sixth street connecting TU, the Pearl District, and downtown. They would connect on the west end on Harvard and on Boulder in the east. Once those had been completed, I would then build a line from Veterans Park in Uptown Going all the way up and connecting to the Brady District. This line would thus connect with the other line on Boulder, and would be able to circulate people from the neighborhood around TU through the Pearl, downtown, and uptown/18th and Boston area. Further rail lines would then be added elsewhere in the city based on needs at that point in time.

Now, I realize that this is just my point of view, and I don't want it to be. I want to hear all of your ideas as well, so please participate in this discussion. Remember, the first step to change is gathering ideas.

So I ask:
What should be done in Tulsa, Oklahoma about public transit?