What exactly is the point of OKC Blvd?

Started by silverback1065, November 16, 2017, 06:22:40 PM

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silverback1065

Can someone from the area explain why this road exists?  It looks like they are building another interstate quality roadway downtown, but what's the point of this with i-40 just a few thousand feet south?  I think someone on here said it used to be an old alignment of I-40, if that is the case, why not just make it an at grade blvd?  what's the need for it to be limited access?  It appears at least that the gap in between the 2 segments is going to be filled. 


mrsman

Any explanation for the red bullseyes on Broadway Ave?  From way up high, they look like roundabouts, but they are just painted on at several intersections.

Scott5114

OKC Boulevard is meant as a way to feed traffic into downtown OKC from the Interstate System, using the ROW that demolition of the old I-40 Crosstown freed up. Unfortunately, ODOT still owned the ROW, and as they say, when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. As a result, we have the transportation equivalent of something most of us will experience next month–the City of OKC saying "Oh, you shouldn't have. No really, you shouldn't have," while a beaming ODOT gifts them something they didn't really want.

OKC wanted a more city-street-type facility built there all along, even at one point proposing to just restore the existing street grid where the ROW cut through it, but ODOT wasn't having any of it. It would be hard to find a city-state government relationship that is more combative than that between the City of OKC and the State of Oklahoma (excepting, possibly, that of Norman and Oklahoma).

Quote from: mrsman on November 16, 2017, 08:04:55 PM
Any explanation for the red bullseyes on Broadway Ave?  From way up high, they look like roundabouts, but they are just painted on at several intersections.

It's a decorative faux brick treatment.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

silverback1065


okc1

The area that had the Ford dealership is still owned by them. Potential for retail there. Mainly a quick way to get to and from Thunder games. A garage will be built directly across the boulevard from the arena.
Steve Reynolds
Midwest City OK
Native of Southern Erie Co, NY

Plutonic Panda

#5
The Boulevard will prove very useful in increasing traffic capacity and potentially being a showcase street for the city. In a perfect world I'd like to have seen a tunnel, but whatever. Not even in my dreams.

Here is what could have been drawn up by an enthusiastic citizen: https://andrewkstewart.wordpress.com/category/ideas/urban-design/the-new-oklahoma-city-boulevard/

In case you won't want to read through all of the urbanism stuff and just want some pictures, here is a direct link to that: https://andrewkstewart.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/final-presentation1.pdf

compdude787

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on November 18, 2017, 08:51:13 AM
The Boulevard will prove very useful in increasing traffic capacity and potentially being a showcase street for the city. In a perfect world I'd like to have seen a tunnel, but whatever. Not even in my dreams.

Here is what could have been drawn up by an enthusiastic citizen: https://andrewkstewart.wordpress.com/category/ideas/urban-design/the-new-oklahoma-city-boulevard/

In case you won't want to read through all of the urbanism stuff and just want some pictures, here is a direct link to that: https://andrewkstewart.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/final-presentation1.pdf

I like that Paris-style roundabout. I wish they would have done something a bit like that. It would have been a big draw for people. Personally I think that the fact that there are grade separations that still remain on OKC Boulevard defeats the purpose of realigning I-40 off of its elevated section.

SD Mapman

Quote from: compdude787 on November 30, 2017, 03:27:26 PM
It would have been a big draw for people.
Probably because there's nothing like that in the States (feel free to correct my rural hick knowledge if wrong)!
The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see. - G.K. Chesterton

oscar

Quote from: SD Mapman on December 01, 2017, 11:17:30 PM
Quote from: compdude787 on November 30, 2017, 03:27:26 PM
It would have been a big draw for people.
Probably because there's nothing like that in the States (feel free to correct my rural hick knowledge if wrong)!

Washington D.C. has many traffic circles, of varying diameters. Dupont Circle is perhaps the most like the envisioned Market Circle in OKC, though without the fancy arch in the middle. Also, Dupont Circle like many other D.C. circles has through traffic for one of the intersecting avenues in a tunnel underneath the circle, so less traffic goes into the circle (but traffic flow can still be a mess anyway).
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Scott5114

uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Henry

I wonder if the same thing will be done in Denver if they proceed with the plans to take out I-70 there? OKC Blvd should be a worthwhile project if done correctly.
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silverback1065

Quote from: Henry on December 06, 2017, 09:46:22 AM
I wonder if the same thing will be done in Denver if they proceed with the plans to take out I-70 there? OKC Blvd should be a worthwhile project if done correctly.

They aren't doing that, they're just widening it.

Bobby5280

I thought there were some plans to put I-70 into a trench and then cover it with green space. It would be flat out crazy to remove I-70 from Denver.

silverback1065

the 70 project was approved last yr by the feds, 70 isn't going anywhere.

MCRoads

I like the idea of OKC boulevard, however ODOT is turning a simple studio apartment into a luxury suite, per say. all we really need is a street to get to downtown, not another expressway, not a fancy roundabout, just a way to get to and from downtown. That's ALL we need!!
I build roads on Minecraft. Like, really good roads.
Interstates traveled:
4/5/10*/11**/12**/15/25*/29*/35(E/W[TX])/40*/44**/49(LA**)/55*/64**/65/66*/70°/71*76(PA*,CO*)/78*°/80*/95°/99(PA**,NY**)

*/** indicates a terminus/termini being traveled
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more room plz

Plutonic Panda

This is a bit frustrating but whatever. Let whoever wants to play blame games and get it built. Once it's turned over to the city, the city can deal with it and change it how they'd like.

I'd love for this to be a maps project getting 100 million to redo it, but I am certain the people of OKC would not support it as they would claim "it was just built no reason to do that"  etc.



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