Downtown parking

[heironymouspasparagus]

Oklahoma Department of Tubes and Oklahoma Tube Authority?

Whoa....totally tubular, dude!!

[heironymouspasparagus]

I don't disagree, but I think the $2 billion estimate is more realistic and you would still end up with "high speed" rail that isn't very fast and would end in two cities with very little public transit options.

Small steps... then start pushing public transit, since it won't ever happen without some better cause than what we have now.

I travel that road so much that if the train were available, I would place a car at the station at each end so could walk off the train, get in the car and go from there.  It would be worth having two cars dedicated to that to avoid driving the turnpike.

[ElwoodBen]

Too bad our state isn't forward thinking enough to try to get them to prototype here in Oklahoma.  A fast cheap ride from OKC to Tulsa would benefit both cities.

you would have to think that pipeline technology could be adapted for this use.

Oklahoma Department of Tubes and Oklahoma Tube Authority?

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I believe the technology exists already for this. Just go down to your drive-thru bank and ask the bank teller for some cash and see how she delivers it to you. The Plan: A park and ride scheme. Say, on one end in Tulsa, at the latest or next version of "Quick Trip" store with a parking garage, get in the capsule (on schedule) and blast- off. Arrive in OKC just in a few minutes. At their end you would have to end up at a 7-11 store. Just a few kinks to work out I know, like solving the equation: Quick Trip>7-11. I'm somewhat confident somebody can figure that out. On the bright side, this will  give Quick Trip a more honest meaning than it does now. Get financing from the bank people as they already know how to make these things. Don't have to make a big case to the loan officer.

[rdj]

.

I believe the technology exists already for this. Just go down to your drive-thru bank and ask the bank teller for some cash and see how she delivers it to you. The Plan: A park and ride scheme. Say, on one end in Tulsa, at the latest or next version of "Quick Trip" store with a parking garage, get in the capsule (on schedule) and blast- off. Arrive in OKC just in a few minutes. At their end you would have to end up at a 7-11 store. Just a few kinks to work out I know, like solving the equation: Quick Trip>7-11. I'm somewhat confident somebody can figure that out. On the bright side, this will  give Quick Trip a more honest meaning than it does now. Get financing from the bank people as they already know how to make these things. Don't have to make a big case to the loan officer.

I'd make it an OnCue, but that is besides the point.

[nathanm]

I don't disagree, but I think the $2 billion estimate is more realistic and you would still end up with "high speed" rail that isn't very fast

A train with limited stops could easily achieve a 1 hour trip from DT Tulsa to DT OKC, and that's assuming the tracks are only improved to HSR standards on about 3/4s of the journey, or about how much of the present journey is on the turnpike. That said, I think it would be important to have commuter service that stops a few times along the way as well as an express that goes from here to OKC with zero stops.

$2 billion sounds like a lot of money, and it is to you or me, but compared to our overall transportation budget it's not that much. My only concern is that stubbornness among our populace would keep many from riding the train even if it is faster than driving, cost-competitive, and there are convenient transportation options at both ends, whether something like zipcar, trollies, or whatever. Seems to me that the benefit of basically unifying the workforces of our two largest cities would more than make up for the expense of building the thing. Closer economic ties between us make both OKC and Tulsa more attractive places for businesses to locate.

[Red Arrow]

and there are convenient transportation options at both ends,

I believe this would be key to any rail success between Tulsa and OKC.

[BKDotCom]

I believe this would be key to any rail success between Tulsa and OKC.

I don't see that happening.
One of the novel parts of Elon's proposal is that you can take your car with you.  I've never seen that before (other than a ferry).    Could there be some sort of high speed take-your-car non-tube transport?  Probably.

[custosnox]

I was talking about Tulsa/OKC high speed rail with an ODOT official recently and he told me the real cost estimate is much closer to $2 billion.  He said a lot of the problem is the current RR has a lot of turns that would have to be straightened out to get any kind of speed in the high speed rail.  I know ODOT may not be the  most reliable source on this, but I've always felt that $1 billion figure was somewhat pulled out of the air and it's been around a while.  Plus, what project like this ever comes in even close the original cost projections.  

Interestingly enough, there is currently a presentation going on in the center for creativity at the TCC metro campus about the proposed line from Tulsa to OKC.

