The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

With all the orange barrels out and people who don't have a clue how to merge courteously, I'm rapidly becoming a fan of mass transit.

I haul buttocks up to the front of the line , turn on my blinker, honk my horn if I don't get my way and flip the bird to all behind me.

Who's with me?

What's a "blinker"?

it makes a clicky noise

That's the flashy thing that only drivers over 80 use-flashing all the time, the left one flashing all the time the car is in operation.

I haul buttocks up to the front of the line , turn on my blinker, honk my horn if I don't get my way and flip the bird to all behind me.

Who's with me?

That's the flashy thing that only drivers over 80 use-flashing all the time, the left one flashing all the time the car is in operation.

On this edition of our show, we get an update on Tulsa's Regional Transit System Plan, which is also known as Fast Forward. The plan was adopted last year, in October of 2011, and operations are now moving forward on the first major enhancement to the current Tulsa Transit set-up. That first enhancement is a proposed BRT, or Bus Rapid Transit, that would run along the lengthy Peoria/Riverside Corridor (which is 20+ miles long, from Far North to Far South Tulsa). Buses that operate within BRT systems are typically sleek, low-to-the-ground, express-type buses that look and function more like commuter trains than conventional city buses --- and the stops, or stations, for such BRTs are likewise far more accommodating and informative than conventional bus stops. (For example, such stations often feature electronic signage telling riders that the "next bus will arrive in ten minutes," or the like.) Our guests on today's ST are both heavily involved in the current Peoria/Riverside Corridor Study: James Wagner in a Senior Transportation Planner with INCOG and Mike McAnelly is a Project Manager with Jacobs Engineering. You can learn more about Fast Forward (and about its Peoria/Riverside Corridor Study) at this link.

South of Miami on the way to Homestead, they've got dedicated busways for the buses. I was still not terribly impressed, but they were making slightly better time than those of us on the regular road. Not much, though, since they still had stop lights to contend with. No long queue of cars to wait behind when the light turned green, but not much advantage beyond that.

INCOG is calling for a new image in public transit. The Peoria Study has been working since April of last year, and putting forth ideas for Tulsa. INCOG's James Wagner says the new technology is known as Bus Rapid Transit, and improves the transit without spending millions.

"It's a technology where you take a bus, and sort of make it into a branded service that looks a lot like light-rail. Instead of stopping at every bus stop that's out there, which is every two to three blocks, you narrow down the stops to just specific areas. What that does is speeds up the travel time and makes the service look a lot more like rail service," says Wagner.

Peoria Avenue is their first target because of the residents in the area and access to jobs. Wagner says it covers 20 percent of the jobs in Tulsa, and one out of seven residents. Wagner is also hoping for a new perspective of the transit for Tulsa residents.

"I think people will really start to think about using transit on a regular basis as opposed to just  thinking of it as a mode of last resort," he adds.

The next step for the project is to get funded. Bus Rapid Transit has quickly spread to the Midwest and Southwest.

INCOG is presenting the details of the proposal at 6 pm, January 8th, at the South Brooke Church of Christ near 28th and Peoria.

Apparently the Tulsa lines will have traffic light control.

The traffic signal pre-emption system we have in Tulsa (which turns signals green in response to approaching emergency vehicles) allows for a lower-priority mass-transit use, as well.

When we add a somewhat constant flow of buses all demanding green lights, what effect is that going to have on trying to synchronize traffic signals?

Really, any change at this point would be positive. Today each bus is 45 minutes apart and the routes are haphazard and confusing. It takes nearly an hour to get from Denver Station to 41st and Yale on the 222 CC.

I don't see the Tulsa area getting any kind of rapid transit, rail or bus.  The will isn't there to create dedicated right of way much less grade separated right of way.  However, not so slow, easier to use is an achievable goal.

I don't see the Tulsa area getting any kind of rapid transit, rail or bus.  The will isn't there to create dedicated right of way much less grade separated right of way.  However, not so slow, easier to use is an achievable goal.

