Oklahoma City is expanding its infrastructure with new bike lanes as part of the MAPS 4 program, which dedicates a substantial $22 million to citywide cycling improvements. This week, the City Council gave the green light on a contract to start laying down more paths for the city's two-wheeled commuters and recreational riders alike.
The latest construction package, coming in at $2.3 million, will add 7.2 miles of bike lanes designed according to the bikewalkokc plan, which charts out priority areas and vital connections for cyclists. A notable part of this plan is the NW 16th/19th Street Project, which will span from Lake Overholser Trail and snake through various streets, finally ending just north of the Plaza District. According to a statement obtained by the City of Oklahoma City, MAPS Program Manager David Todd said, "These new bike lanes will create stronger networks of connections for cyclists, providing them with more convenient and safer ways to travel around the city."
The approved bike lanes will not be your run-of-the-mill strips of paint on the pavement. The plan includes constructing tier 1 and 3 facilities that encompass protected bike lanes and multi-use trails, along with standard and shared route facilities. Cyclists can look forward to a smoother, hopefully less nerve-wracking ride throughout different parts of Oklahoma City.
The task of bringing these bike lanes to life falls to RCC Traffic, the contractor selected for the NW 16th/19th Street project, with construction set to kick-off later this spring. This push for enhanced cyclist infrastructure is no standalone venture; efforts are already in motion to lay down new MAPS 4 bike lanes in areas like the Classen Corridor and parts of 16th Street. For those keen on tracking the progress or learning more about these cycling developments, the city encourages a visit to okc.gov/maps4 and bit.ly/MAPS4Bikes.
MAPS 4 is an ambitious initiative funded by a temporary penny sales tax which is expected to generate $1.07 billion over eight years. The project, which was approved by voters in a 2019 special election, aims to improve neighborhoods, human needs, quality of life, and job creation throughout Oklahoma City. The MAPS Investment and Operating Trust has been established to ensure there is a strategy for sustainable funding to maintain projects over the long term, quite the testament to forward-thinking city planning.
