Urbanizing Utica Sq.

[jtcrissup]

Interesting concept - putting a streetcar down St. Louis where it once existed.  I could really see St. Louis becoming a bike boulevard but I think you'll get more bang for your buck inserting a fixed route on Utica/21st.  

I agree about the "bang for buck" on Utica vs on St. Louis in terms of the hospitals, more traffic, etc if you did a fixed route (which I personally would not put a fixed route...I would advocate natural gas powered vehicles that can somehow control when the lights change to "keep them" moving in traffic).  If a fixed route was put in, it would have to be on Utica (don't think it would go further south than Utica Sq though).  

My thought was to have a rubber tired route that goes up St. Louis that would be a "local" express of sorts...only stopping when there are people to drop off/pick up and running from Philbrook to Pearl District, with a diversion through Tulsa Historical Society, Tulsa Garden Center/Rose Garden, Linneaus, Woodward, and of course it would go by Swan Lake on St. Louis.  It could be dubbed a "Site Seeing" route to tourists/out of town visitors as they would be able to visit all of these great places without having to drive around, plus they would see the amazing neighborhoods surrounding them.  And the locals could use it to get to/from downtown without a car (i.e. to go see a Driller's game or go to a concert at BOk, or just go to work).

I would imagine both routes (Utica and St. Louis) would go to a TOD node in the Pearl district somewhere along the existing railroad that would transfer the riders to go either downtown or BA, depending on which way they were going.

[Red Arrow]

...only stopping when there are people to drop off/pick up

You will need enough vehicles to have a short headway (time between vehicles).  Not stopping will mess up a schedule pretty quickly.