The road is paved, the lights are in, and most of the striping is done. Yet, the paper states 2-way traffic will not be started until next month..
What is left?
Courage.
Downtown street lights need some serious resyncing.
quote:
Originally posted by NellieBly
Downtown street lights need some serious resyncing.
Yeah, but I think they knew it was coming.
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
quote:
Originally posted by NellieBly
Downtown street lights need some serious resyncing.
Yeah, but I think they knew it was coming.
Moving each of those plywood "Don't you DARE park here AT ALL!" signs takes longer than you think.
Yeah, especially with all of the cars parked next to them....
quote:
Originally posted by we vs us
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
quote:
Originally posted by NellieBly
Downtown street lights need some serious resyncing.
Yeah, but I think they knew it was coming.
Moving each of those plywood "Don't you DARE park here AT ALL!" signs takes longer than you think.
Those things make me cringe every time I look at them. Those and the golf cart cop with his feet up, unable to patrol a three-block area on foot, make us look like some podunk town.
quote:
Originally posted by TheTed
quote:
Originally posted by we vs us
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
quote:
Originally posted by NellieBly
Downtown street lights need some serious resyncing.
Yeah, but I think they knew it was coming.
Moving each of those plywood "Don't you DARE park here AT ALL!" signs takes longer than you think.
Those things make me cringe every time I look at them. Those and the golf cart cop with his feet up, unable to patrol a three-block area on foot, make us look like some podunk town.
From a "not from here" perspective, I have to say that I like the pink signs. I only wish they'd change the message every week. "Don't even dream of parking here." "Mark, stop parking here or I'll call your wife." "If you're going to park here, you'd better be bringing donuts."
Etc. [:)]
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
The road is paved, the lights are in, and most of the striping is done. Yet, the paper states 2-way traffic will not be started until next month..
What is left?
The opposite of right...sinister and wrong.
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
The road is paved, the lights are in, and most of the striping is done. Yet, the paper states 2-way traffic will not be started until next month..
What is left?
According to DTU's
In the Loop (page 5 of the pdf) (//%22http://www.tulsadowntown.org/imgUL/In%20the%20Loop,%202nd%20quarter,%202007.pdf%22), completion is scheduled for February 2008. What's left? PSO's installation of power for the traffic signals.
quote:
Originally posted by booWorld
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle
The road is paved, the lights are in, and most of the striping is done. Yet, the paper states 2-way traffic will not be started until next month..
What is left?
According to DTU's In the Loop (page 5 of the pdf) (//%22http://www.tulsadowntown.org/imgUL/In%20the%20Loop,%202nd%20quarter,%202007.pdf%22), completion is scheduled for February 2008. What's left? PSO's installation of power for the traffic signals.
I looked at it yesterday and they still have to put down the center stripe and then when you rearrange a street you have to go through the Emergency vehicle notification process so that EMSA, Police, and Fire know how to route responses and put up temp signage to alert the masses that the signalization has changed. All takes time.
According to DTU's In the Loop (page 5 of the pdf) (//%22http://www.tulsadowntown.org/imgUL/In%20the%20Loop,%202nd%20quarter,%202007.pdf%22), completion is scheduled for February 2008.
What's left? According to the DTU link cited above, AEP-PSO's installation of power for the traffic signals. The scheduled time for completion, according to the DTU website cited above, is within the next 31 days.
I walked on the east side of Boston between 3rd and 4th tonight. The unit pavers are uneven and rough. This looks like a shoddy sidewalk IMO -- instant junk.
"When you only have two pennies left in the world, build a fountain in the middle of the intersection of Fifth and Main with one, and build a fountain in the middle of the intersection of Fifth and Main with the other." ~DTU proverb
quote:
Originally posted by booWorld
According to DTU's In the Loop (page 5 of the pdf) (//%22http://www.tulsadowntown.org/imgUL/In%20the%20Loop,%202nd%20quarter,%202007.pdf%22), completion is scheduled for February 2008.
What's left? According to the DTU link cited above, AEP-PSO's installation of power for the traffic signals. The scheduled time for completion, according to the DTU website cited above, is within the next 31 days.
I walked on the east side of Boston between 3rd and 4th tonight. The unit pavers are uneven and rough. This looks like a shoddy sidewalk IMO -- instant junk.
"When you only have two pennies left in the world, build a fountain in the middle of the intersection of Fifth and Main with one, and build a fountain in the middle of the intersection of Fifth and Main with the other." ~DTU proverb
I didn't walk it, not my project, but I will pass on the comment.
I do a good amount of walking downtown. In general, the unit pavers make for a worse surface for pedestrian ways than does concrete. Last night I walked the 300 block of Boston Maul. Concrete was used for the sidewalk on the west side of the street. It's much better for walking than the rough unit pavers on the east side. It's frustrating to me to watch relatively good and smooth concrete sidewalks be torn out and replaced by sloppy new work of inferior quality.
