BRICKTOWN
ACCESSIBILITY REVIEW
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma November 2015
Downtown OKC, Inc. The University of Oklahoma College of Architecture OU Institute for Quality Communities 1
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CONTENTS Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Importance of Accessibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Peer Places. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Existing Access in Bricktown . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Collaborators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
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SUMMARY In November 2015, Downtown OKC Inc. invited the OU Institute for Quality Communities to study accessibility along the Bricktown Canal and demonstrate recommendations for improving access. Local stakeholders have noticed some accessibility and walkability challenges along the canal that still remain. The team approached the project with a three-day process to quickly generate ideas. On the first day, the team met with property owners and business owners who are very familiar with the canal. After an overview of accessibility concepts, the group of more than a dozen stakeholders toured the canal, pointing out concerns they have noticed. On the second day, the team utilized the new OU Community Design Center in Film Row as a workshop space to develop ideas and receive feedback from project participants. By the third day of the Bricktown visit, the team presented a series of recommendations on accessibility, walkability, and wayfinding. The recommendations were refined according to comments received at the final presentation and are included in this report.
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IMPORTANCE OF ACCESSIBILITY The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990. Among other protections, the ADA provides standards for the built environment to allow universal access to commercial and public spaces regardless of disabilities. Accessibility is of critical importance to the success of an urban place like Bricktown. Many commonly known ADA improvements (ramps, handrails, audible traffic signals, accessible restrooms, etc.) are focused on accommodating people who use mobility devices like wheelchairs or crutches and people with visual or hearing impairments. The same ADA accommodations offer benefits to wide segments of the population who visit Bricktown. For example, families with children in strollers, the elderly, workers making deliveries using wheeled dollies, and people walking a bike down the sidewalk are just a few examples of how ADA access ramps and elevators are useful for everyone. In Bricktown, the general concept of access is extremely important. With two levels of publicly accessible space on the Bricktown Canal, it can sometimes be confusing to navigate to a business for people who are not familiar with the area. The frequency of stairs, ramps, elevators, and bridges is an important component of making sure people can easily navigate. This ease of navigation for visitors to Bricktown is an important factor for the viability of retail and restaurant space. Expanding access along the canal could have an impact on the continued development of Bricktown.
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Above: The San Antonio River Walk has detailed maps of accessible routes available for download.
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Images: Morristown’s Skymart shows the spatial requirements of a ramp that reaches second floor height.
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EXISTING ACCESS IN BRICKTOWN The most complicated challenges for accessibility in Bricktown are north of Reno, where the density of commercial frontage on both levels is highest. Several limitations exist here:
South of Reno, most commercial frontages are at the same elevation as a street level sidewalk or parking facility. However, going between the canal level and business level around the Centennial Plaza may require a circuitous route. South of I-40, the canal is a park-like environment with accessible sidewalks.
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Existing Plan
Legend ADA Access Stairway
S Mickey Mantle Dr
Elevator Canal Bridge
Joe Carter Ave
S Oklahoma Ave
• The Oklahoma Avenue elevator is the only accessible access to the south side of canal level. • All street level sidewalks have a dead end for accessibility at Oklahoma because of broken wheelchair lifts. • The Miller Jackson canal level mezzanine is only accessible by taking the indoor elevator from the second level.
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Bus Stop Water Taxi Ticket Booth Point of Interest
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There are several dead-end points for accessibility in the complicated area north of Reno.
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RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendations focus on wayfinding, walkability, and the addition of new points of access in Bricktown. The following concepts are presented in this report:
• New wayfinding to direct people to public accessibility facilities like elevators, stairs, and restrooms
• Changes to the west end of the canal to draw people into the canal area from Reno, Sheridan, and the future rail station tunnel
• A new elevator to create a complete hub of canal access at Oklahoma Avenue
• Replace wheelchair lifts with ramps where possible at Oklahoma Avenue • Replace wheelchair lift with accessible ramp at east end of the mezannine level of Miller Jackson Building
• A large, visible crosswalk of Mickey Mantle at the canal entrance, with a
landmark sign to provide a visual connection between the canal and street
• Safety improvements at the busy intersection of Mickey Mantle and Reno • Strategically placed additional stairs between levels in Lower Bricktown • Additional landscaping that also functions as informal stairs or seating at the river landing connection
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Legend ADA Access
Canal Level Path
Stairway
Canal Level Entry Point
Elevator
Mezzanine Path
Proposed Entry Point
Street Level Path
Proposed Path
Street Level Entry Point
Proposals in the report would enhance accessible circulation in the area north of Reno.
