Passenger Rail Set To Connect OKC, Tulsa

[hello]

I recently went from London to Paris via Eurostar. Soo much better than an airplane and such an easy experience. And in that instance it was probably quicker than trying to hop on a plane.

[DTowner]

I was recently in Japan and they make our transportation infrastructure look like a third world country.  If you are into trains a trip between Osaka and Tokyo on the shinkansen is a must.  If we had a similar train the trip between downtown OKC and downtown Tulsa would be around 30 min.

Size matters, especially when it comes to geography:

http://i.imgur.com/uuVan.png

[swake]

Size matters, especially when it comes to geography:

http://i.imgur.com/uuVan.png

Japan is also about the same population as the eastern seaboard

[cannon_fodder]

It's possible to get within ~4 blocks of the football stadium in Norman and Stillwater by train.  How many drunks would we keep off the roads on every game day?    /thread drift

https://ok.gov/odot/documents/Rail%20Map%202018-2020.pdf

[shavethewhales]

As someone who lives within walking distance of downtown Sapulpa, I'm very intrigued by this. Taking the Uber from Del City to downtown OKC might be annoying, but worth it overall. DT OKC & Bricktown are already pretty cool, and there's a lot more stuff under construction over there.

Even going the other way (eventually) to downtown Tulsa would be a game changer for me. I typically try to avoid spending too much time there since I don't want to drink and drive, but with cheaper transportation I would be there every weekend.

I don't know how popular this will be, but for me personally it would be pretty awesome. Taking a bus just doesn't have the same allure.

[DTowner]

Japan is also about the same population as the eastern seaboard

Exactly, which is likely why the Eastern Seaboard is the one area of the US in which train travel is relatively successful (albeit, nowhere near as nice as Japan).  I wish train travel could be achieved between OKC and Tulsa, but sharing freight lines, the relative slow speed and high costs just don't add up to a viable alternative to the turnpike.  Even if we had the political support to push it, is it realistic that we could plan, fund and build something like a OKC/Tulsa high speed rail line before self-driving cars become a reality?  I seriously doubt it.

[heironymouspasparagus]

It's possible to get within ~4 blocks of the football stadium in Norman and Stillwater by train.  How many drunks would we keep off the roads on every game day?    /thread drift

https://ok.gov/odot/documents/Rail%20Map%202018-2020.pdf

That would be a great trip, too!

To paraphrase the scarecrow...   "If we only had a train..."!


Brain wouldn't hurt, either...

[SXSW]

It's possible to get within ~4 blocks of the football stadium in Norman and Stillwater by train.  How many drunks would we keep off the roads on every game day?    /thread drift

https://ok.gov/odot/documents/Rail%20Map%202018-2020.pdf

Already planned for metro OKC which would tie into the downtown train station where any train to/from Tulsa would terminate.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Already planned for metro OKC which would tie into the downtown train station where any train to/from Tulsa would terminate.

Exercise in mental self amusement - won't happen in your or my lifetime!

[SXSW]

Exercise in mental self amusement - won't happen in your or my lifetime!

People said the same thing about a downtown OKC streetcar (under construction) and Oklahoma legalizing MM (passed easily with 65% of the vote in the urban counties).  Connecting the #1, #3 and #6 largest cities in the state by a relatively short commuter rail line on existing ROW is not that big of a project.  We probably rebuilt the IDL for more $.

[DTowner]

People said the same thing about a downtown OKC streetcar (under construction) and Oklahoma legalizing MM (passed easily with 65% of the vote in the urban counties).  Connecting the #1, #3 and #6 largest cities in the state by a relatively short commuter rail line on existing ROW is not that big of a project.  We probably rebuilt the IDL for more $.

When Cornett becomes Governor of Oklahoma City, the entire ODOT budget may be dedicated to OKC and nearby areas.....

[SXSW]

When Cornett becomes Governor of Oklahoma City, the entire ODOT budget may be dedicated to OKC and nearby areas.....

Then Tulsa can be spur on the OKC metro commuter rail system 

[heironymouspasparagus]

People said the same thing about a downtown OKC streetcar (under construction) and Oklahoma legalizing MM (passed easily with 65% of the vote in the urban counties).  Connecting the #1, #3 and #6 largest cities in the state by a relatively short commuter rail line on existing ROW is not that big of a project.  We probably rebuilt the IDL for more $.

That would be good.  Much of my traffic pattern these days would allow me to use that every day that I am in that area, which is many days....


Would be great to have something like that in Tulsa, too. 

[dbacksfan 2.0]

People said the same thing about a downtown OKC streetcar (under construction) and Oklahoma legalizing MM (passed easily with 65% of the vote in the urban counties).  Connecting the #1, #3 and #6 largest cities in the state by a relatively short commuter rail line on existing ROW is not that big of a project.  We probably rebuilt the IDL for more $.

At $100 million per mile, figure close to $1 billion dollars and about 8 years.

[DTowner]

Then Tulsa can be spur on the OKC metro commuter rail system 

No, Tulsa would only get a promise to be a future connection.