NEW QT - 15th and Lewis

[SXSW]

As much as I want Tulsa to feel walkable, it is still very focused on convenience for cars and drivers. Everything Tulsans can do, they want to do it with a drive-thru.

The key is to provide an alternate, more walkable option in the older, urban areas of the city.  As Tulsa gets more density in the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods the corresponding development should cater to pedestrians, transit and bicycles, not just cars.

QT locations at 11th & Utica, 11th & College, 15th & Lewis, 15th & Denver and 36th & Peoria should be more pedestrian-oriented.  QT's at 71st & Yale, 51st & Sheridan, 101st & Memorial, etc are different stories because those areas are already mostly auto-oriented with little chance for any change. 

[rebound]

The key is to provide an alternate, more walkable option in the older, urban areas of the city.  As Tulsa gets more density in the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods the corresponding development should cater to pedestrians, transit and bicycles, not just cars.

QT locations at 11th & Utica, 11th & College, 15th & Lewis, 15th & Denver and 36th & Peoria should be more pedestrian-oriented.  QT's at 71st & Yale, 51st & Sheridan, 101st & Memorial, etc are different stories because those areas are already mostly auto-oriented with little chance for any change. 

I use the one at 36th and Peoria multiple times a week, and it frustrates me every time I see it.  I love that it is there, and is very convenient.  But they could have built a cool street-fronted store that adhered to the look of the neighborhood and put the pumps in the back, etc.    Doing it the way the did it certainly hasn't hurt their business, but it would be nice to see QT care a bit more about the asthetics of their Tulsa stores.

[Conan71]

I use the one at 36th and Peoria multiple times a week, and it frustrates me every time I see it.  I love that it is there, and is very convenient.  But they could have built a cool street-fronted store that adhered to the look of the neighborhood and put the pumps in the back, etc.    Doing it the way the did it certainly hasn't hurt their business, but it would be nice to see QT care a bit more about the asthetics of their Tulsa stores.

I have a love/hate relationship with this topic when we talk about QT being more pedestrian-friendly.  They are a gasoline retailer, which by the principal product they sell, they aren't really promoting pedestrianism.  Call it an irony if you like.

Here's the issue for a gasoline retailer:  If that is the main part of your business, it has to be easy for people to pull in and pull out and not have to trundle down a side street to get in and out of the business to get your fuel.  Hiding the pumps in back decreases the visibility of the existence of the pumps.  I get your point and in a perfect world, I'd love that too.

[BKDotCom]

They are a gasoline retailer

I hope they're at least thinking about how to adapt to electric

[TeeDub]

I hope they're at least thinking about how to adapt to electric

In Springfield, they have Tesla chargers.   Well, the competition does anyway.

https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2016/06/08/macadoodles-tesla-superchargers-coming-north-springfield/85529714/

[Weatherdemon]

In Springfield, they have Tesla chargers.   Well, the competition does anyway.

https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2016/06/08/macadoodles-tesla-superchargers-coming-north-springfield/85529714/

I don't know if it has been mentioned anywhere on here but the North garage that is used for TAD parking has a couple of spots to charge vehicles.

[dsjeffries]

I don't know if it has been mentioned anywhere on here but the North garage that is used for TAD parking has a couple of spots to charge vehicles.

Not to derail the conversation any further, but my program has worked to get EV chargers in several downtown garages. So far, we have have:
• 2 in the West Garage
• 2 in the South Garage
• 2 in the North Garage
• 2 in the OTC garage
• 8 at Central Library's new garage (4 each on the ground and plaza levels)

[patric]

The houses surrounding the new location have been bulldozed so this appears to be moving along.

[Breadburner]

The houses surrounding the new location have been bulldozed so this appears to be moving along.

No smile...

[patric]

Not verified, but a rumor on Nextdoor.com has the Sonic on Lewis Ave. bulldozing the remaining residences to their north and demolishing their present store to expand and re-align a new, larger Sonic with the new mega-QT this fall. 
The new store would include outside seating, so I dont know how that jibes with QT's announced plan to have greenspace to their south.

[SXSW]

Not verified, but a rumor on Nextdoor.com has the Sonic on Lewis Ave. bulldozing the remaining residences to their north and demolishing their present store to expand and re-align a new, larger Sonic with the new mega-QT this fall. 
The new store would include outside seating, so I dont know how that jibes with QT's announced plan to have greenspace to their south.

Sounds terrible, hopefully the neighborhood fights that. 

[patric]

Sounds terrible, hopefully the neighborhood fights that. 

I confirmed with Sonic staff that this is happening by October.
The greenspace QT promised to the neighbors?  "It will be one big parking lot" from 15th to 16th streets, says the drive-in.

I guess you can say any damn thing you can think of to neighborhood groups.

[SXSW]

I confirmed with Sonic staff that this is happening by October.
The greenspace QT promised to the neighbors?  "It will be one big parking lot" from 15th to 16th streets, says the drive-in.

I guess you can say any damn thing you can think of to neighborhood groups.

F*cking horrible that this is even allowed to happen.  But it's consistent with the awful Office Depot, the Walgreens and Reasor's that have ruined what could be a semi-urban, walkable part of the city. 

[Conan71]

F*cking horrible that this is even allowed to happen.  But it's consistent with the awful Office Depot, the Walgreens and Reasor's that have ruined what could be a semi-urban, walkable part of the city. 

The Office Depot is actually a re-worked Safeway store which is technically a "walkable" urban model with the exception of the wide curb cuts on Lewis.  Oh, and that south parking area which is never used aside from delivery trucks.  Back when the Delman Center was where Walgreen's is now, it was pretty much a walkable utopia.

[SXSW]

The Office Depot is actually a re-worked Safeway store which is technically a "walkable" urban model with the exception of the wide curb cuts on Lewis.  Oh, and that south parking area which is never used aside from delivery trucks.  Back when the Delman Center was where Walgreen's is now, it was pretty much a walkable utopia.

I've seen pictures of what it used to look like and it's sad to see what it looks like now.  Lewiston Gardens and Yorktown are such nice neighborhoods too.