OKC Mayor wants to break local car dependence

[Kiah]

Mayor wants to break local car dependence
State of the City: Tax initiative proposed to fund transit

By John David Sutter
Staff Writer

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett says locals are addicted to their cars — so much so that most residents would rather drive around their block than walk the same distance.
But Cornett said in his State of the City speech this month that he's out to break that dependence in coming years. The conservative mayor said "the day is coming soon when we will have no choice" but to promote public transportation improvements.

"Traffic congestion is going to increase. Fuel prices are going to increase. And there are other costs to our automobile-friendly lifestyles," he said, adding that the city's air quality is getting worse because cars have created an unhealthy and "sedentary culture."


Public transportation
Public transit has been talked about in Oklahoma City for years — but never in such bold terms, according to several public transportation and environmental advocates.
"I was thrilled" by the speech, said Jennifer Gooden, president of Sustainable OKC, an environmental and social justice group. "I thought, 'This is the first time I've heard a prominent public official (in Oklahoma City) ... talking about public transportation and sprawl in such a direct way."

It appears the public is warming up to the idea of expanded transit, although the mayor said in his speech that thinking about big public transportation changes would give most locals a "heart attack."

That group would most likely include local resident Houston Hill, who said few people ride buses now.

And a recent survey indicates a majority of residents favor increased public transit spending in the downtown area, as long as it doesn't come in the form of new taxes.

This month, Cornett proposed a new penny-sales-tax initiative that could fund transit projects. The idea, called MAPS 3 after a downtown development program based on a similar tax structure, could include most anything, the mayor said. He asks residents to tell him what they want at www.maps3.org.

David A. Franklin, state chairman of the Sierra Club, said it is "very encouraging" that the mayor is talking about improving public transportation.

But, he added, the city should update its bus system, which is "barely functional right now."

Oklahoma City could fall out of compliance with the federal Clean Air Act this summer.


Funding debate
Funding sources are also up for debate.
Cornett said in an interview it likely will be at least 10 years before the city sees rail lines that could link its neighborhoods or suburbs with downtown.

The state and federal governments must be big contributors, the mayor said.

He said paying for the work will be difficult because public transit isn't much of a priority at those levels of government.

"The funding is just woefully inadequate and there's just no way municipalities are going to be able to fund public transportation," Cornett said.

With air quality and public health going downhill and traffic congestion on the horizon, Cornett says it is time to create better options for the future.

"We are kidding ourselves if we think this is sustainable," he said in his speech.

[Hawkins]

We had this from the start, but then GM bought all the trolley companies and shut them down so people would buy more cars!

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by Hawkins



We had this from the start, but then GM bought all the trolley companies and shut them down so people would buy more cars!

They did a similar pre-emptive move with the railroads. They couldn't buy them all up so they bought the few companies that made locomotives and locomotive parts and promptly closed them or reduced their production. That's life.

Its admirable that any mayor would speak out, much less one in OKC. That's leadership. Another step ahead of green country.