"When you only have two pennies left in the world, build a fountain in the middle of the intersection of Fifth and Main with one, and build a fountain in the middle of the intersection of Fifth and Main with the other." ~DTU proverb
Last night I tripped over a unit paver in my neighborhood in Uptown Dallas. It was only sticking up about a centimeter, maybe less, but it was enough to catch my toe. Those suckers are nice to look at but certainly not as pedestrian-friendly as good old concrete. But they do seem to accomodate tree growth rather well--no cracking to worry about.
The offsets along Boston Maul are significant. What's being built isn't the design DTU promoted for years. In terms of walking surface, the design promoted by DTU would have been better because the walk areas were to be mostly concrete with smaller areas of unit pavers near the curb and tree planters. I need to check some facts before being 100% certain on this. Right now I'm about 99% certain.
Large areas of downtown are a huge mess because so many streets and sidewalks have been torn out at the same time. This was an extremely foolish management decision in a tight labor market. The unit pavers themselves are junk from the moment they are installed. They will be a major maintenance issue for Tulsa, which is a shame. I hate to see millions wasted on such silliness.
"When you only have two pennies left in the world, build a fountain smack dab in the middle of the intersection of Fifth and Main with one, and build a fountain smack dab in the middle of the intersection of Fifth and Main with the other." ~DTU proverb
quote:
Originally posted by booWorld
The offsets along Boston Maul are significant. What's being built isn't the design DTU promoted for years. In terms of walking surface, the design promoted by DTU would have been better because the walk areas were to be mostly concrete with smaller areas of unit pavers near the curb and tree planters. I need to check some facts before being 100% certain on this. Right now I'm about 99% certain.
Large areas of downtown are a huge mess because so many streets and sidewalks have been torn out at the same time. This was an extremely foolish management decision in a tight labor market. The unit pavers themselves are junk from the moment they are installed. They will be a major maintenance issue for Tulsa, which is a shame. I hate to see millions wasted on such silliness.
"When you only have two pennies left in the world, build a fountain smack dab in the middle of the intersection of Fifth and Main with one, and build a fountain smack dab in the middle of the intersection of Fifth and Main with the other." ~DTU proverb
While it's an inconvenience, I think it's actually a much smarter decision to do all of this at once... For one thing, just think of the quickly escalating fuel costs and add them into a more spread-out, one-street-at-a-time approach. This way, it might suck for drivers in the short run, but it'll all be over at the same time, and it will cost less. Boom! then it's over.
I really dislike the pavers... While they may make it better for trees' roots, it also allows grass and weeds to grow through the cracks if it isn't maintained properly. And we all know Tulsa's track record with
maintining the things that are built...
quote:
Originally posted by DScott28604
While it's an inconvenience, I think it's actually a much smarter decision to do all of this at once... For one thing, just think of the quickly escalating fuel costs and add them into a more spread-out, one-street-at-a-time approach. This way, it might suck for drivers in the short run, but it'll all be over at the same time, and it will cost less. Boom! then it's over.
Perhaps having many streets ripped up for weeks and months and years is a good idea. I'm not a fan of make-work projects. Getting around downtown is not convenient. In terms of the sidewalks along Boston Maul, I think it's an unnecessary project that is being dragged out far longer than originally scheduled. I remember when the City of Tulsa website said that it was scheduled for completion in April 2007. Then I remember when that date was revised to August 2007. I vaguely remember reading another revised completion date in the Tulsa World of October 2007, but I'm not certain of this. Now DTU's website says February 2008. If the new sidewalks were better than the old ones, then the situation wouldn't be as tragic. But the brand new unit paver sidewalks are, in general, worse than the concrete sidewalks they replaced. That's frustrating. And it's regression, not progress.
"When you only have two pennies left in the world, stay as far away as you possibly can from concrete unit pavers."
I've definitely tripped on the paver stones on Main Street. The occasional brick tends to pop up just a half inch or so, and while you're walking around admiring the architecture and/or surface parking lots, WHAMMO! (On the bright side, everyone likes it when I trip b/c I do this windmill thing with my arms, which seems to amuse bystanders...)
I'm also curious about the "pedestrian bump outs." On Brookside, I've found that cars tend to cut the corner (as there's no curb) and will drive right over your toes if you don't get out of the way. (Most drivers look only to their left before turning right on red...so be alert if you're standing on a corner waiting for the light to change!) Are these supposed to be SAFER for pedestrians? (Just look for the tire marks to see where the traffic flow is.)
I'm excited for Boston to be 2-way. All downtown streets should be. But all this other stuff? Acorn lights. Trip-hazard pavers. Pedestrian "drive-overs." Reminds me of the Bartlett Square Fountain Fiasco. Were these new "improvements" also part of a DTU plan?
