Tulsa World

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City says parking plentiful

by: P.J. LASSEK World Staff Writer
Sunday, June 08, 2008
6/8/2008 3:20:11 AM

Event-goers are willing to walk up to 10 minutes from where they park to attend a major attraction, experts say.

So, when questions arise about whether there is enough downtown parking for events at the BOK Center, the answer is a resounding, "Yes, more than enough," said Jack Crowley, Mayor Kathy Taylor's urban planning adviser.

BOK Center General Manager John Bolton agrees.

"It's really a myth that there aren't enough parking spaces," he said.

The BOK Center, located at the corner of Third Street and Denver Avenue, will have roughly 18,500 seats at 100 percent capacity, Bolton said.

There is a perception out there, Crowley said, that there needs to be one parking spot for each venue seat, no matter the size of the facility.

"That would mean every person would drive to the event, and we know that isn't the case," he said.

Data indicates that ridership to major events is 3.1 people per vehicle, "and that's conservative, in my opinion," said Crowley, who is on loan to the city from the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, where he is a visiting professor.

If the BOK Center is at 100 percent occupancy, just shy of 6,000 parking spaces will meet the parking need, according to projections by Walker Parking Consultants.

Within a two-block radius there are 4,488 parking spaces and within a 10-minute walk there are 9,051 spaces that will be available during events.

There are about 11,700 parking spaces between Brady and 11th streets and Greenwood and Houston avenues. The spaces are available in multistory parking garages, surface lots and metered street parking.

During major events at the BOK Center, Third Street between Denver and Frisco avenues will be closed to regular traffic and used only as a drop-off area to accommodate those who need front-door access, Bolton said.

Crowley said the days of having parking garages built next to event centers in a downtown area are coming to an end.

The goal is to promote foot traffic, he said.

"We want people who come downtown during major events to want to walk through areas where there is activity like restaurants, clubs and shops," Crowley said.

The BOK Center, however, does have parking structures nearby — the Civic Center Parkade is one block to the southwest, while the 100 West Garage is two blocks to the east.

Bolton said those two garages have a combined 2,616 spaces, which would easily accommodate all of the parking needed for smaller events such as Tulsa Oilers hockey and Tulsa Talons arena football games.

Bolton said he anticipates that during the first few events, a lot of people will be curious and want to drive by to see the arena, park nearby and walk.

But for those people who don't want to walk, the city also will have a shuttle system in place with specific routes throughout the downtown area.

With a shuttle, people can park farther away, Bolton said.

Crowley said that the experience in most places is that for the first few events when there is fear there isn't going to be any parking, people park fairly far out and use the shuttle.

"Then after two or three events, there are very few people using shuttles because everyone has a better understanding of the parking situation and find their own parking spots," he said.

Bolton said it doesn't take too long for people to figure out parking areas that fit their needs for a particular evening.

Some people prefer to park a little farther out and walk so that they are not stuck in the traffic congestion that occurs after an event, Bolton said.

"People who park further away can often walk faster to their car and get ahead of the traffic congestion and out of downtown, than those people who park closer to the arena," he said.

Bolton said that along with the parking signage that will be erected to help direct motorists, arena ambassadors will be stationed throughout downtown to hand out guides and answer questions.

"They will be our eyes and ears as we go through those first few events to see what is working and what isn't," Bolton said.

Is there really adequate parking within a 10-minute walk of the BOK Center?

The World decided to test that claim. Editors sent three reporters to parking lots on the outer edge of the radius designated by city officials. The walkers all used pedometers to measure the distance and count steps. Reporting interns Ryan Strong and Emily Holman and columnist and retired Managing Editor Gene Curtis made the walks in times ranging from eight to 11 minutes. Here are their comments:

Walk 1

Name: Gene Curtis
Age: 79
Distance: 0.64 mile
Walk time: 11 minutes
Steps: 1,371
Time of day: Mid-afternoon Weather: 88 degrees and breezy

I was assigned to walk about eight blocks from the 450-car surface lot at First Street and Frankfort Avenue, one of the lots farthest from the new entertainment facility. I probably was chosen for that walk because of my age (I’m the oldest guy on the staff — if someone my age can make it that fast, anyone can). Younger reporters walked from other sites.