Hate to be the "find something negative person" but, guess it's because I am an artist, the first thing I noticed right off was "INCOG calling for a new image in public transit" and seeing the late 70's early 80's font on the drab sign above that lol. 

Hate to be the "find something negative person" but, guess it's because I am an artist, the first thing I noticed right off was "INCOG calling for a new image in public transit" and seeing the late 70's early 80's font on the drab sign above that lol. 

Dallas has the Spur, and San Antonio’s Primo just started service last month.



The current plan involves adding a Bus Rapid Transit service to the existing 105 route.
In Tulsa, a plan to bring Bus Rapid Transit service to Peoria Avenue takes shape.

Transportation Projects Coordinator with INCOG. At the final public meeting to seek input about INCOG’s current preferred plan, INCOG Transportation Projects Coordinator James Wagner explains, “Basically what we’re looking at is a Bus Rapid Transit system that would increase the frequency from 30 minutes to every 15 minutes.”

“It would do that by using stations,” he said, “36 stations at 19 locations, throughout the Peoria corridor that would connect from 38th Street North down to 81st and Lewis.”

The current bus route along Peoria is the 105. It runs from 66th street north down to 81st and Lewis, and under INCOG’s plan, it would remain functioning as is.

The new line would be in addition to the 105.

“What it effectively does,” Wagner said, “is it doubles the frequency of the transit service, and it provides people with an option to use a branded transit service that has nicer bus shelters and more amenities.”

Amenities like real-time bus arrival information, either through a smart phone app or a display on the bus shelter. Or ticket vending machines, so you can pay your fare before you board. 

The idea, Wagner says, is for the bus line to function as closely as possible like a light rail service—fewer stops, farther apart, but much more frequent service, and better reliability.

Many residents who showed up to the meeting earlier this week were enthusiastic. Jannette Hammack says she’d use a service like this all the time.

“I work at Third and Peoria, and I live at about 46th and Peoria,” she said, “so if this was implemented, I would be able to let go of having to drive my car.”

“You shouldn’t have to rely on a car when you live in a city, is my basic philosophy,” said another resident, Alani Taylor.

Taylor says she’s tried to use the bus system before, when a medical issue meant she couldn’t use her car for at least six months.

“It really just ended up being so inconvenient that I ended up finding someone else in my building that I could carpool with,” she said, “because I didn’t have the option of staying late at work, I didn’t have the option of coming in earlier or later if I wanted to.”

“The timing of the schedule was just so restrictive,” she said.

The public meeting about the bus rapid transit service was early this week, just one day after the high-profile murder of four women in an apartment complex at 61st and Peoria.

So it’s perhaps understandable that one of the concerns raised at the meeting was whether added bus stops with higher volume might bring with it an elevated crime rate.

But Carol Bush with the Crime Prevention Network, formerly the Tulsa Crime Commission, says that’s an unrealistic concern.

“I don’t’ think typically bad guys use the bus to do their bad work,” Bush said.

She says Tulsa’s effective non-police crime-prevention efforts could be expanded specifically to include bus stops.

“Maybe the Alert Neighbors,” she said, “when they’re patrolling not only their neighborhoods and looking for suspicious activity, they include patrolling the bus stops and watching out for them.”

Wagner says the plans included added lighting and security cameras. He says Dallas is a good example of added access to transit creating economic development.

“Transportation is really a tool of increasing property value,” he said. “The more access a piece of property has to it, if it’s a commercial property, the more valuable it is.”

One potential drawback to the plan is a lack of available federal grant money.

The Peoria route is Tulsa’s busiest, but it still doesn’t have enough riders to be eligible for the Very Small Starts grant program from the Federal Transit Administration.

Wagner says that the plan is to use local funding to implement the current proposals. As ridership grows, Tulsa would later become eligible for federal funds for further improvements to its public transit system.

All the way to 66 St N? Who the heck wants to go to Turley?