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WAYFINDING Wayfinding is an important theme throughout the report. Many people in Bricktown are visitors to Oklahoma City and unfamiliar with the area. Through a combination of more intuitive navigation and more deliberate signage, Bricktown should pursue a comprehensive wayfinding system. Wayfinding can serve as a key component for accessible navigation of Bricktown, directing people to elevators, stairs, crossings, and restrooms. In some places, a simple sign could direct people to an elevator that is currently difficult to find for visitors.
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WEST END The west end of the canal is an area of opportunity because it is Bricktown’s connection to the business district and major traffic generators like the Chesapeake Arena and Cox Convention Center. Many people enter Bricktown on foot on Sheridan or Reno, but views and access to the canal are not obvious from these points. Particularly from Reno, landscaping blocks the view to the canal as shown in the image on the right. From Sheridan, trees are staggered instead of placed in a row, creating a blocked view. At these locations, trees in rows might be better for suggesting their function as a gateway from Reno and Sheridan. In the pocket park from Reno to the canal, revising the landscaping and play equipment could create ample space for an event-focused pop-up market that would draw pedestrians into the space during high traffic days. Soon, the west end of the canal will also have a new entrance in a tunnel under the Santa Fe Station. This area along the train tracks is an interesting overlook with a great view of Bricktown. Public art along the train wall would make this a more enjoyable place. The entrance from the tunnel could directly connect to both levels of the canal with a new bridge and a ramp along the west wall of the canal.
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EXISTING WATER FEATURE
This plan view shows a proposed reconfiguration of the plazas and access points at the west end of the canal. The plan includes shifting landscaping to create clear views from Reno and Sheridan toward the canal area and a promenade along the Santa Fe rail tracks.
SILVER BIRCH TREE
TUSCAN TREE
The plan also includes a new bridge and ramp to create access to both levels of the canal from the proposed new tunnel through the Santa Fe Station.
MODERN BENCH
Finally, since Reno is one of the busiest access points to Bricktown, the public space touching Reno may be wellutilized as an area for pop-up vendors and market events.
OKLAHOMA REDBUD
PROPOSED BRIDGE
PRAIRIE GARDEN PROPOSED ADA RAMP
PROPOSED ART WALK
PROPOSED PAVILIONS TEMPORARY MARKET AREA
BRICKTOWN BORDERLINE FLAG POLES
SCALE: 1/16”=1’-0”
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Image: Example treatment for the plaza space along the Santa Fe rail tracks. Light landscaping and public art could make this a comfortable and interesting place to view the Bricktown Canal. Artwork on the mural wall in this image is by Yatika Starr Fields.
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Image: Sample image illustrating the potential of a new bridge and ramp to create new access points to both the canal level and street level.
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OKLAHOMA AVENUE ACCESS HUB The intersection of Oklahoma Avenue with the canal is the most central point for the historic warehouse district portion of the canal. The Oklahoma Avenue bridge has a distinctive triangular structure and is visible from any portion of the north canal. This makes the bridge a valuable wayfinding feature along the canal. At this intersection, there are actually three levels of sidewalk: The canal level, the street level, and the upper sidewalk level approximately four feet above the street. Wheelchair lifts at this intersection are broken, limiting access. On the southwest corner, there are both stairs and a functioning elevator, making this one of the only corners on the canal that offers full accessibility to both levels. For this location, it is possible to simply replace the broken wheelchair lifts. However, wheelchair lifts may continue to experience maintenance issues and wheelchair lifts are only useful for one type of user.
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Alternatively, wheelchair lifts can be replaced with a combination of ramps and an elevator. Two wheelchair lifts can be replaced with ramps. There is sufficient space to replace the wheelchair lift on the southeast corner near Yucatan Taco Stand with an ADA-compliant ramp, as shown in the image at right. A ramp running along Oklahoma Avenue in an existing grass area is planned by the private sector to replace the northeast wheelchair lift. On the northwest corner, a ramp is not possible. Instead, there is space for the elevator and stair tower on the southwest corner of the intersection to be mirrored to the northwest corner. The elevator would have access to the canal level, street level, and upper canal sidewalk level. The presence of dual fully functioning elevators would make Oklahoma Avenue the only location on the canal with full access to all levels of commercial frontage.