I made it in 11 minutes and probably would have met that 10-minute time except for a couple of construction sites (which won’t be there when the BOK opens) and a couple of red lights (which will be there). Slow walkers ahead and the weather also might be factors.

When I made my walk Wednesday, there were no pedestrians and it was a nice walk in spite of the warm, windy weather. Although there are entrances on the south and east sides of the lot, the only one that was open was on the west end on First Street.

I began my walk heading west along Second Street, a historic route that was part of the original alignment of U.S. 66, past the new City Hall, the Williams Center that is Oklahoma’s tallest building and houses the Bank of Oklahoma, the back entrance of the Performing Arts Center that opens into several small theaters, and the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

Several plaques embedded in the sidewalk remind one that part of the streetwas part of historic Route 66. The walk along Second Street also goes past the Blue Dome building that in the 1920s and ’30s housed a service station and was the headquarters for a chain of five service stations in Tulsa but today is a popular bar and anchor of a downtown entertainment district.

I walked in the middle of the afternoon when there were only a few cars in the parking lot and there was almost no pedestrian traffic between the parking lot and the BOK Center.

Some have expressed fear about walking in that area but I felt none. And with crowds of others headed to the same destination for a performance, it would be even safer.

—Gene Curtis

Walk 2

Name: Emily Holman
Age: 21
Distance: 0.51 mile
Walk time: 9 minutes
Steps: 1,084
Time of day: 6 p.m.
Weather: 90 degrees, strong winds

I walked from the parking lot next to the DoubleTree Hotel Downtown near Seventh Street and Houston Avenue.

When I did the walk on Thursday afternoon, few pedestrians were in the area and tra`c was slow. The area seemed remote and dead, but it was open with few dark corners.

The idea of running into a mugger didn’t threaten me as it would in an alley or more enclosed area. I felt quite safe, despite inhibitions some might have about walking there after dark. I would have felt safe with a group of friends after dark, but not if I were alone.

The walk seemed short and the BOK Center was always in plain sight, which made it hard for me to lose my way. I shortened my walk time by cutting through a few parking lots at the Tulsa Convention Center that were mostly empty. The walk wasn’t scenic or historic, but it was a quick route to the arena with few obstacles on the way.

The construction that surrounded the center could have caused problems at a busier time, but it will be gone when the center is open.

The worst aspect of the walk was the heat and strong winds. I hope the BOK Center has good air conditioning because I felt pretty sweaty when I got there. On a cooler day, it would have been fine.

—Emily Holman

Walk 3

Name: Ryan Strong
Age: 20
Distance: 0.71 mile
Walk time: 8 minutes.
Steps: 1,121
Time of day: 6 p.m.
Weather: 85 degrees and humid

Thewalk, which started at Archer Street and Cincinnati Avenue, was brief. I walked west on Archer, an area filled with abandoned buildings and parking lots used by what seemed to be an interesting mix of white-collar workers from the downtown area. Nearby, there appeared to be a few coffee shops and bars, which I would suspect target a young urban professional crowd.

I passed a tattoo parlor, the Brady Theater and the Salvation Army. Behind the Salvation Army, near Denver and Archer, is the Tulsa Jail.

The walk near this intersection seemed to be filled with one eyesore after another with dilapidated sidewalks and buildings everywhere.

I did not run into any trouble along the way. However, the area’s isolation and proximity to a jail may be intimidating to some Tulsans at night. I recommend walking in groups after the sun sets.

The weather, which was humid and hot, was typical of Tulsa and made for a slightly uncomfortable walk. I began sweating after the first few blocks of the walk.

Overall, the experience was brief and painless.

—Ryan Strong

P.J. Lassek 581-8382
pj.lassek@tulsaworld.com

Associate Images:

Emily Holman, reporting intern for the Tulsa World, finishes her walk to the new BOK Center. The walk took her 9 minutes.

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