OKC's MAPS3 survey shows strong support for mass transit

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), May 25, 2007 by Brian Brus

The biggest surprise in the public's recent suggestions for MAPS3 sales tax-funded development projects was the overwhelming interest in a mass transit system - more than three times the response of the second-most cited topic, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said Thursday.

City leaders are looking for the best way to benefit from momentum generated by the original MAPS, or Metropolitan Area Projects, and MAPS for Kids. The former, which began in late 1993, focused on landmark projects such as the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark, renovation of the Cox Business Services Convention Center and the Norick Downtown Library. It was funded with a six-year, 1-cent sales tax. MAPS for Kids, also funded by sales tax revenue, involved new education technology, the bus fleet and district-wide school construction and refurbishment. Together, the two initiatives directly yielded more than $800 million in taxes.

Cornett and others have said the greatest potential for the success of a third MAPS project lies in public motivation and personal input. To that end, an Internet site at maps3.org asked for issues that respondents would be most interested in funding.

He revealed the results of that four-month, unscientific survey with a presentation at Hilldale Elementary School on NW 16th Street. Cornett thanked teacher Robbyn Ginsmann's third-grade class for their letter-writing contributions.

Of the 2,367 online respondents, more than 85 percent said the city should pursue a MAPS3 initiative. Those ideas mirrored some of the Hilldale Elementary students, such as the development of more parks and a professional sports team and support for the homeless.

But the topic that easily rose above all others was public transportation, with 668 submissions. The second-most popular issue, streets and other infrastructure, received only 140 submissions.

Other top items were recreation trails (140), improved and expanded parks (123), streetscaping and other beautification (117), and sidewalks (100).

"I was impressed with the level of sophistication in their responses, as far as city planning and what we need," Cornett said. "You can tell a lot of these people have been around and seen other cities, and they're thinking, 'We should be more like that.'

"The overwhelming support for transit surprises me in many ways, and delights me in others. I agree that it's a shortcoming in the community," he said. "It's one of those things we need to go back and look at and see how we can get to the next level of public transportation. There's no question we don't do it very well. But how would we do it efficiently, and how would we pay for a higher level of transportation?"

Cornett said it's too early to specify what sort of system might be looked at more closely - buses, rail or a combination. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area is one of the largest in the nation in terms of sprawling land area, which further complicates matters. But with automobile fuel prices expected to remain high and the city's population projected to grow and age, city leaders cannot afford to ignore the impending need, he said.

"People need to keep in mind that sometimes they'll note things we need, but there are other funding sources available," he said.

He referred to street work and other school projects funded by bond issues.

"But I think that if we have a MAPS3, it will probably fall more in line with (the first) MAPS. It'll be about civic projects in nature; it'll be people thinking big on a grand scale."

The Internet site logged more than 131,000 hits worldwide over four months, many of which were repeat visitors.