Tomorrow COTPA will unveil the three streetcar routes. Since I'm COTPA's designated blog respondent and I've been heavily involved in the process, here's a sneakpeak:

http://downtownontherange.blogspot.com/2010/05/3-options.html

The strongest option, in my opinion:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L3gtvb8usg4/S_4BoK8wVaI/AAAAAAAAAno/bir7pTy6YwA/s1600/map1.jpg

Good to see that it will run by all the Law offices and The courthouse!That place gets BUSY!

And the subsidies! I can hear them coming now! All of the $$$ being wasted on a small minority...

Sorry SRG I had to say it!

Anyway, I don't think the route east of the one that goes by the memorial and the Ford would be necessary. You could get by with simply a single line running both ways, imo OKC doesn't need that L in the middle. It'd be too congested.

And the subsidies! I can hear them coming now! All of the $$$ being wasted on a small minority...

Sorry SRG I had to say it!

Believe it or not, downtown is the only concentration of people that exists in Central Oklahoma. You just can't make much headway on building a sustainable city on Memorial Road, despite how bad Ideal Homes wishes we would move all the MAPS projects up there.

I guess the logic is that if you don't live on the far northwest side of OKC then you shouldn't ask nothing in the way of government services and infrastructure..

^^ I see. I heard that that was always an issue. MAPS was always concentrated downtown and some residents on the outskirts wanted a little piece of the pie as well but really it wasn't worth it.

Well it was never a legitimate issue because all of the civic leaders are committed to growing downtown. Nobody is committed to growing Memorial Road and far northwest OKC. Nobody is going to get passionate and fuzzy hearted over the idea of widening a freeway to Edmond, nevermind how stupid that would be for OKC to do, anyway.

srg, i liked the route you posted on okc talk. it was a lot more simple. i think that the routes copta has come out with are too complicated and that is their greatest downfall. you can't explain to someone from out of town where they can hop on the streetcar.

(well, first it starts on 11th, then turns south at hudson, then turns east at 4th, then turns south at robinson, then turns east at the boulevard, then turns north at oklahoma, then turns east at reno, then turns north at stiles, then... you get the idea.)

I agree that simplicity will help cement the route in people's minds, but don't forget the obvious advantage of physical tracks. You always know where the streetcar travels, even if you don't see the streetcar.

I wanted to update progress on the Oklahoma City streetcar. Remember this streetcar system is no pipe dream as it already has a dedicated funding source collecting money. The final route should be released by spring, but in the meantime there is a very open process going on with the public to determine the route. A major focus has been to plan a "first phase" but also plan a future system map so that we aren't short-sighted in the initial route. Consensus is to include a downtown/Midtown transit mall with a leg to one of the outlying urban nodes for the first phase.

So here is a look at a potential system map from Jeff Bezdek who is involved with the transit committees, posted originally at okctalk.com:

http://www.okctalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=767&d=1297280318

The BLUE portion is the most certain bet for what will be included in Phase 1. It links lofts, bars, and TOD potential of Midtown to the CBD, Bricktown, and major attractions including OKC Memorial, convention center, and arena.

The TURQUOISE shaded area is also fairly certain to be the location of a multimodal transit hub, which will integrate streetcar, bus, Amtrak, future commuter rail from Edmond to Norman, and future HSR to Tulsa and Dallas/Fort Worth.

The YELLOW to Paseo and the portion of the PINK to Plaza District seem to be the most likely candidates for the last portion of the first phase, but this has not yet been determined for sure.

And finally, the RED noticeably includes a link to the Medical District and State Capitol- OKC would seek federal/state matching funds to extend a line in this direction.

So, progress is good and strong debate from certain council members has actually strengthened the planning IMO by encouraging a link to at least one neighborhood outside of the Downtown/Midtown core.

Wow! That would be one hell of a system!So the parking lots West of The rail line and The parking lot next to The U-haul would be The Hub,what would be of The current bus station if the bus sys. was integrated into The new hub?

OKC City council accepts reccomendation for streetcar route! http://www.newsok.com/oklahoma-council-accepts-recommendation-for-downtown-streetcar-route/article/3555655?custom_click=pod_headline_oklahoma-city-news

Now it sounds like this is going to get done well in advance of 2020.

Something else Oklahoma City has that Fort Worth DOESN'T.....

Thanx again, city "leaders".:gaah:

As I understand it, the streetcar was the big loser today as the city council voted to move it back to, gulp, 2021, so as to move the convention center 30 months forward.

Still trying to sort out the full implications of today's vote- it seems that 2021 listed in the news article as the streetcar completion deadline refers to the total six-mile system- there is a possibility that the full timeline is more nuanced and shows the first four-mile portion beginning construction as early as 2014.

Still trying to sort out the full implications of today's vote- it seems that 2021 listed in the news article as the streetcar completion deadline refers to the total six-mile system- there is a possibility that the full timeline is more nuanced and shows the first four-mile portion beginning construction as early as 2014.

Yep, just saw that. Maybe the park is the big loser then.

Still trying to sort out the full implications of today's vote- it seems that 2021 listed in the news article as the streetcar completion deadline refers to the total six-mile system- there is a possibility that the full timeline is more nuanced and shows the first four-mile portion beginning construction as early as 2014.

I am sure most know my position on rail, and Shane, I know you've heard my arguments, so I think this is probably a good thing.

This will allow time for OKC to densify and build a stronger economy (hopefully) in it's CBD. This will also allow for population to grow to the extent that rail will be more functional and used more.

Amazing, the hysteria over on OKCTalk.