Vote Yes for Improve our Tulsa

[Gaspar]

Please take a moment to review the projects included in the Improve Our Tulsa measure (prop 2 & 3 on the ballot) and vote YES for this needed spending.  http://www.improveourtulsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/General-list-of-Improve-Our-Tulsa-capital-improvements-package-projects1.pdf

Unlike past initiatives, this measure was very intelligently structured and will actually lower our current sales tax and have a neutral affect on our property tax.  There are no Easter-eggs in the plan or projects that represent political pets.

[RecycleMichael]

I consider a $11.75 million new tiger exhibit for the zoo a pet project.

But I am a cat person.

[patric]

http://www.improveourtulsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/General-list-of-Improve-Our-Tulsa-capital-improvements-package-projects1.pdf

By "decorative lighting" I believe that means Acorn-style glare bombs.
By now everyone should know those dont enhance safety (quite the opposite) and are little more than just a guaranteed revenue flow to AEP.

If it were a separate item, it probably wouldnt pass. 

[Gaspar]

I consider a $11.75 million new tiger exhibit for the zoo a pet project.

But I am a cat person.

My son and I were there on Saturday and the existing Tiger exhibit is pitiful! Poor thing has no room to move.  Don't know what they were thinking when they put that animal in there.

[carltonplace]

I am voting yes for Improve our Tulsa but I wish it contained some revenue generators instead of so much street work.

[rdj]

The way some folks talk streets are a revenue generator 'cause ain't nobody movin' to a town with streets on the level of Baghdad.

[Nik]

Since this passed, when will projects start breaking ground?

[AngieB]

Since this passed, when will projects start breaking ground?

Improve Our Tulsa doesn't kick in until the current Fix Our Streets initiative expires. That would be July 1. Our sales tax rate will drop at that point from 8.517% to 8.5%

[Townsend]

INCOG Ready For Next Step With GO Plan

http://publicradiotulsa.org/post/incog-ready-next-step-go-plan

INCOG has the data it needs to begin the next phase of developing a bicycle and pedestrian master plan for the Tulsa metro area.

James Wagner with INCOG said more than 400 people responded through an online map, but the council didn't stop there.

"We have a complete sidewalk inventory for the entire Tulsa metropolitan area, and so that really helps us identify the gaps of where there's no sidewalk," Wagner said. "We also have a pretty good database of traffic volumes, so we know how much traffic is on each street relative to how many lanes are there."

Tulsa is currently a bronze-level bicycle-friendly community, which is the lowest tier. Tulsa hasn't achieved any walk-friendly community status.

Some projects under the complete streets concept may start with the next Improve Our Tulsa package.

"That will mean you'll see sidewalks on all the arterial streets that are rehabbed, and then in addition to that, the streets that we designated as on-street bikeways or bike lanes, you'll start to see those as the Improve Our Tulsa projects kind of roll out," Wagner said.

Wagner said there's about $4.2 million from Improve Our Tulsa to start working on projects, but it will take some time.

[sauerkraut]

Our streets are not that bad, the problem is un-needed street work, tearing up streets that had no problems and just rebuilding them the same size with no extra lanes. I still do not believe that highway 75 bridge needed to be rebuilt, it was not that old and looked to be in good shape. Other waste is repaving side streets then tearing up the new pavement to put in new pipes and then re-paving it again. Here's a money saver why not replace the pipes first then re-pave the streets afters? They have been working on Memorial street between Admiral & 11th street for over a year when it's done it'll still be only 4 lanes when they know in the future it will have to be made wider so why not rebuilt the street wider now as long as it's all torn up  and save money from going back there in two years and making the street wider.

[Hoss]

Our streets are not that bad, the problem is un-needed street work, tearing up streets that had no problems and just rebuilding them the same size with no extra lanes. I still do not believe that highway 75 bridge needed to be rebuilt, it was not that old and looked to be in good shape. Other waste is repaving side streets then tearing up the new pavement to put in new pipes and then re-paving it again. Here's a money saver why not replace the pipes first then re-pave the streets afters? They have been working on Memorial street between Admiral & 11th street for over a year when it's done it'll still be only 4 lanes when they know in the future it will have to be made wider so why not rebuilt the street wider now as long as it's all torn up  and save money from going back there in two years and making the street wider.

OK, that proves to me you don't live here.

[Townsend]

City of Tulsa Launches New Public Projects Website

http://publicradiotulsa.org/post/city-tulsa-launches-new-public-projects-website

A new website launches to provide details on projects funded by the Improve Our Tulsa initiative.



http://improveourtulsa.com/

The Improve Our Tulsa website is similar to the old Fix Our Streets website. Engineering Director Paul Zachary said users can zoom in a map view from arterial streets to neighborhood levels.

"We found it to be very beneficial to homeowners associations, the councilors, so that we have — everybody's got the expectation of what streets and what streets are not included in the program," Zachary said.

Projects will be updated as new estimates or money for projects become available.

"Everybody somewhat expects, 'OK, you've got your first money, when's my street going to get done?'" Zachary said. "Well, some of the funding, quite honestly, is spread out, all the way out to 2021. So, when that gets appropriated, it kind of gives us a schedule of when we are doing the work."

Voters approved Improve Our Tulsa in 2013, providing nearly $625 million for streets projects. But the combination of a third penny sales tax and general obligation bonds also covers city needs such as park renovations and fire equipment.

"They should have, on there, the full picture, and also there's a frequently asked questions. There's also a project lists," Zachary said.

Improve Our Tulsa provides nearly $919 million in all.