Should have just made the sidewalks granite slabs and been done with it forever, finito, ad infinitum, etc. etc.
However, though I haven't walked much on the new sidewalks yet, I have been to plenty of other cities with new and "original" brick and cobblestone pavers, that are quite bumpy so we are in good company. I can't imagine that there is anything intrinsically wrong with the pavers per say. I can only surmise that it must be what they are placed on that is causing the purported problems.
As for the acorn lights. I was downtown just the other evening and they didnt actually seem as bright as I had thought they would be. They did seem to have a cap of some sort inside the top part of the lamp and, though I didnt look too closely at first glance the ones I saw seemed to have LED lights in them? But this was in the Brady District not on Boston Avenue. I would think the "innards" would be the same with the Boston Avenue acorn lights though. Will just have to wait and see when they are on what they actually look like. Again, if they are too bright and harsh. I am certain something can be eventually changed inside the fixtures to remedy the situation. So all is not lost regardless.
FYI: Look both ways when you cross the street. Boston is now 2-way.
Also, 6th Street is closed from Boston-Main for Centennial Green construction. On 6th Street, they are putting in a center island and stamped concrete walking paths.
^Also watch out for those unit paver sidewalks. They're rough.
quote:
Originally posted by booWorld
^Also watch out for those unit paver sidewalks. They're rough.
I would, but mainly I just find big holes where they aren't installed yet.
This makes my job so much easier.
Also, why would people like me not park in the no parking areas they had? Those loading zones are vital for us delivery guys who have very little time on our hands to spare.
quote:
Originally posted by deinstein
This makes my job so much easier.
Also, why would people like me not park in the no parking areas they had? Those loading zones are vital for us delivery guys who have very little time on our hands to spare.
I'm all for loading zone and 30min parking only from 7th to 1st, cincinnati to cheyenne.
Noticed the double yellow stripe today, along with "two way traffic" signs. Looks like Boston Ave. is now a two way street....
quote:
Originally posted by Kenosha
Noticed the double yellow stripe today, along with "two way traffic" signs. Looks like Boston Ave. is now a two way street....
I drove it last night just to be able to say I went the 'wrong' way down Boston [;)].
I've driven south from 3rd. The City ought to install "ONE WAY" signs at 8th Street so southbound drivers won't be tempted to turn right. There's a single "ONE WAY" sign at 7th Street near the northwest corner of the intersection, but it's easy to miss. The City ought to install "ONE WAY" signs at 7th Street also.
I'm familiar with the one-way streets downtown, but many drivers are confused by them. The lack of "ONE WAY" signs creates dangerous situations for drivers who might think it's okay to turn west onto 8th when it's not marked otherwise.
I also noticed that the brand new pavement has orange and yellow fluorescent spray paint on it. Why? Is it to indicate the location of underground utilities?
One street down. Which other streets are to be turned into 2 way, and any idea when? My impression from a map I saw a while back was that most streets would be 2 way downtown except for a couple that directly lead to higway access points.
^I think sgrizzle posted a link to a map of street plans downtown, but as I recall, the intent is to keep 1st, 2nd, 7th, 8th, Cincinnati, and Detroit as one-ways, and to convert all other one-way streets to two-way traffic.
quote:
Originally posted by booWorld
I've driven south from 3rd. The City ought to install "ONE WAY" signs at 8th Street so southbound drivers won't be tempted to turn right. There's a single "ONE WAY" sign at 7th Street near the northwest corner of the intersection, but it's easy to miss. The City ought to install "ONE WAY" signs at 7th Street also.
I'm familiar with the one-way streets downtown, but many drivers are confused by them. The lack of "ONE WAY" signs creates dangerous situations for drivers who might think it's okay to turn west onto 8th when it's not marked otherwise.
I also noticed that the brand new pavement has orange and yellow fluorescent spray paint on it. Why? Is it to indicate the location of underground utilities?
That's what it's for. They remarked before digging up 6th street. I watched a locate guy going over the lines with several coats for no reason and I wanted to introduce him to the ol' rochambeau because I know he isn't come remove it later.
At least when streets were all in one direction the lights were properly calibrated to move traffic quickly. Something tells me we're looking at more frustration.
I will remember the days you could go left onto Boston form any of the one way east directional avenues without waiting on a light to change.
^The intention of modifying the existing one-way street pattern is to provide improved circulation within the "pedestrian-oriented core" of downtown.
That's the City of Tulsa's and Downtown Tulsa Unlimited's stated purpose.
As far as I know, left turns will be allowed on red lights from Detroit to 7th and to 1st, from Cincinnati to 2nd and to 8th, from 1st and from 7th to Cincinnati, and from 2nd and from 8th to Detroit. Re-calibrating the traffic signals will take some time, but my guess is that they will be set for continuous flow on the remaining one-way streets to and from the IDL ramps.