Fix Our Streets 2

[sgrizzle]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20121221_11_A1_IfTuls888853&r=4351

If Tulsa's upcoming five-year Fix Our Streets renewal proposal includes all of the current program's funding sources, it will be valued at $800 million, new revenue projections show.


The city's Finance Department presented dollar figures to the City Council on Thursday as councilors and Mayor Dewey Bartlett begin crafting a package of street improvements and other city needs to take to voters next fall.

Capital Planning Manager Gary Hamer told councilors that city departments have submitted $1.4 billion in capital requests for fiscal years 2015 to 2019, which is the period the package would cover.

"Obviously, that's beyond what could be funded," Hamer said, noting that the requests have been prioritized by department heads to help the council and the administration whittle down a manageable list.

Finance officials project that $116 million more could be raised if the city decides to capture its 0.6-cent Vision 2025 sales-tax share in 2017 when the Tulsa County initiative expires.

That would boost the Fix Our Streets renewal to $916 million.

Luckily the Councilors don't seem to support the Vision part.

[Townsend]

Tulsa Council Considering Separate Tax Extension Questions

http://kwgs.com/post/tulsa-council-considering-separate-tax-extension-questions

Most Tulsa City Councilors now favor two separate ballot initiatives going to voters...one for streets, one for other capital needs. Councilor G.T. Bynum proposed the idea after hearing from citizens who prefer a stand-alone  street question. He says voters are suspicious the package would be loaded up with fluff by elected leaders in the hope the popularity of streets would help with passage of other capital projects.

Bynum's also concerned the upcoming mayoral race would politicize the tax extension issue. He would like to see a vote on a streets only package in November, and delay a vote on other capital projects until next year.

[Townsend]

OK, this was the thread I should've used to talk about the capital improvements package.  Not Vision 2.

[nathanm]

$1.8 billion for streets. How much for transit?

[heironymouspasparagus]

$1.8 billion for streets. How much for transit?

LOVE your sense of humor!!!!  Never lose that....

[SXSW]

I hope this passes, and I suspect it will.  There are some decent projects included.  I like the River Parks stuff, and how it will interface with the Gathering Place.  The Peoria BRT will be a good test to see if this form of transit can be applied in other parts of the city.  

My hope is that the next time this package is presented to voters it includes at least 25% for transit and pedestrian/bike infrastructure/sidewalk improvements, instead of ~6% that is in this package.  Maybe there will be a more progressive mayor and council in place then.

[Townsend]

City-County Deal on Tax Said to be Closer



http://kwgs.com/post/city-county-deal-tax-said-be-closer

It is confusing, but the city and county are considering a new proposal for the "four-to-fix" funding that both governments want.  Basically, they would split the proceeds, although the city would collect more.

Under the new proposal, the city would go to voters with a one-point-one percent sales tax. The county could then call an election in the spring for a point-067 sales tax to finance its proposals. Tulsa Capital Improvement Task Force Chair G-T Bynum says all Tulsa projects would be completed, just not as rapidly.         

The county wants the dollars for a new Juvenile Justice Center and renovations at the Tulsa jail.         

The City hopes to have its question on the ballot in November. They will have to move quickly, as the deadline to place an item on the ballot is near.

Henderson appears to be awake.  Not sure if this is a stock or not.

[heironymouspasparagus]

FOS 2.  Full Of ...., oh, wait,...Fix our streets....yeah, that's it...that's the ticket....

[nathanm]

The county needs to show me why we need more jail space and why simply choosing to cite more people rather than arrest them for minor violations isn't an option for reducing that need.

[Red Arrow]

$1.8 billion for streets. How much for transit?

I found this:

http://www.fastforwardplan.org/tabid/65/ctl/ViewItem/mid/423/ItemId/114/Default.aspx?SkinSrc=/website/Portals/0/Skins/FastForward/SubPage

The list of capital improvement projects proposed by the City Council includes nearly $30 million for the Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority, more than half of which would be used to buy new buses.
The new buses are needed, they argue, but the potentially transformative piece of the funding is the $15 million dedicated to establishing a new bus rapid transit system along Peoria Avenue.

The bus rapid transit system would run Monday through Saturday - just like the 105 - but longer hours - from 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. 
Officials estimate that wait times would go from 30 minutes to 15 minutes during peak hours and from 30 minutes to 20 minutes the rest of the day.

[nathanm]

That's not even completely unreasonable. It's not going to spur development, though. Rubber-tired vehicles just don't manage it. It's not like we're going to go as far as Miami-Dade County did when they put in BRT out to the southwest part of the metro and put it on a dedicated right of way. Still, it shows at least a bit of forward thinking, or would if it were done early in the funding cycle and not at the end.

[Red Arrow]

That's not even completely unreasonable. It's not going to spur development, though. Rubber-tired vehicles just don't manage it. It's not like we're going to go as far as Miami-Dade County did when they put in BRT out to the southwest part of the metro and put it on a dedicated right of way. Still, it shows at least a bit of forward thinking, or would if it were done early in the funding cycle and not at the end.

The only real way for BRT to be R, as in rapid, is to have its own right of way.  Same with streetcars/trolleys.  Street running is not fast.  However, real BRT is not really competing with street running streetcars/trolleys.  Its real competition is Light Rail. When a dedicated ROW, life expectancy of vehicles, operating costs and a few more issues are considered, BRT is not such a $ bargain.

Transit oriented development only really comes with an investment that cannot be moved with the stroke of a pen.  A few bus shelters are not a significant enough investment.

Better bus service up and down Peoria is a start though even if it is really only more like a shorter headway express bus.

[nathanm]

The only real way for BRT to be R, as in rapid, is to have its own right of way.

You can make it (relatively) rapid even when street running if you have dedicated lanes at strategic points and traffic signal preemption. Otherwise, I agree with your post completely.

[swake]

You can make it (relatively) rapid even when street running if you have dedicated lanes at strategic points and traffic signal preemption. Otherwise, I agree with your post completely.

Which is the plan for Peoria, is it not?

[Red Arrow]

dedicated lanes at strategic points and traffic signal preemption.

Those would definitely help.