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From YouTube: MAPS 3 Update - Streetcar Construction Groundbreaking
Description
Civic leaders broke ground on the MAPS 3 Oklahoma City Streetcar track line, starting work on the metro’s first streetcar system in generations and launching a new era in local public transit.
“The MAPS 3 OKC Streetcar is one of the most ambitious projects in Oklahoma City’s history, and it will forever transform the way we live, shop, work, play, eat and get around downtown and the surrounding districts,” said Mayor Mick Cornett. “We can expect to create memorable public spaces and increased private development like locally-owned shops, restaurants and more housing options.”
The ceremonial groundbreaking kicks off about two years of construction and testing on tracks in and around downtown Oklahoma City, with OKC Streetcar service scheduled to begin in December 2018.
A
B
Reflecting
quite
a
bit
today,
as
this
is
a
big
day
in
the
history
of
Oklahoma,
City
and
I,
was
reflecting
back
what
it
might
have
been
like
in
the
late
1940s
when
they
were
removing
the
streetcar
from
the
streets
of
Oklahoma
City
in
thinking
back
to
that
day,
it
was
a
day
when
the
existing
system,
the
existing
cars,
had
pretty
much
lived.
Their
natural
life
expectancy,
but
America
was
moving
toward
another
direction.
B
We
were
hitting
the
accelerator
moving
toward
a
more
car-centric
economy,
a
more
car-centric
planning
directive
and
all
cities
west
in
most
cities,
even
east
we're
heading
towards
sprawl
and
further
development,
trying
to
create
extremely
large
cities
where
automobiles
could
roam
freely
and
you
think
of
how
successful
that
ever
it
was.
They
took
the
automobile
centric
economy
very
very
far,
and
it
has
to
a
certain
extent,
provided
growth
patterns
for
us
that
we
enjoy
today
and
we
curse
today,
but
to
an
extent
you
might
ask
yourself:
why
are
we
going
back?
B
Why
are
we
quietly
bringing
the
street
cars
back
to
Oklahoma
City?
Why
are
other
cities
bringing
street
cars
back?
Isn't
that
from
a
distant
day
and
and
I
think
a
lot
of
the
talking
points
that
we
use
during
the
2009-10
pain
still
work?
First
of
all,
we
can
all
edition
today,
when
we're
going
to
have
some
level
of
commuter
rail
that
might
bring
a
distant
person
in
from
Norman
or
Edmond
or
or
somewhere
in
between,
and
when
that
person
arrives
in
downtown
Oklahoma
City
they're
going
to
need
a
way
to
move
around
the
city
freely.
B
So
it
makes
sense
from
the
Metro
standpoint
and
in
investing
in
a
larger
rail-based,
Transit
Authority.
We
also
know
that
our
current
bus
system
is
limited
because
of
its
lack
of
a
downtown
circulation
and
I.
Think
this
streetcar
and
the
implementation
of
the
streetcar
only
adds
to
the
idea
that
our
bus
city
bus
system,
because
much
more
relevant
you're
much
more
likely
to
take
the
bus
downtown
to
the
Transfer
Center.
If
you
know
the
streetcar
is
going
to
come
by
and
pick
you
up
and
take
you
exactly
where
you
want
to
go,
people.
C
Who
rides
a
streetcar
will
have
to
route
options?
The
first
option
is
a
4.8
mal
main
line,
and
the
second
route
will
be
the
two
now
bricktown
a
loop.
The
streetcar
route
will
have
a
22
stops
the
routes
the
routes
will
be
able
to
serve
our
city
with
five
streets
cards.
Connection
is
the
key.
The
streetcar
will
allow
access
to
more
than
more
parts
of
Oklahoma
City
through
embarks,
transit,
transit,
networking
with
connections
at
the
Downtown,
a
transit
center,
as.
D
Far
as
the
timeline
is
concerned
or
streetcar
maintenance
facility
is
under
construction
at
Southwest,
7th
and
Hudson
directly
west
of
Union
Station.
It
is
scheduled
to
be
finished
in
late
October,
which
is
coming
a
lot
quicker
than
we
think
assuming
they're,
given
that
this
is
already
februari,
the
first
streetcar
will
be
completed
this
June
I'm,
hoping
to
get
a
birthday
present
mayor
I'd
like
it
to
be
here
on
time
and
we
hope
to
launch
the
service
in
December
of
2018.
D
The
embark
staff
is
developing
streetcar
safety
campaign
to
educate
drivers,
pedestrians
and
bicyclists
how
to
avoid
accidents
when
streetcar
service
begins.
You
know
this
is
a
unique
form
of
transportation
in
that
it
runs
in
lanes
of
traffic.
We
don't
have
the
space
to
have
dedicated
lanes
for
the
streetcar,
so
it
will
be
running
along
with
traffic
alone
survived
lines
along
with
our
cars
and
along
with
pedestrians,
and
so
we
all
need
to
learn
how
to
coexist
together.