City of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma banner graphic

April OKC Bike and Pedestrian News

City of Oklahoma City sent this bulletin at 04/09/2021 09:40 AM CDT

April 9, 2021

General Pershing / Main St Project

On Sept. 12, 2017, Oklahoma City voters approved 13 bond propositions and two sales tax initiatives known as the Better Streets, Safer City projects. One of the sales tax initiatives was a temporary, 27-month continuation of the expired MAPS 3 penny sales tax expected to generate an estimated $240 million for street resurfacing, streetscapes, trails, sidewalks, and bicycle infrastructure. Of the $240 million, $12 million was allocated for bicycle infrastructure. Using projects identified in bikewalkokc, the City’s comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian plan, City staff has funded about a dozen bike facility projects currently in the design or construction phase.

The General Pershing/Main project is one that has progressed to construction. Divided into three phases, it extends about 2.7 miles from S May Avenue to N Walker Avenue, connecting the Will Rogers Trail at the Fairgrounds with additional planned and funded bicycle facilities in the downtown area. Phase I, on General Pershing Boulevard from May Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue, along with Phase II on Main Street from Western Avenue to Lee Avenue, are close to completion.

Phase III is under design and will require some coordination for potential changes in current parking conditions. City staff is in the process of contacting business operators and property owners along the corridor to petition for proposed changes.

Visit okc.gov/MainStBikeProject to view the project informational presentation, to view images of preliminary design plans, and to provide input via an online comment form. Comments will be accepted through May 9.

For additional questions and information, contact Lakesha Dunbar at Lakesha.dunbar@okc.gov or (405) 297-2574.

NW 10th and Vermont Pedestrian Signal Project

This mid-block crossing project is in the 4200 block of NW 10th Street. In the heart of the WesTen Commercial District, the new pedestrian signalized crossing connects two large apartment complexes on the south, and the 10M Shopping Center on the north, with stops on EMBARK's bus route 038. This area was recommended for a mid-block crossing after pedestrian counts on a weekday yielded a surprising 137 crossings in a 12-hour period, showing the need for a signal. This project is one out of a dozen to be constructed citywide funded by the Better Streets, Safer City sales tax.

bikewalkokc Plan Update

The City is updating bikewalkokc, the comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian plan originally adopted by the City Council in May 2018.

This update is intended to make technical edits, corrections and refinements to the plan data and maps; evaluate the feasibility and prioritization of remaining projects; identify new projects based on trends and expressed needs; evaluate the plan's performance measures; and prepare for future funding opportunities.

An advisory group made up of elected and appointed City officials, local partners and stakeholders, and City staff from a variety of departments are participating in the plan update, which is expected to last through to the fall. Stay tuned for an opportunity for public participation coming late spring.

Click here to review the tentative Timeline, Advisory Group agendas, and presentations.

Help keep OKC streets safe

Watch for Me OKC is a public safety awareness campaign started by the Planning Department in 2016 and continued through 2018. In partnership with the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG) and the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO), the Watch for Me campaign is being revamped to include the entire metro and scheduled to kick off in May.

As Oklahoma City grows and changes, more cars, pedestrians and bicyclists are using our streets. We all need to safely share the roadway. Help keep Oklahoma City's streets safe for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers by spreading the word about Watch for Me OKC’s safety tips and information.

You can find more information about the safety awareness campaign here.