The Problematic Intersection of Oak Tree Avenue and East Constitution Street

Fitzsimmons 1 Emily Fitzsimmons Dr. Wieters RCPL 4213 001 8 November 2019 The Problematic Intersection of Oak Tree Avenue and East Constitution Street As a former resident of the apartment complex The Commons on Oak Tree, I drove through the Oak Tree Ave. and E. Constitution St. intersection almost daily for a year, and I still pass through this intersection regularly to access my preferred gas station. Based on my longterm experiences as well as a 35-minute observation of activities, I assert that this intersection is a hazard for multiple types of travelers, including pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and even railroad employees.

According to the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG), E. Constitution St. is a collector street, meaning that it balances mobility and access to land use as well as “distributes trips to and from the arterials,” such as Classen Blvd. (“Traffic”). E. Constitution remains the dominant road in this intersection, for in 2018, the average daily traffic was 8,007. In ACOG’s most recent traffic measurement for a single day, 564 vehicles travelled on E. Constitution St. between 3:00-4:00 PM; similarly, in my field work, I counted 427 vehicles between 3:00-3:35 PM (“Transportation”). 147 vehicles drove northeast only on E. Constitution while 122 drove southwest only on E. Constitution St. ACOG did not have data for Oak Tree Ave because it is not as heavily used; however, I recorded eighty-five vehicles that turned onto Oak Tree Ave. from E. Constitution St. and seventy-one vehicles that turned onto E. Constitution St. from Oak Tree Ave. Such vehicles included average-sized automobiles, pick-up trucks, vans, buses, and one semi-truck. Additionally, I noted nine pedestrians, all of which walked northeast

Fitzsimmons 2 on E. Constitution St. and one of which walked back southwest later. Six cyclists also traveled northeast, two of which went back southwest, and one person on an electric scooter traveled northeast and then southwest. Lastly, there was one train that passed through on the adjacent tracks.

Keeping this in mind, some significant land uses in this area include residential apartments, a grocery store, convenience stores, restaurants, and other services. Because these streets are so close to campus, college apartments retain a strong presence on Oak Tree Ave. and the nearby Classen Blvd., including The Commons on Oak Tree, Forest Pointe, 2900 Apartments, Hampton Woods, Aspen Heights, Crimson Park, and Cottages of Norman. Notably, an apartment complex for senior citizens is located on Oak Tree Ave., as well. The renters, the students traveling to school, the connection to a major road, and the demand for the other land uses draws thousands of travelers through the E. Constitution St. and Oak Tree Ave. intersection daily. However, this intersection bears some major flaws that affect all forms of transportation that utilize these streets.

For one, directional confusion revolves around this intersection. The portion of E. Constitution St. between Classen Blvd. and the railroad tracks includes two lanes in each direction, but one of the lanes going southwest unexpectedly transitions into a turn only lane for Oak Tree Ave. As a result, many drivers try to force their way in or out of the turn lane at the last minute, creating conflict and increasing the possibility of an accident. By the same token, some drivers try to preempt this dilemma by illegally turning into the far lane, which also increases chances of collision. Furthermore, the railroad immediately adjacent to the intersection has sunk over time so that cars bounce when crossing; in order to drive across the tracks without slamming the car’s bumper into the ground, motorists must slow to a crawl. This not only can

Fitzsimmons 3 damage vehicles but also poses a danger to cyclists, especially if they do not know to prepare for the drop. Likewise, E. Constitution St. does not have bike lanes, forcing cyclists to share the road with two-ton cars and overbearing trucks. Lastly, the pedestrian infrastructure at this intersection is incredibly pitiful. Oak Tree Ave. has sidewalks and bike lanes on each side of the street, but both of these end without warning at the intersection. Meanwhile, E. Constitution St. has parts of a sidewalk on the opposite side of the street. This sidewalk, too, ends unexpectedly, and the pavement is uneven, cracked, and overgrown throughout. This intersection also has no official crosswalks or even pedestrian crossing signs; during my field work, I had to dash across four lanes of traffic multiple times. Additionally, pedestrians cannot cross the train tracks without walking in the street – where cars go 35 miles per hour and above – as the sidewalk ends long beforehand. Yet there is clearly a need for such a sidewalk because there are beaten down paths on both sides of the street. The lack of pedestrian infrastructure for crossing the tracks obviously poses a deathly threat to pedestrians, but train conductors and motorists also suffer, emotionally and career-wise, if they hit a pedestrian. Most importantly, this intersection is not ADA accessible. Senior citizens live nearby who need access to the services across the railroad, but many elderly people cannot drive and are physically inhibited. Moreover, many of the college students and other low-income residents in the area cannot afford a car. Such people could sustain serious harm attempting to cross the street or railroad.