[Red Arrow]

I don't see that happening.
One of the novel parts of Elon's proposal is that you can take your car with you.  I've never seen that before (other than a ferry).    Could there be some sort of high speed take-your-car non-tube transport?  Probably.

If it doesn't happen, passenger rail between Tulsa and OKC will be marginally successful at best.  There just isn't enough distance between us.

I believe I have seen the equivalent of a "train ferry" but it's been a while and I don't remember where I saw it.

[nathanm]

If it doesn't happen, passenger rail between Tulsa and OKC will be marginally successful at best.  There just isn't enough distance between us.

I disagree. It would be cheaper for a company to send you back and forth on the train and pay for a day's car rental in OKC than it is to pay mileage there and back, but they have negotiated rental rates that are stupid cheap. It could easily be a big deal on event days when there's stuff going on near the stations. And this is without any real transit at all. Actually do transit and it increases the utility even further.

Where I don't disagree is that it's likely to only be marginally successful in the near future, but that's more about us as Oklahomans not being willing to park the car and ride somewhere even if it is faster and lets you nap or read or work or play on the Internet or whatever than a problem with trains in general. I'd also be pretty shy about the prospect of leaving the car if I'd never seen an example of a reasonably well functioning transit system. However, I know better. It can be done, if we decide it is something we want.

[Red Arrow]

I disagree. It would be cheaper for a company to send you back and forth on the train and pay for a day's car rental in OKC than it is to pay mileage there and back, but they have negotiated rental rates that are stupid cheap.

I might give you that one.  I haven't rented a car for a while so I don't know the rates.  Large companies can certainly negotiate rates but I'm not so sure about smaller companies or perhaps someone like an independent salesperson.  

It could easily be a big deal on event days when there's stuff going on near the stations. And this is without any real transit at all. Actually do transit and it increases the utility even further.

Depends on how far stuff is.  OKC is a spot on the map for me.  How far are the major event locations from the rail station?  I guess we would have some latitude in that regard here in Tulsa since we don't presently have a passenger station.  The the BOK Center and the ball park are each certainly close enough to the tracks.

Where I don't disagree is that it's likely to only be marginally successful in the near future, but that's more about us as Oklahomans not being willing to park the car and ride somewhere even if it is faster and lets you nap or read or work or play on the Internet or whatever than a problem with trains in general.

One thing to consider is door-to-door time.   A 1 hour drive is often quicker than flying (Edit: in my personal plane).  Flying is a lot more fun than driving though.  Not putting up with driving the Turner Tpk is certainly worth something.  I have difficulty reading etc on a train.  I used to get really car sick when I was a kid.  I have to be r-e-a-l-l-y tired to sleep on a plane.  That's really good when I'm the pilot but even as a passenger on a commercial flight I find it difficult to nap.

I'd also be pretty shy about the prospect of leaving the car if I'd never seen an example of a reasonably well functioning transit system. However, I know better. It can be done, if we decide it is something we want.

I'd be glad to leave the car if there was a reasonably well functioning transit system.  I didn't go into downtown Philly often but when I did, I usually took the trolley to the El/Subway.   Our family went to the NYC Boat Show a few years in the 60s.  We drove to a Park-and-Ride on the NJ side.  Dad had absolutely no intention of taking the car into NYC.

[Townsend]

If we could stay on and use it to get to DFW, I see a good use for it.

Dealing with TIA to get to a hub to fly anywhere else is a pain.

I'd also use it to get to Dallas/Ft Worth for the heck of it as well.

I doubt I'd use it to get to OKC until there's a decent public transit system.

[BKDotCom]

Is Dallas' public transit any better?

[Townsend]

Is Dallas' public transit any better?

Hell if I know but I'd be more willing to rent a car and visit my friends, go to entertainment venues, etc. 

Hopping on a train to go to OKC wouldn't make sense to me over driving.  Hopping on a train and heading to Dallas for a flight or for fun would.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Is Dallas' public transit any better?

They have rail from Ft Worth - Airport - Dallas.  Have never ridden it - yet.  May do so this fall.

The train ride from OKC to Ft Worth (Heartland Flyer) is very cool.  Takes 4 hours, with stops along the way.  Lots of fun, especially at Christmas time when they have a "Christmas train" - Santa shows up and gives out candy to kids. 

I always rent a car when we take that trip, so don't know how the transit is (to Dallas), but it is right there at the station when you get off the Flyer.  It's about time to repeat this for a 3 day weekend....