Don’t be afraid of the price tag.

That’s what commuter and light rail proponents in Oklahoma City are urging citizens and stakeholders to do as discussion continues on commuter rail possibilities.

Last month, Rep. Charlie Joyner, R-Midwest City, and other proponents, discussed commuter rail service in the state with representatives from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), Texas-based Trinity Railroad Express and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway.

Read the rest.

Oklahoma City leaders took an early step Tuesday toward an overhaul of the city’s mass transit system as promised in MAPS 3.

City council members voted to approve a partnership with the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, which will hire a consultant to study the costs and possible locations for a downtown transit hub.

The MAPS 3 plan approved by voters in December includes $130 million for public transportation. Part of that money will go toward a modern streetcar system in the downtown area. The rest will pay for the transit hub, which would link the city’s bus system with the streetcar and Amtrak rail line. The hub also will allow for future forms of transportation such as light rail and express rail.

Read the rest.

On Tuesday night, PBS premiered the latest installment of its Blueprint America series on the challenges of renewing America’s decaying infrastructure. (We mentioned it the other day in our post about America 2050.)  The newest episode, “Beyond the Motor City,” is a broad look at our country’s transportation history through the lens of the experience of Detroit, a city once renowned for its auto manufacturing and now for its extreme deterioration.  A compelling mix of documentary filmmaking and advocacy, the episode lays out Detroit’s urban and transportation problems while examining the federal role (or lack thereof) in transportation throughout American history.

Read the rest.

You can also view the documentary in its entirety at OnTrac’s Resources page.

One of the Capitol Hill newspapers estimated that I’ve taken more than 7,000 round trips on Amtrak over the course of my career. But the one I made on Jan. 17, 2009 was a bit different. When I got there, there were 8,000 people standing in the freezing cold. And I wasn’t racing to reach the 7:46 a.m. Metroliner (later, the Acela) that I had taken thousands of times before.

I was meeting up with the train that would carry President Obama and me to our inauguration.

Read the rest.

A financial impact study indicates the proposed Amtrak Northern Flyer through southern Kansas would make money even in its first year.

[...]

The Northern Flyer would provide passenger train service from Newton — with connections to the Southwest Chief there — south through Wichita to Oklahoma City, where it would connect with the existing Heartland Flyer and Texas Eagle trains to carry passengers through to San Antonio. From there, connections could be made to the Sunset Limited either east to Orlando, Fla., or west to Los Angeles along a route following the southwestern U.S. border. Train service already exists over the route — except for the gap between Newton and Oklahoma City.

The economic impact study was commissioned by the K.T. Wiedemann Foundation Inc., of Wichita. It was done by Jayhawk Consulting, of The University of Kansas School of Business. Their conclusion: The train would produce a regional economic benefit of $3.20 for every $1.00 invested.

Read the rest.

The Union Station debate brought rail transit to the forefront of public and political awareness. While the matter involved saving a rail yard, of greater importance was changing our mindset and joining peer cities in the 21st century of public transportation. More importantly, it was about ensuring our economic future.

The rail yard issue is now behind us. But the enthusiasm for rail transit that came from the discussion continues to grow. Now is not the time to stand still. We need to take advantage of the momentum and wisely move forward together to develop a rail transit system for the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area.

The light rail streetcar system proposed in MAPS 3 is an important first step toward that system. In addition to providing valuable transit service for those living and working in the Core, it will connect to a future intermodal hub and provide an important means of transit between the hub and locations throughout the Core, including the CBD, Bricktown, Health Sciences Center, Capitol Complex and the new Convention Center and Central Park.

MAPS 3 also includes funding for the hub, the location of which will be determined prior to construction of the streetcar system. At Oklahoma City’s request, ACOG is initiating an intermodal hub study to determine the most effective design and location for the hub.

MAPS 3 and its $130 million commitment for a streetcar system and hub and commuter rail infrastructure is not premature. On the contrary, the time is now. If we wish to improve our quality of life and secure our economic and transportation future, we must boldly move forward and develop a rail transit system.

MAPS 3 is a critical first step toward our rail transit future.

Marion Hutchison
President – Oklahomans for New Transportation Alternatives Coalition (OnTrac)

The story of the railroad is written like a thread of thick and shining steel woven into the tapestry of American history. There is a poetry to the names of the trains and the tracks that bound this great land together as it expanded west towards California in the 19th Century.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that the names of the Wabash Cannonball or the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe are remembered in song where those of the London and North Eastern Railway or the French national SNCF by and large are not.

This month’s business headlines though are a reminder that America’s railways have a future, as well as a past.

Read the rest.

Is there a day in the near future when a commuter rail system will link Norman to Oklahoma City and to surrounding communities? MAPS 3 could lead the way.

It is possible, according to panelists with Oklahoma City’s Modern Transit Project, who held a public forum Tuesday night, hosted by MTP Campaign Director Jeff Bezdek at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art’s Noble Theatre.

Read the rest.

Next Tuesday (November 17th)
Starts Promptly at 7PM
Free to Attend

OKC Museum of Art Noble Museum

A short video and powerpoint presentation will provide visual information on the MAPS 3 Transit Proposal.  Twelve panelists have been assembled to answer your questions and discuss the future of the transit system proposed in the MAPS 3 Ballot Initiative.

Please feel free to invite others.  No RSVP is required.

PANELISTS & POTENTIAL SUBJECTS

Marion Hutchison (Transit Hub)
Lauren White (Bus System)
Josiah Daniel (Federal Funding)
Rick Cain (COTPA & Metro Transit)
Turner Mann (Midwest City Connection)
Austin Hacker (Wind Power)
Bob Kemper (Commuter Rail and Amtrak)
Steve Nash (Commuter Rail and Amtrak)
Walter Jacques (Bus System)
James Ellison (Transit Oriented Development)
Robbie Kienzle (Urban Planning)
Debbie Blackburn (Historic Neighborhoods)
Jeff Bezdek (Modern Streetcar)

Of the nine modes of transit covered in Oklahoma City’s Fixed Guideway Study, which is the city’s blueprint for its transportation future, only one method of transportation could unite them all — the modern streetcar, riding on rails in the street, city planners wrote.

“The flexibility and relative low cost compared to other rail alternatives could allow a modern streetcar system to emerge as a viable alternative in any high-capacity transit corridor,” states the study, undertaken in 2005. “Modern streetcar can also serve to improve the image of public transportation in the region and is an investment in the future that tends to attract community support. As such, it strengthens the appeal of other transit technologies.”

Read the rest.