In response to these issues, I suggest reducing directional confusion by repainting the lines and placing a sign earlier on E. Constitution St. that warns about the turn-only lane. The railroad tracks should also be repaired so that the ride is smoother for both cars and bikes; furthermore, the at-grade crossing for vehicles should be extended on each side of the tracks for a pedestrian-grade crossing, preferably with active signals, signage, and barriers similar to the

Fitzsimmons 4 those for cars. Likewise, the sidewalks on E. Constitution St. must be repaired and extended to meet the railroad track crossings and the sidewalks on Oak Tree Ave.; in this vein, the intersection also needs formal crosswalks with ramps and at least some yield signs. Additionally, I recommend narrowing the car lanes by one foot each, so 6’ bike lanes can be installed on each side of E. Constitution St., connecting to the bike lanes on Oak Tree Ave. Lastly, lighting should be installed on both sides of the street for the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, as well as scooters, and the city should plant low-lying plants in the middle barriers on both streets for place-making, safety, and psychological elements.

The most substantial parts of this operation involve the railroad. Such improvements are difficult because train tracks are privately owned areas that intertwine with public spaces.

However, similar projects in other cities have been successful, particularly pedestrian-grade crossings. For instance, southern California’s Metrolink has been improved throughout the region by repairing sidewalks; adding pedestrian crossing stations and gates; building pedestriangrade crossings; installing warning bells, flashers, and signs; and constructing pedestrian behavior controls, such as zig-zag fencing that encourages pedestrians to look both ways before crossing (Mathieu 6-9). The California Department of Transportation enacted such tactics at the Burbank Airport and Burbank Downtown Station (10-11). Furthermore, in places such as the Irvine Transportation Center, Fullerton Station, and downtown Pamona, the government has constructed pedestrian bridges and underpasses; though such strategies are effective, they are considerably more expensive than at-grade crossings (13-18).

In short, this intersection cannot function appropriately for any modes of transportation until the railroad tracks, streets, and sidewalks are improved. As of right now, all types of travelers are shortchanged of a proper public space. The intersection poses a variety of threats

Fitzsimmons 5 because of broken and insufficient infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists, and even cars. This is especially prevalent because of the nearby arterial road, land use, and demographic transportation needs of the area.

Vehicular Intensity and Direction between 3:00-3:35 PM on Monday, November 4th, at the Oak Tree Ave. and E. Constitution St. intersection Number of Vehicles Total

427

Going NE on E. Constitution St.

147

Going SW on E. Constitution St.

122

Turn right onto Oak Tree Ave.

21

Turn left onto Oak Tree Ave.

64

Turn right into E. Constitution St. from Oak Tree Ave.

59

Turn left onto E. Constitution St. from Oak Tree Ave.

12

U-turn

2

Alternative Transportation Intensity and Direction between 3:00-3:35 PM on Monday, November 4th, at the Oak Tree Ave. and E. Constitution St. intersection Alternative Transportation Type Number Direction Pedestrians

9

9 walk NE; 1 walks back SW

Cyclists

6

6 ride NE; 2 ride back SW

Scooters

1

1 rides NE and back SW

E. Constitution St. & Oak Tree Ave. Intersection, 2017

as

it

n

.

Cl se

Co .

E

t ns

io ut

St

n Bl v.

Oa k T re e A ve .

L egend: Street Name Focus Area

0 0

0 .0 1 0 .0 2

0 .0 3 0 .0 4

0 .0 5m i 0 .0 9k m

(City)

Intersection Context Map

L egend: Street Name Focus Area

0

0 .1

0

0 .1 7

0 .2 0 .3 5

0 .4m i 0 .7k m

(City)

Fitzsimmons 6 E. Constitution St. and Oak Tree Ave. intersection

Sidewalk ends without warning at an extremely uneven surface on E. Constitution St.

Fitzsimmons 7

E. Constitution St., facing northwest

Railroad track crossing E. Constitution St.

Fitzsimmons 8 Cyclist crossing the railroad tracks in the street

Informal path due to lack of sidewalk on E. Constitution St.

Fitzsimmons 9 Broken and uneven sidewalk along E. Constitution St.

Informal path, broken sidewalk that ends without warning, no ramp, and no bike lane

Fitzsimmons 10 Broken and overgrown sidewalk that ends without warning on E. Constitution St.

Sidewalk that ends without warning on Oak Tree Ave.; no official crosswalk

Fitzsimmons 11

Existing conditions cross section of E. Constitution St. from Streetmix

Some proposed solutions to E. Constitution St. and Oak Tree Ave. intersection from Streetmix

Fitzsimmons 12 Works Cited City of Norman, GIS Division. “Interactive Map.” City of Norman, Oklahoma, esri, https://normanok.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=f69b169befde4e60 80f9b33cbd03f54f. Accessed 8 Oct. 2019.

Mathieu, Ron. “Pedestrian Railroad Crossings: Lessons Learned.” Metrolink, 3 Oct. 2007, https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/osss/rail/gradecrossings/repository/Ron%20Mathieu%20%20Pedestrian%20Treatments%20at%20Crossings%20ERCC.pdf. Accessed 4 Nov. 2007.

“Traffic and Congestion.” ACOG. Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, n.d., http://www.acogok.org/transportation-planning/maps-and-data/traffic-and-congestion/.

Accessed 4 Nov. 2019.

“Transportation Data Management System.” ACOG. Association of Central Oklahoma Governments, 2018, https://acog.ms2soft.com/tcds/tsearch.asp?loc=Acog&mod=.

Accessed 4 Nov. 2019.