The installation of an elevator at this location would be a significant investment, but it would simplify navigation between levels of the canal for all users. This elevator would create a fully accessible hub for all canal users to transfer between levels or across the canal. The importance of this location could be further emphasized with an interpretive element. For example, at this intersection of Oklahoma Avenue and California Street, there are opportunities for history lessons about Route 66 and the westward migrations of the Great Depression.
Image: There is sufficient space for a ramp to replace this wheelchair lift near Yucatan Taco Stand.
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OKLAHOMA AVENUE EXISTING Broken wheelchair lifts make this a dead end for accessibility from several directions, requiring people to turn around and travel out of their way to continue walking on the upper level of the canal. Crosswalks with median refuges are provided, but could be marked with greater visibility. Some vehicles speed through this area.
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The Wheelchair Lifts
Vertical Movement
The wheel chair lifts at the corners of the intersection of Oklahoma Ave. and California Ave. are ugly, unreliable, OKLAHOMA inefficient, and expensive to maintain. HARDWARE Additionally, their limited carrying capacity imposes a serious pedestrian BUILDLING choke point at what is one of the most important commercial locations along the Canal.
Currently their is only one enclosed elevator at the south side of the Canal. The only means of vertical movement BREWER at the northern side of the Canal is a BUILDING staircase at the Northeast corner. This means ADA access to the North side of the Canal at Canal level is almost completely retricted. Additionally any ADA persons at this level are trapped.
Replacing All Wheelchair Lifts
Adding an Elevator
The wheelchair lifts require a large amount of maintenance and funding, and are still not garunteed to work. OKLAHOMA Replacing the lifts on the Northeast and HARDWARE Southeast corners with ADA ramps would provide a reliable, inexpensive, BUILDLING and easily understandable method of circulation. Additionally, at the Northwest corner an enclosed elevator would be implemented.
The lack of an ADA accessible link between Canal and street level on the Northern end of the Canal is unintuitive BREWER and makes navigating California BUILDING Avenue a logistic challenge. By simply mirroring the south elevator to the north side of the Canal we can create a simple and convenient connection between the Canal and Street level on both the North and South sides.
OKLAHOMA AVENUE PROPOSED Replacing two wheelchair lifts with ramps and one with an elevator tower creates an intersection with 100% access to all levels of the canal north of Reno. To further emphasize the intersection with Oklahoma Avenue as a pedestrian hub, the crosswalks may be marked with greater visibility or even reinstalled as raised crosswalks. Raised crosswalks would function as a speed table reminding motorists to travel cautiously through the intersection.
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MICKEY MANTLE CROSSINGS Mickey Mantle Drive is an important street that functions as a gateway to three important Bricktown anchors: the canal, the ballpark, and Centennial Plaza. With an elevator at the canal entrance, Mickey Mantle is also an important location for accessibility. When the California Street intersection was replaced with the canal, a pedestrian crosswalk of Mickey Mantle was lost. There is no crosswalk for two blocks between Sheridan and Reno. A crosswalk at this location would improve navigation of Bricktown, as shown in the plan view image on the right. This crosswalk could be created with simple paint or smooth decorative concrete. This crosswalk could also be constructed as a raised crosswalk that functions like a speed table, making it clear to drivers that they are in a pedestrian-dominated space. Guidance for a raised crosswalk intersection is on page 24. The single accessible parking space on the west side of the intersection, shown in the lower image on the right, limits visibility to an important entrance to the canal and complicates crossing the street. It may be relocated to a location where it has less impact. The rendering on the facing page shows how these enhancements, together with wayfinding improvements, could make this an intuitive gateway integrating the canal area with the rest of Bricktown.
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Image: Removing the ADA parking space, adding a safe crosswalk, and placing a landmark gateway sign would clearly communicate this location’s importance as an entrance to the Bricktown Canal. Note how the landmark sign works with the elevator wayfinding to clearly communicate the accessible entrance.
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Important street crossings or intersections along Mickey Mantle, including Reno and the crossing between the ballpark and canal, could be constructed as raised intersections that also function as traffic calming elements. A raised intersection slows down traffic. It also improves accessibility because the crosswalk is level with the sidewalk. This eliminates the need for a step or ramp between the sidewalk and street level. The images at the right show how these intersections work. More guidance is provided in the National Association of City Transportation Officials’ (NACTO) Urban Street Design Guide, which is available free online. NACTO recommends using bollards or heavy planter boxes at corners to prevent cars from accidentally driving onto the sidewalk.
