OKC MAPS PROJECTS – 25 YEARS
Employment Growth . An anticipated source of regular streetcar use is from employees who work in the downtown area. The streetcar is centered around the most concentrated private employment base in the state. The approximately 35,000 jobs in the central downtown ZIP code (73102) represent the largest number of jobs in a single ZIP code in Oklahoma and the highest concentration of private employment per square mile in the state. The core downtown ZIP code (73102) also has the highest population concentration per square mile of all non-college campus ZIP codes in Oklahoma (OSU is highest). When narrowed down to the 3-block impact zone around the streetcar, employment is highly concentrated. Using LEHD employment data for 2015, the most recent year of data available, approximately 41,600 jobs were based within the 3-block impact zone around the streetcar path. Employment in the impact zone expanded rapidly beginning in 2009 after reversing a long-term downtrend. Figure 56 illustrates total employment within the 3-block zone in the 2002 to 2015 period. Downtown employers within 3 blocks of the line added approximately 8,000 net new jobs between 2009 and 2015, a 23% increase. Approximately 8 of 9 total jobs created in the full study area between 2009 and 2015 are within three blocks of the streetcar line. The 23% job gain near the streetcar line also outpaced the 17% gain across the full study area, as well as the gain for the county (12.4%), metro area (12.5%), and state (8.0%) in the period. Since the 2011 announcement of the streetcar path, 5,700 jobs (15.8% increase) have been added in the impact zone. This represents approximately 85% of the nearly 6,600 total jobs created since 2011 in the full study area. The base of new workers within the 3-block zone who are potential daily streetcar riders is expected to increase steadily as the downtown workforce expands over time. Figure 57. Employment in the Streetcar Impact Zone
45,000
41,618
40,075
39,395
40,000
38,976
37,658
37,008
36,702
35,940
34,723
34,376
35,000
33,853
33,648 33,518
32,336
30,000
25,000
20,000
02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15
Source: U.S. Census Bureau - OnTheMap
Assessed Property Valuation Growth . A critical component of the streetcar evaluation is the degree to which downtown investment activity aligns and property valuations respond along the permanent path of the streetcar. Currently, properties located in the 3-block area represent approximately 65% of the total valuation of taxable property across the Census tracts in the downtown study area.
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