The Walk at Tulsa Hills

[Vision 2025]

Sarah Kobos had a great piece on wasted space as "parking." I drove by the 71st corridor, the Warren Theater, and Tulsa Hills on Black Friday. Warren Theater had a parking lot that was 75% full, and led the pack. Most parking lots were 60% full, including Tulsa Hills. If you aren't full on Black Friday, then when would you possibly need all that parking?

A few days later ran into someone who was out shopping at Tulsa Hills and complained about parking - when I asked what they meant, she said that when she was going from Target to Dicks' sporting goods she had to park so far away she "may as well have just left my car at Target." The Target and Dick's are two doors down from each other... she also drove to Best Buy and then a lunch place, all at "the Walk."  But somehow she manages to walk all around Woodland Hills Mall?

Not to disturb a good rant but... The Target and Dick's are in "Tulsa Hills" and "the Walk at Tulsa Hills" is where Gander Mountain and Chuy's are located in an adjacent development to the South of 81st Street.  I these areas regularly and while there are open parking issues in portions of the original Tulsa Hills I would rate it's peak parking occupancy with the exception of Target at close to 80% utilization.  That center is also obviously designed so that there can be later infill development along Olympia Ave should the mega stores (Target) release some parking.  From my perspective on TH, the biggest issue I see is traffic access getting back onto Olympia which I predict will require additional signalizations.  

With respect to The Walk at TH, the center is not yet fully built out and operational so I'll hold my parking opinion at least until the theater open after the first of the year but note that the Freddie's and Chuy's lots are often quite full (with staff parking on a temp lot) as was the Alde's this past Sunday afternoon.

[cannon_fodder]

Not to disturb a good rant but...

Hey!

Don't let your "facts" get in the way of my rant! 

[PonderInc]

Sadly, every square foot is designed for cars, not people.  So, even if you're going from one store to another, you will probably get in your car and drive to an adjacent parking area.  The massive scale of the stores, access roads, and parking lots create a bleak landscape that is unwelcoming to actual humans.  There is no incentive, either through scale or design, to encourage exploration on foot. In fact, pedestrians are punished by the long distances they have to traverse to reach another destination, and the asphalt moonscapes that define the environment.  You know the design is bad for people when walking is unpleasant and uncomfortable. Sad that our TIF incentives don't require something better for humans or the planet.

[Red Arrow]

I try to avoid Tulsa Hills at all costs during peak shopping times, that place has one of the very worst traffic flow designs I've ever seen.

Which is really bad for a place totally dependent on automobile traffic.  I really don't like being forced to drive up to the store fronts to get to a parking place.  I'd rather park a distance out and then walk to the store.  I hate door dings.

[Conan71]

Which is really bad for a place totally dependent on automobile traffic.  I really don't like being forced to drive up to the store fronts to get to a parking place.  I'd rather park a distance out and then walk to the store.  I hate door dings.

I'm the same way.  My car doesn't have any door dings as a result.  That still didn't keep a rogue shopping cart some assclown who also parked out in  no-door-ding-land at Lowe's from finding my rear quarter panel.  Nothing major, but it irritates the crap out of me when I see that ding over the rear wheel well.

[sgrizzle]

I try to avoid Tulsa Hills at all costs during peak shopping times, that place has one of the very worst traffic flow designs I've ever seen.

Of the auto-centric shopping centers I've been too... I've been in several in texas this week, Tulsa Hills is by far the best traffic design. Large arterial for ingress/egress of the center, secondary roads running in front of the stores, moderate amount of stoplights, protected left turn lanes. It takes me 15 minutes to make it to a store across the street or even next door in Texas.

[Red Arrow]

Of the auto-centric shopping centers I've been too... I've been in several in texas this week, Tulsa Hills is by far the best traffic design. Large arterial for ingress/egress of the center, secondary roads running in front of the stores, moderate amount of stoplights, protected left turn lanes. It takes me 15 minutes to make it to a store across the street or even next door in Texas.

Are you counting Olympia as a large arterial or the secondary? 

What I detest most about Tulsa Hills is being forced to drive past the store fronts to get to parking.  I almost never park close-in.  A path through the parking, even with jogs to keep speed down, would be better than funneling everyone right in front of the stores.  If Tulsa Hills area gets developed as much as Woodland Hills area, people will hate Tulsa Hills to and move on to the next installment.  Remember, Woodland Hills was started almost 40 years ago.

[Stanley1]

Is there not going to be a Texas Roadhouse at The Walk?

[sgrizzle]

Are you counting Olympia as a large arterial or the secondary? 

It's 5 lanes, so Arterial.

[sgrizzle]

Is there not going to be a Texas Roadhouse at The Walk?

Supposed to go behind Chuy's

[swake]

Supposed to go behind Chuy's

Traffic at the 81st interchange is already so much fun.  Texas Roadhouse and a movie theater are going to render 81st unusable.

[sgrizzle]

Traffic at the 81st interchange is already so much fun.  Texas Roadhouse and a movie theater are going to render 81st unusable.

[joiei]

who eats at Texas Roadhouse? 

[sgrizzle]

who eats at Texas Roadhouse? 

I do. Their CFS is one of the best in the state, just unfortunately it's from a chain restaurant.

Also, they consider Chili a vegetable.

[Stanley1]

who eats at Texas Roadhouse? 

Darn good steaks for a chain.