TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa area hosts some great biking and walking paths that many people take for granted.
Regional officials are looking for the public’s input to make the network better.
The Indian Nations Council of Governments will update the bike and pedestrian master plan for the Tulsa metropolitan area, called the GO! Plan. INCOG and the Metropolitan Planning Organization will hold public meetings this week about it.
The overall goal is to increase safety, comfort, and convenience throughout the region for bikers and pedestrians.
Thomas Dow, the director of INCOG, mentioned to 2 News some things they’re looking to improve.
Among them are identifying possible arterial streets to add bike lanes and better connecting trails to certain nearby neighborhoods with poor access. Adding sidewalks along busy thoroughfares is another aim, considering a number of arterials lack them right now. Creating more bike lanes is also a goal.
Dow emphasized, “We want to make sure that people are comfortable using sidewalks and other facilities within the region.”
“You can hear the noise from the cars as they drive past us,” he pointed out while standing next to S. Peoria and 33rd Place. “You can also feel the vibration from the cars. So, when the sidewalks are really close to the street, people are more directly impacted by that kind of noise and vibration than if the sidewalks are further away.”
2 News also caught up with runners and bikers along the Tulsa River Parks trails. Overall, they’re proud of the network that the region boasts. Although, they had some suggestions.
"The only concern I have is the e-bikes,” said a man named John, who walks the trails regularly. “As much as I like them, they run really fast, and it would be nice to be able to slow 'em down some."
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David, a biker who averages 100 miles per week, told us, "There's a lot of drivers that just don't seem to like bike riders. And on the trails themselves, most pedestrians are pretty good, but there's still quite a few oblivious ones."
He also mentioned that "there are some sketchy areas on the trail that could be patrolled a little more, I think."
The Tulsa region has some wonderful bike facilities, like the River Parks trails, and a lively cycling community. However, some people, like Caleb Bryan, feel biking is only treated as recreation when it should also be treated as transportation. He co-owns the bike shop City Cycles in Jenks.
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Tulsa, like lots of North American metropolitan areas, is built around the car. To hopefully encourage more commuting by bike, protected bike lanes are something top of mind for Bryan.
"Like, actually getting the average person to feel safe when they're riding their bike on the street,” he told 2 News. “‘Cause having a white painted line in between you and a multi-thousand-pound car still doesn't feel that safe."
Bryan added: “I think until that can get corrected, and there's a lot more of a push, then I don't know that the sort of average person will actually feel safe riding their bike, even with any changes.”
He and Dow agree about that, but both acknowledged that cars will most likely continue to dominate area streets.
“There is always gonna be a need for people to move around the region by car,” said Dow, “but 50% of the trips that we take here in the Tulsa region and nationally are shorter than three miles, and 25% of the trips that we take here in Tulsa and nationally are shorter than one mile. And those distances for trips lend themselves really well to walking or riding a bicycle.”
Nonetheless, Bryan told us the infrastructure has improved over the years.
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That's where the GO! Plan comes in. Originally launched in 2016, the master plan continues to evolve. INCOG recently launched the planning process for a big update. A big step in that process is listening to the public.
“We want to make sure that, for those people that choose to walk or ride a bicycle, that they have the opportunity to do so,” said Dow, “that those opportunities are convenient, comfortable, and safe for them to do so — for people of all ages and abilities."
All open houses will run from 5 to 7pm, with a short orientation presentation at 5:30pm.
- Tuesday, July 30 - Sapulpa City Hall, 425 E. Dewey Avenue
- Wednesday, July 31 –Broken Arrow Library, 300 W, Broadway Avenue
- Thursday, Aug. 1 - Tulsa Public Library, 400 Civic Center
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