Letter to the Editor: Rapid transit good idea
BY Jay Nordlund, Tulsa
Friday, January 18, 2013
1/18/13 at 7:28 AM
In response to the Jan. 9 editorial, "Bus expansion?": Your skepticism toward expanding transit in Tulsa seems troubling. The proposed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for the Peoria Avenue corridor would bring stops every 15 minutes on a busy route that runs within a half mile of one in five jobs in Tulsa and where one in seven residents live. Striking numbers.
I agree that public hearings are needed to inform voters about the $15 million initial investment for BRT, should it be included in the next Fix Our Streets proposal. However, that very Fix Our Streets plan now includes widening a one mile stretch of Yale Avenue between 81st and 91st streets at a cost of $30 million. That's $30 million for one mile of roadway versus $15 million to improve 20 miles of transit.
Your editorial also mentioned that Tulsa, like most cities in the Midwest and West, is not geared toward mass transit. Really? Then why do Fort Worth, San Antonio, Albuquerque and El Paso all have new BRT corridors?
Research shows that when young people consider relocating to a city, one of their biggest priorities is a good transit system. If we want Tulsa to be a vibrant, viable and attractive place to live, we need to stop this backward thinking about transit.
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