OKLAHOMA CITY (Free Press) — In session Tuesday, the Metropolis Council of Oklahoma Metropolis heard a presentation on the annual person survey from EMBARK, and an replace on financial growth from Roy Williams, President and CEO of the Higher Oklahoma Metropolis Chamber of Commerce.
The Council additionally heard about plans for bicycle infrastructure alongside SE 59th Road, although motion was deferred.
Marty Peercy studies Native authorities
EMBARK Survey
EMBARK, Oklahoma Metropolis’s public transit, and parking authority conducts an annual customer support survey of riders. Each different 12 months, they embrace a survey for non-riders amongst Oklahoma Metropolis residents.
A consultant from the ETC Institute, the corporate that administers the surveys and aggregates the information, offered the outcomes of the newest surveys.
Basically, the survey discovered that non-riders in Oklahoma Metropolis nonetheless overwhelmingly consider within the worth of a strong public transit system. A serious driver of that help is the perceived impact on financial growth and accessibility to jobs.
Amongst these non-riders surveyed, 8 out of 10 knew what EMBARK is, which is the next price than in peer cities and displays the great work EMBARK’s advertising and marketing workforce has performed to lift consciousness of the model and its providers.
As for the customer support survey, outcomes had been optimistic despite the problem transit programs confronted in the course of the pandemic.
In response to the knowledgeable presenting the findings, EMBARK fared rather a lot higher than many different transit programs of comparable dimension. EMBARK stayed pretty constant in service ranges in the course of the previous 12 months and a half of difficulties.
Regardless of many security precautions, together with restricted seating on buses and the streetcar, riders surveyed had been largely happy with EMBARK’s service. In actual fact, streetcar customers had been overwhelmingly happy.
Survey responses confirmed that 66% of streetcar customers had been guests to downtown Oklahoma Metropolis. 1 in 10 riders dwell or work within the downtown space.
Areas for enchancment prompt to EMBARK by the information, emphasize the frequency of service. Greater than half of EMBARK bus riders make not less than one switch per journey.
Whereas that’s presently baked into our transit-hub-style system, enhancing these connections pays dividends for riders on their technique to work or appointments, and customarily reduce down on commute occasions, which is a sexy end result for transportation.
Chamber Replace
Roy Williams, President and CEO of the Higher Oklahoma Metropolis Chamber of Commerce, supplied an replace on financial growth in Oklahoma Metropolis over the previous fiscal 12 months.
Williams’s report was optimistic and optimistic in regards to the bounceback of sections of our native financial system, together with what seems to be a gentle enhance within the hospitality sector.
Williams touted the Chamber’s legislative agenda successes. The legislature handed and Governor Stitt signed a regional transit invoice. Additionally they handed a invoice permitting municipalities like Oklahoma Metropolis to ban weapons in some public areas throughout some occasions, so if the Kings of Leon return to Scissortail Park folks may really feel safer attending.
The aerospace trade continues its rise to financial prominence within the state, in response to Williams. He defined that now 40% of aerospace employment is within the non-public sector, an space the place central Oklahoma is excelling.
Williams additionally emphasised the Chamber’s dedication to range and inclusion.
Ward 7 Councilwoman Nikki Good pushed again at this assertion, as she has repeatedly over the previous many months.
Good mentioned that she hasn’t seen something from the Chamber that reveals they’re practising range and inclusion. She mused that maybe there was a particular tab on their web site she hadn’t discovered.
Williams replied that the Chamber has partnered with the City League, a solution that Good appeared to search out unsatisfying.
Good identified that the Chamber doesn’t present a lot range as an entity. She requested what proof that they had that that they had made such a dedication.
Williams didn’t reply to Good’s query. Good then mentioned, “That speaks to my concern,” referring to Williams’s silence.
Bike Infrastructure
Eric Wenger, Director of Public Works, introduced a presentation on a Higher Streets Safer Metropolis challenge to construct devoted bike lanes on a portion of SE 59th Road.
The challenge will embrace a reconfiguration of lanes on the road close to Japanese. Lanes might be diminished from 4 full lanes for motor autos, to 2 lanes, with a middle flip lane, and a motorbike lane on either side with a two-foot buffer and delineators.
When a number of members of the council had questions in regards to the affect on drivers within the space and obtained much less data than desired, Ward 8 Councilman Mark Stonecipher moved to defer the merchandise for 2 weeks to be able to collect extra data.
That merchandise and extra might be lined on the subsequent assembly of the Metropolis Council on August 3 at 8:30 a.m.
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Final Up to date July 20, 2023, 1:45 PM by Brett Dickerson – Editor
