(PROJECT) A Gathering Place For Tulsa

[joiei]

Question, is the playground area open to the public?  I know school kids were able to check it out but wasn't sure if that was restricted access or not.

Has anyone tried walking in from the neighborhood on weekends?

[rebound]

Has anyone tried walking in from the neighborhood on weekends?

Nothing is open right now.  Not saying you couldn't sneak in for a look, but officially there is no access and it is generally patrolled by security.

[cannon_fodder]

Nothing is open right now.  Not saying you couldn't sneak in for a look, but officially there is no access and it is generally patrolled by security.

Are you talking about the Gathering Place or the neighborhood that doesn't want people walking by? 

[rebound]

Are you talking about the Gathering Place or the neighborhood that doesn't want people walking by? 

Man, the way that sidewalk issue was handled by that small group did not reflect well on the neighborhood overall.
For the record, I went to one of the large public meetings on that, and argued (against some of my Neighbors) FOR the sidewalk. 

Down here on the South end (the low-rent "Sunset Terrace" part of Maple Ridge, South of Hazel),  it's really nice how they have done 31st between Peoria and Riverside.  The dedicated bike lanes are very nice. 

I will say though, that petty theft and car break-ins have skyrocketed in the last year or so.  It seems just about every day there are more thefts reported.  Just last week, my neighbor's small trailer was stolen out of his driveway at about 9:00 on a Saturday morning.  Dude just backed in and hooked it up and drove off before anyone could stop him.  Also, it will be good to see Riverside open back up and divert some of this traffic back off from Cincinnati.  That street is turning into a racetrack at certain times of day. 

[TulsaGuy]

Would love to see more road diets like what was done at 31st between Peoria & Riverside.

What's sad about the sidewalk issue is that most of the neighborhood strongly supports the Gathering Place and the sidewalk.  There are going to be some challenges to figure out with the increased vehicular and pedestrian traffic but we'll work through them. 

Cincinnati has become a raceway and they are moving forward with speed humps from 21st to 31st. 

It will be another couple of years before traffic regulates in the area with the opening of the Downtown Cincinnati Ramp, Riverside Drive and the upcoming construction on Peoria between 21st and 15th.

[SXSW]

Would love to see more road diets like what was done at 31st between Peoria & Riverside.

What's sad about the sidewalk issue is that most of the neighborhood strongly supports the Gathering Place and the sidewalk.  There are going to be some challenges to figure out with the increased vehicular and pedestrian traffic but we'll work through them. 

Cincinnati has become a raceway and they are moving forward with speed humps from 21st to 31st. 

It will be another couple of years before traffic regulates in the area with the opening of the Downtown Cincinnati Ramp, Riverside Drive and the upcoming construction on Peoria between 21st and 15th.

What are they doing to the Cincinnati flyover, or is this something different?  And what is the plan for Peoria between 21st and 15th?  I know with the BRT there will be some improvements up and down the corridor for the stations.  Too bad it won't have room for a dedicated traffic lane.

[TulsaGuy]

Cincy Flyover Ramp has been closed for a while now but will open sometime in the next year or so. 

Also, they are planning on redoing Peoria between 21st and 15th (maybe 11th).  Should start within the next 12-18 months

[Conan71]

I guess MC and I need to bring road bikes back with us next time we visit.  Sounds like all the roads are done in Maple Ridge/Sunset Terrace?  We loved to transit those hoods from the east to get to the trails.  I always loved the idea I could go from between 21st & 31st & Yale out to NSU BA and back in about 4 or 4.5 hours and spend most of that on protected trails or pretty safe side streets.  There aren't many places in the US you can get a "safe" 60-65 mile road bike ride done with minimal fear of cars/trucks/asteroid crashes.

[SXSW]

I guess MC and I need to bring road bikes back with us next time we visit.  Sounds like all the roads are done in Maple Ridge/Sunset Terrace?  We loved to transit those hoods from the east to get to the trails.  I always loved the idea I could go from between 21st & 31st & Yale out to NSU BA and back in about 4 or 4.5 hours and spend most of that on protected trails or pretty safe side streets.  There aren't many places in the US you can get a "safe" 60-65 mile road bike ride done with minimal fear of cars/trucks/asteroid crashes.

