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<font face="Arial">Long time sustainability and transit advocate Ed
Kessler has prepared the following thoughts on MAPS 3 and
sustainability.<br>
<br>
Bob Waldrop<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.energyconservationinfo.org">www.energyconservationinfo.org</a><br>
</font><br>
++++++++++++++++<br>
<div><font face="Arial" size="2">
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><span
style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 20pt;">Before supporting,
opposing, or voting for or against MAPS 3, citizens of OKC may seek
address to the following questions regarding MAPS 3 and public transit:<span
style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">What justification is
provided by the people or organizations that support </font></span><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">MAPS 3 for having the
public pay twice for a hub?<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">Why is the existing
potential hub at Union Terminal being destroyed in the absence of a
justifying professional study? <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">There is apparently no
professionally-based justification for destruction of the existing rail
yard, and there have been numerous pleas from professionals and
citizens for saving the Union Terminal rail yard.<span style=""> </span>Why,
then, have many opportunities for a moratorium on its destruction been
avoided by the OKC Council, by the Association of Central Oklahoma
Governments (ACOG), and by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation
(ODOT), and still avoided today?<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">What are the comparative
costs of restoring the damage done at Union Terminal and developing
another hub? What are comparable benefits?<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">Completion of a new
highway through the Union Terminal rail yard is sometimes justified in
terms of need to replace a deteriorating existing elevated Crosstown.<span
style=""> </span>But why has an engineering study of the existing
Crosstown not ever been presented?<span style=""> </span>ODOT
Director Ridley uses it to commute to work and has said that if a
serious identified structural problem were identified, the road would
be closed immediately.<span style=""> </span>Couldn'’t deteriorated
pavement be permanently repaired?<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">Why should MAPS 3 be
passed now when the ACOG transportation study won't be available until
well into next year? (ACOG has not yet taken action on the September
request of the OKC Council, according to an ACOG spokesperson.) <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">Why have rail tracks that
would provide a direct route from Will Rogers Airport to the Union
Terminal in downtown OKC been removed when they weren't interfering
with anything and might have served a future good purpose? <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">Are MAPS3 promoters
committed to a downtown trolley system in advance of professional study?<span
style=""> </span>Should it first be determined whether less costly
buses would serve well, as in Paris, France, for example?<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">What is the power of the
OKC Chamber of Commerce (C of C) and why does it support destruction of
the Union Terminal rail yard? How does the C of C’s policy of
non-discussion serve the public interest? <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">Why has rail transport
capability at such as the Boardman company in southwest Oklahoma City
been eliminated? Have C of C policies contributed to reduced
availability of rail transport to businesses? <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">How can any of the
several components of MAPS 3 be properly designed and located when the
location, attributes, and functions of the transportation hub have not
been well identified? <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">What accomplishment in
public transit can be shown by the Alliance for Public Transportation?
The current APT CEO said to the OKC Council that APT is "grassroots".
What was APT's grassroots start? <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">Why did the APT Board of
Directors vote to support MAPS 3 before this was discussed with its
membership (October 15th meeting)? <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">Will the new hub serve
bus transportation, and how should the new hub relate to the existing
hub for buses? Why do we now hear of a tight relationship between a
new hub and Bricktown although the existing bus hub was purposefully
located away from Bricktown? <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">Why has our local
government facilitated relocation of rail transport of freight,
including hazardous materials, from the Union Terminal to the Packing
Town lead bypass line south of the N. Canadian River, through and
adjacent to a low-income area?<span style=""> </span>Why has
substitution of at-grade crossings for much safer grade-separated
crossings been permitted in violation of federal policy? <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">Why did government in
Oklahoma facilitate relocation of rail traffic that increases rail
congestion, causes rail delays, decreases public safety, and diminishes
national security, all associated with use of the Packing Town Lead
and new need to use the BNSF Red Rock line to cross the North Canadian
River? <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5">Why is the lower-income
public being asked to pay proportionally more than others for MAPS 3?<o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;"><font size="5"> <o:p></o:p></font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="5"><span
style="font-family: ArialMT;">Is MAPS 3 seriously premature?<span
style=""> </span>Shall we trust our leadership?<span style=""> </span></span><span
class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: ArialMT;">Past
"open" meetings for citizens' input have been held about these issues,
but public input at some meetings has been restricted and even cut off!<span
style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span
style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 11pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><i style=""><span
style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="">
</span>Prepared, printed and distributed by Edwin Kessler, November
2009.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Q<span style=""> </span>Why
does a citizen of Norman, Oklahoma, who is not registered to vote in
Oklahoma City, become involved </span><span
style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">in these Oklahoma City
issues?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">A.<span style=""> </span>Because
Oklahoma City is at the center of Oklahoma, and policy and actions in
Oklahoma City affect all of </span><span
style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Oklahoma and even our
Nation.<br>
<br>
</span></p>
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