Tulsa World version of the story:
Mayor agrees to allow sidewalk along Riverside Drive
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/gatheringplace/mayor-agrees-to-allow-sidewalk-along-riverside-drive/article_a824141d-2a11-535f-81a9-eea256132bf3.htmlBy KEVIN CANFIELD and JARREL WADE World Staff Writers
Mayor Dewey Bartlett announced this afternoon that he has agreed to the construction of a sidewalk on the east side of Riverside Drive near A Gathering Place for Tulsa park.
The sidewalk will run, as originally planned, from Veterans Park to the north boundary of A Gathering Place.
"The plan employs a combination of methods to calm traffic in a scalable manner," Bartlett said in a statement.
The highlights of the design changes include:
A tree lawn to give at least seven feet of distance between motorists and pedestrians
Driving lanes narrowed to 11 feet
Traffic signal/crosswalk at the main entrance of the Gathering Place near the 2700 block of Riverside Drive
Enhanced pedestrian crosswalks with clearly distinguishable striping and colored concrete pavement at intersections from 21st - 41st
Eight-inch curbs to minimize the risk of vehicles jumping the curb in the direction of the sidewalk
Extensive street striping and various types of signage to give motorists notice they are entering a park area
And as originally proposed, the speed limit will be posted at 35 mph
Installation of conduit during the construction phase to provide for future traffic signals, if needed
Bartlett nixed the original sidewalk proposal last year after meeting with some neighborhood residents, who objected to the project.
After a public meeting where the overwhelming majority of attendees expressed support for the sidewalk, Bartlett agreed to study the issue further.
The mayor has consistently said he he considered several factors in making his decision but that his primary objection to the sidewalk was that it would be dangerous for pedestrians using it.
City Councilor Blake Ewing, who hosted several discussions regarding the sidewalk, said he thinks the outcome is better for having gone through controversy. He also thanked Bartlett and other city officials for including him in the discussions to resolve the issue.
"You get people collaborating and sharing ideas and opinions on something like this and you end up with a better result," Ewing said. "This is how it's supposed to work. This issue actually caused people to take a bigger look at pedestrian access … it brought it to the forefront of our conversation."
Supporters of the sidewalk included a large showing from Tulsa's Young Professionals, which largely dominated group discussions on the issue.
Shagah Zakerion, TYPros executive director, said she hopes their role in the discussion and support was a sign of what's to come out of the group.
"I'm insanely proud of what we were able to accomplish," Zakerion said. "It really just will encourage us."
Zakerion said she was grateful to city officials for allowing opportunities for TYPros and hundreds of other residents to show their support.
Reconstruction of Riverside Drive is not expected to begin until at least this summer.
Phase 1 of A Gathering Place will stretch from approximately the 2700 block of Riverside Drive to 31st Street on the east side of the street and the 2700 block to 34th Street along the west side of Riverside.
The project is underway and is expected to be completed in late 2017.