Yep the trails are one of Tulsa's finest assets.  I'd like to see the river trails one day expanded to include the "missing" section between the Jenks Riverwalk and Turkey Mountain, and out to the Hwy 97 bridge parallel to Avery Dr to connect with the existing Katy Trail to Sand Springs.  I believe there are also plans to extend the east bank trails along the river to the park by Memorial Drive to connect those fast-growing neighborhoods in that area to the rest of the trail network.

[Conan71]

Yep the trails are one of Tulsa's finest assets.  I'd like to see the river trails one day expanded to include the "missing" section between the Jenks Riverwalk and Turkey Mountain, and out to the Hwy 97 bridge parallel to Avery Dr to connect with the existing Katy Trail to Sand Springs.  I believe there are also plans to extend the east bank trails along the river to the park by Memorial Drive to connect those fast-growing neighborhoods in that area to the rest of the trail network.

There was a plan floated a year or two back about the trail from TMUWA to Jenks, perhaps Kirby Crowe might care to chime in to see if there's been any movement on this.

[SXSW]

Does anyone know if once the Gathering Place construction is complete along the river bank they will keep the water level stable in Zink Lake above the low water dam?  It's been fairly low and I imagine it's to aid construction but hope to see it full again once that's finished.  Then I guess there will be another round of construction when they rebuild the low water dam/whitewater flume and the new pedestrian bridge.  Vision 2025 or anyone know the anticipated timeline for those projects?

[Jeff P]

I will say though, that petty theft and car break-ins have skyrocketed in the last year or so.  It seems just about every day there are more thefts reported.  Just last week, my neighbor's small trailer was stolen out of his driveway at about 9:00 on a Saturday morning.  Dude just backed in and hooked it up and drove off before anyone could stop him.

Sadly, I think this goes with the territory of having a large, somewhat transient construction crew working.

I used to live over in the neighborhood off 41st and Lewis that is to the west of Edison and eventually runs into I-44 to the south.  Back when they were re-building I-44 in the Harvard-Lewis area, petty theft and car break-ins were happening like crazy in the neighborhood.  We even had a meeting with the cops who basically told us that as soon as the construction ended that stuff would end, and sure enough it did.

I now live in Brookside west of Peoria and just south of 31st and we've seen our share of this going on as well.  I suspect when the bulk of construction is done you'll see a sharp drop in that kind of stuff.

Also, it will be good to see Riverside open back up and divert some of this traffic back off from Cincinnati.  That street is turning into a racetrack at certain times of day.

Yeah obviously Peoria is a mess all times of day and we get tons of high-speed cut-through traffic on Woodward and Owasso as well.  Looking forward to that stuff going away.  

[SXSW]

Sadly, I think this goes with the territory of having a large, somewhat transient construction crew working.

I used to live over in the neighborhood off 41st and Lewis that is to the west of Edison and eventually runs into I-44 to the south.  Back when they were re-building I-44 in the Harvard-Lewis area, petty theft and car break-ins were happening like crazy in the neighborhood.  We even had a meeting with the cops who basically told us that as soon as the construction ended that stuff would end, and sure enough it did.

I now live in Brookside west of Peoria and just south of 31st and we've seen our share of this going on as well.  I suspect when the bulk of construction is done you'll see a sharp drop in that kind of stuff.

Yeah obviously Peoria is a mess all times of day and we get tons of high-speed cut-through traffic on Woodward and Owasso as well.  Looking forward to that stuff going away.  

Riverside reopening will improve the traffic flow considerably in the adjacent neighborhoods and Brookside.  And good point on the petty crime, though just having a big attraction like this will still bring its share of crime and traffic.  It's a lot different than having a big private lawn like what existed for the past 50 years.

As this gets closer to opening I hope they can highlight what the timeline will be for the future phases and rebuilding Zink Dam and the pedestrian bridge.

[Conan71]

Not to rub it in, but I do love living in an area now that people look at you twice as if you aren't from around here if you lock your car when you go to the store. 

[heironymouspasparagus]

Not to rub it in, but I do love living in an area now that people look at you twice as if you aren't from around here if you lock your car when you go to the store. 

Maybe in a few generations your family will start to fit in....!   Always be the new people, but at least accepted as locals.