OKC MAPS Economic Impact - Full Report

OKC MAPS PROJECTS – 25 YEARS

The D Line (Downtown) is a 4.6-mile main-loop running mostly north-south and centered around the business district. Tracks run north though Automobile Alley to Midtown and south to Scissortail Park with a loop through Bricktown. The B Line (Bricktown) is a 2-mile overlay loop running east-west that provides service between Bricktown, Chesapeake Energy Arena, Scissortail Park, and the new downtown Convention Center. The D Line provides daily service while the B Line provides weekend and special event service to the entertainment areas south of the central business district. The streetcar design employs an innovative hybrid-electric power system using overhead electric lines and onboard battery storage on portions of the route for better visibility and improved aesthetics. Cars are equipped with noise dampening features and run flush to street level, providing curb-level boarding for all passengers. Changing Downtown Commuting Patterns Changes in the commuting patterns of workers are underway in most cities, including residents in the downtown study. Figure 53 details the method of transportation to work for downtown residents living in the study area Census tracts in both 2010 and 2017. The commuting pattern is steadily shifting away from traditional auto transportation and toward non-traditional forms such as cycling, walking, and working from home. An additional 841 new working residents are reported in the Downtown study area from 2010 to 2017. Consistent with traditional commuting patterns, approximately two-thirds of the new residents drive to work, either alone or carpool. However, the share of these workers using an auto dropped about two percentage points in the period, from 83.8% in 2010 to 81.7% in 2017. Other gradual shifts in the means of transportation are visible downtown. Among the new residents in the study area is an increase of almost 300 persons walking to work. Nearly 500 working residents (10% of the total) in the downtown study area now report walking as their primary form of commuting to work, a more than doubling relative to 2010. Offsetting the gains in walking are small reductions in

those taking public transportation or using a taxi, motorcycle, or other means. Figure 54. Means of Transportation to Work - Study Area Census Tracts 2010 2017

2010-17

Percent Change 26.2% -33.3% 12.2% -50.0% 39.9% 29.3%

Mode of Transportation

Total Share

Total

Share

Change

Car, truck, or van

3,215

83.8%

4,056

81.7%

841 -38

Public transportation (excluding taxicab)

114

3.0% 1.9% 4.9% 2.6% 4.1%

76 83

1.5% 1.7% 9.6% 1.0% 4.5%

Bicycle Walked

74

9

187

478

291 155.6%

Taxicab, motorcycle, or other means

98

49

-49

Worked at home

158

221

63

Total

3,837 100.0%

4,963

100.0%

1,126

Source: U.S. Census Bureau – American Community Survey (5-year estimates)

A related trend affecting commuting patterns is the increased numbers of persons who work from home. The number of home-based workers in the study area Census tracts increased about 40% in the period to an estimated 221 residents.

92

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