INCOG planning for commuter rail

[sportyart]

I find it interesting that INCOG has put in a plan for commuter rail between downtown and BA with in the next 10 years.

[RecycleMichael]

The transportation plans for Tulsa are very interesting and they are looking for public input.

Go here:

http://www.incog.org/Transportation/default.htm

[D.Schuttler]

Is the Chairman listed as a citizen the same John Selph as this one?

 

quote:my name is John Selph. I am a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) and I chair NARC's Air Quality Task Force. I am chairman-elect of the Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG), the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Tulsa area, and I chair INCOG's Air Quality Committee

.

And also former Dist. 2 County Commisioner and many other boards?

[pmcalk]

Has anyone ever proposed a commuter rail between Tulsa and Bartlesville?  Between downtown, Tulsa Airport, Owasso, Skiatook, and then on to Bartlesville--I believe that could be a well used line.  If there were a few local stops in between downtown and the airport, it might even spur some decent development in north Tulsa.  My understanding is that Conoco/Phillips is relocating a lot of employees from Houston who would rather live in Tulsa.  With gas at $3 a gallon, they might appreciate a commuter line.  And those living in Owasso and Skiatook would surely appreciate the line as well.

[SXSW]

The existing rail lines are well set up for commuter rail in and around Tulsa.  You have the tracks that run from downtown BA to downtown Tulsa that could have stops in midtown at 21st street and in east tulsa at 51st and memorial.  Another existing line going from downtown by the river to Jenks and maybe Bixby would work well, and the airport/Owasso/Bartlesville would be interesting.

[Matthew.Dowty]

Actually ODOT did hire Parsons Brinkerhoff to study commuter rail between Tulsa and Bartlesville in 1989.

The recommendation then was to make the sure the alignment is preserved so it can be used in the future.

Well its the future now.

Let's see how high fuel goes.  That will be the fire that gets the public and policymakers behind rail.

[Double A]

Who wants to lay odds that this will happen in OKC way before it happens here? It looks like Sue Neal will have her work cut out for her as da Mare's legislative liason lobbying for this.

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by Double A

Who wants to lay odds that this will happen in OKC way before it happens here?

I dont suppose a collaboration would be a realistic expectation, would it?
Having a MagLev right down the center of the Turner Turnpike wouldnt bother me one bit --

Tulsa to OKC in 45 Min?  Cool.

[peb]

quote:Originally posted by SXSW

The existing rail lines are well set up for commuter rail in and around Tulsa.  You have the tracks that run from downtown BA to downtown Tulsa that could have stops in midtown at 21st street and in east tulsa at 51st and memorial.  Another existing line going from downtown by the river to Jenks and maybe Bixby would work well, and the airport/Owasso/Bartlesville would be interesting.

I might be wrong but I recall a talk by by someone associated with Sunbelt Railroad (??) that used to have excursion trains from Mohawk Park.  The gist of the talk was that there's 2 levels of certification for railbeds: commercial and passenger.  As you'd expect, most ofthe railbeds around Tulsa were allowed to degrade to the lesser commercial grading - no need to keep the line up to passenger status if no one's hauling passengers.  I also recall him saying that commercial lines can be used to haul passengers but it requires a permit and the train must operate at a vastly reduced speed (and maybe even stop before bridges,  culverts, crossings and such).   I wonder which would be more cost effective - rehabilitation or new construction?

But, then again, whatever was preventing Sunbelt (??) from passenger service 10 years ago may no longer be an issue due to the everchanging legislative lanscape.

peb

[pmcalk]

Part of the problem is that we need people to start changing their attitudes.  I have heard so many say that Tulsans will never use a transit system because driving is so much more convenient.  For those of us who have spent time commuting, in larger cities, we know the real convenience is in public transportation.  Even if the public system doubles your commute time, it is time that you can actually get something done--writing, reading, working on your computer, etc....

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by pmcalk

Part of the problem is that we need people to start changing their attitudes.  I have heard so many say that Tulsans will never use a transit system because driving is so much more convenient.

This time tomorrow, we'll be voting to widen some streets (among other things).  Are we contributing to the problem?

quote:Even if the public system doubles your commute time, it is time that you can actually get something done--writing, reading, working on your computer, etc....

Sounds like were talking on-board WiFi as a perk for business commuters (or at the very least, uninterrupted coverage from Tulsa Metronet along the route).  
Aside from a dependable schedule and an affordable fare, what other utilization incentives might work?

[Dana431]

quote:Originally posted by patric

quote:Originally posted by pmcalk

Part of the problem is that we need people to start changing their attitudes.  I have heard so many say that Tulsans will never use a transit system because driving is so much more convenient.

This time tomorrow, we'll be voting to widen some streets (among other things).  Are we contributing to the problem?

Yes we are.

[cityboy]

I've heard all of this before.  I remember this same commuter rail plan being proposed in the 1970s.  I am still waiting for it to happen.

[Jammie]

quote:Originally posted by Dana431

quote:Originally posted by patric

quote:Originally posted by pmcalk

Part of the problem is that we need people to start changing their attitudes.  I have heard so many say that Tulsans will never use a transit system because driving is so much more convenient.

This time tomorrow, we'll be voting to widen some streets (among other things).  Are we contributing to the problem?

Yes we are.

Since I've never been to Tulsa, I really shouldn't be commenting on your transit system, but I really believe that anything done to improve public transportation would be great. Yesterday I was speaking with an acquaintance and told her we're planning on going to Tulsa for our next vacation. She was pretty surprised and proceeded to tell me that as soon as she retires, that's where she'll be living. She has a sister and Mother who live in OK (Not Tulsa) and she has been there often. She absolutely raved about the city. I realize this is just one incident and one other couple that I know of who plan on living down there, BUT, as I said before, Fla, Az, etc are crowded, expensive, etc. There are a lot of baby boomers from the Northern states who will soon be looking for a warmer climate that has very little snowfall yet has all four seasons. I just hope they don't stumble on to Tulsa until we can check it out or the real estate will be skyrocketing by then. Another thing we need to consider is the pattern in the Eastern states. Many people are tired of the hurricanes, heat, crowds, cost of living, etc in Fla. I know of several people who have left Fla. and are relocating to NC and SC. Could there be people in a Southern state near OK that may be looking in your direction some day, too? From the things that I've been told by friends who have been to Tulsa, the city has a lot to offer, entertainment, culture, beautiful scenery, etc. If I were a betting person, I'd guess that your area will see quite a population spurt within the next 10-15 years.

[okiebybirth]

http://blog.foe.org/getting_there/2006/04/whats_that_have.html

Seems Tulsa is getting a lot of talk around the country about our transportation system.  But how much talk is going within the government and city circles?  We should probably say goodbye to gas as low as $2.00  How much does gas need to rise before a serious discussion is brought to the forefront?