Images: NACTO Urban Street Design Guide
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The three-way intersection of Mickey Mantle and Reno is one of the busiest pedestrian crossings in Oklahoma City. Here, pedestrians travel between the Centennial Plaza, Bricktown Ballpark, and Bricktown Canal’s prime entrance. This intersection is part of the key accessible route to Lower Bricktown. Reno is an intimidating street to cross. There are some immediate ways to address this without changing infrastructure: • Add high visibility continental ‘zebra-stripe’ crosswalks • Prohibit right turns on red • Program signals to give pedestrians a 3- to 7-second head start over vehicles turning from Mickey Mantle, to increase their visibility in the intersection In the near future, the number of lanes on Reno may be reduced as traffic shifts to the new Oklahoma City Boulevard. Replacing travel lanes with parking lanes and curb bumpouts can shorten the crossing distance of Reno.
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LOWER BRICKTOWN Lower Bricktown has fewer dead ends and inaccessible areas, but the area could still have more options for navigating between the canal level and elevated areas like Centennial Plaza and Harkins Theater. When visitors pass under the Reno bridge, there are no opportunities to access businesses and the Centennial Plaza until the long ramp and staircase near Fuzzy’s Tacos. There is room to add a stair at Reno as shown in the lower right image, offering an immediate opportunity for people to pass up to the plaza’s businesses. The canal level in Lower Bricktown currently has very few destinations around Centennial Plaza. With some pockets of underutilized space scattered throughout this area, there may be opportunities to add small or temporary pop-up businesses on the canal level to increase the amount of accessible destinations on the lower level.
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East of Harkins Theater, the canal is a single-level environment, and later a park-like environment beyond the Oklahoma City Boulevard bridge. Visitors approaching from the east pass under a bridge near Earl’s, where the canal becomes a dual-level environment. This bridge is a perfect opportunity to add stair access to give people a choice between levels as they walk into the dual-level area. On the north side of the canal, this bridge already has a half-stair to the Sonic Headquarters sidewalk level. Worn paths through the landscaping beds here indicate people are already traversing up to access this bridge. So, completing this stair down to canal level would be an improvement. On the south side, the bridge has a very long ramp extending to the parking lot. This makes for a long route for people trying to walk east on the second level. There is room here for a full stair to add another navigation option.
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The connection to the river landing is a new access point to the canal that will become increasingly important with the growing activity offerings of the Boathouse District. The significant elevation change is currently achieved with a simple switchback ramp. This meets ADA needs, but because it requires a circuitous route, many people will walk straight down the steep hill. Perhaps the areas between the switchback ramps could be reconfigured in a manner similar to the slopes leading down to the pond in the Myriad Gardens. The example on the right has landscaped areas that also function informally as stairs or seating. Standard stairs are also provided. Alternative ADA access to the water level is provided with long ramps on the opposite side of the pond.
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COLLABORATORS Bricktown Board of Directors Steve Hurst, President John Allgood Tom Anderson Danny Barth Scott Booker Andy Burnett Ben Bynum Michael Byrnes Mike Carrier Greg Dewey Rob Farrah Susan Harkness Mike Knopp Scott Munz Frank Nelson Carrie Palmer Avis Scaramucci Charles Stout Capt. Tompkins Sandino Thompson
Downtown OKC Inc. Jane Jenkins, President & CEO Mallory O’Neill, Bricktown District Manager AJ Kirkpatrick, Director of Operations & Planning OU Institute for Quality Communities Shane Hampton, Interim Director Hope Mander, Associate Director Ron Frantz, Director of Small Towns Studio Matt Crownover, Graduate Assistant Willy Burhan, Undergraduate Assistant Farshid Motian, Undergraduate Assistant Victor Trautmann, Undergraduate Assistant City of Oklahoma City - General Services Paula J. Faulkenstein, Director/City ADA Coordinator Peter A. Pickett, Accessibility Specialist
Additional Bricktown Stakeholders Nathaniel Harding, Harding & Shelton Chad Huntington, Bricktown Water Taxi Pete Rustin, Bricktown Water Taxi
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Report Prepared By: The University of Oklahoma Institute for Quality Communities College of Architecture 830 Van Vleet Oval, Suite 165 Norman, Oklahoma 73019 iqc.ou.edu
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