ACTIVATE CHICKASHA Alaine Nguyen Auriuse Tahmasebi Dean Sayers Emily Fitzsimmons Sonia Ramirez
ACTIVATE CHICKASHA
PEOPLE Strengthening infrastructure for alternative transportation, such as walking and biking, stimulates exercise and, therefore, improves physical and mental health.
SPACE Providing clear signage and directions throughout and around downtown eliminates confusion while ushering citizens and visitors to downtown Chickasha.
COMMUNITY Creating a more welcoming downtown will encourage people to explore downtown Chickasha as well as interact with each other.
NOTABLE STATISTICS
0.98% 58% 22.7% * Block D only had an occupancy rate of 0.98%. Only one car was parked in the entire block.
*
Only block (G) exceeded 50% occupancy rate. It was the farthest from W. Chickasha Ave.
4 parking areas made of gravel, so they had no lines 3 parking areas are paved but still don’t have lines
On average, the total occupancy rate for our entire sample area was only 22.7% during our survey time.
SITE
AREA
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
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SITE
SURVEY
ACTIVATE PEOPLE Strengthening infrastructure for alternative transportation, such as walking and biking, stimulates exercise and, therefore, improves physical and mental health.
CHALLENGES: ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION 0 bike lanes | 1 bike rack Pressure to drive escalates without infrastructure for alternative transportation, such as biking. In turn, this increases parking occupancy, especially with many single-occupancy vehicles in use.
Keeping people confined to their cars also prevents them from taking more time to explore and personally interact with downtown, thus decreasing potential commerce.
INTERVENTION: ALTERNATIVE
TRANSPORTATION Install at least one bike rack per block Paint bike lanes on busy streets, such as W. Chickasha Ave.
(Anderson) Ex. of a bike lane
(Shah) Ex. of a bike lane
Chickasha Rendering
Location SUGGESTIONS
Bike lane Bike rack
Corner of W. Chickasha Ave. and S. 6th St.
ACTIVATE SPACE Providing clear signage and directions throughout and around downtown eliminates confusion while ushering citizens and visitors to downtown Chickasha.
CHALLENGES: PARKING SIGNAGE Confusion amongst drivers Lack of awareness of parking behind buildings or in other hidden areas Confusion of which restrictions apply to the different parking spots because signs are bunched together, though they mark different restrictions Difficulty reading signs because many are damaged or faded
INTERVENTION: PARKING SIGNAGE Improve or replace the signs for parking so that drivers can read them clearly Introduce additional or new signage for areas with hidden or hard-to-find parking Add signage indicating routes from parking lots to downtown (W. Chickasha Ave, in particular) and vice-versa Include a street map of Chickasha at the edge of downtown for pedestrians walking from parking lots farther away (Day) Ex. of a street map sign
ON SITE Post Office placing signage near a prime location Traffic traffic on this street allows ample visibility Wayfinding assistance for both drivers and pedestrians
Signage
CHALLENGES: UNORGANIZED PARKING Handicap Parking Spots
Unclear signage due to handicap spots with faded paint This can cause unaware, illegal parking by citizens who can be ticketed for parking there
Unorganized Parking Lots No lines present to indicate correct parking spots
This leaves unused spaces that could increase the amount of spaces as well unclear direction to several businesses
INTERVENTION: UNORGANIZED PARKING Repainting Faded Lines Clear lines will improve the organization of parking lots and its occupancy Drivers will be more aware and, therefore, not be inclined to park in restricted spots
(“6’ Economy”)
Parking Lots and Spaces Adding new, painted lines to show open spaces in lots that are not painted or with faded lines Introducing curbs to indicate parking spots in lots that cannot be painted (Gravel Lots) One cost-effective way is adding yellow, plastic curbs to clearly show open and available parking
(“Accessible”)
PURCHASE SUGGESTIONS
Plastic Parking Curbs Wholesale Full Skid Lot (30 Parking Space) costs $49 per parking curb Installation Fee of $12 per parking curb Grand Total of $1,830 pre-tax cost Cost $61 per curb, including installation fee Color available in the Blue, for handicap parking. *Pricing and Photos from ULine.com
PURCHASE SUGGESTIONS
Rubber Parking Curbs Wholesale Skid Lot (49 Parking Spaces) costs $52 each. Installation Kits cost $15 per curb. Grand Total of $3,282 pre-tax. Cost $67 per curb, including installation fee. Color available in Blue for handicap parking Difference the rubber curb is able to conform to more uneven surfaces, eliminating the need for some new paving. *Pricing and photos from ULine.com
ON SITE No indication of parking spots in these areas Plastic curbs suggested for these lots
Businesses could benefit from more organization Intervention locations
ACTIVATE COMMUNITY Creating a more welcoming downtown will encourage people to explore Chickasha as well as interact with each other.
CHALLENGES: EXCESS PARKING Block A Excess parking takes up space for potential economic, social, and cultural activities With large amounts of parking and low occupancy rates, the emptiness of the open parking spots provide a sense of waste to downtown Chickasha.
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INTERVENTION: EXCESS PARKING Concrete game settings (basketball hoop, four square, hopscotch, tetherball) Food trucks (center visitors, avoid long distance hassle for food) Historical sites (plaques and statues of Chickasha history) Markets open air activities (street musicians, street artisans, other talents)
(Nordrum) Ex. of historical information signs
(“Video�) Ex. of concrete games
Render
S 5th St. & W Chickasha Ave
CHALLENGES: WALKABILITY & DOWNTOWN LIFE Walkability A walkable space encourages people to park farther away from their destination -particularly in off-street parking -- and explore downtown in the process Very few benches: people need a place to rest if they are going to walk around downtown Lacking curb appeal and quality decreases pedestrian comfort, attraction, and accessibility
Downtown Life Creating a lively downtown is important to a city’s social and economic well-being Low pedestrian population further discourages downtown comfort as well as economic and cultural activity. During our site visit, we saw hardly anyone walking around
INTERVENTION: WALKABILITY & DOWNTOWN LIFE Walkability Repairing and power washing sidewalks to increase accessibility and general walkability Installing benches
Curb Appeal Plants: potted plants in front of businesses and planting beds in available green spaces Art: bike rack art, murals, incorporation of Chickasha culture and school colors Trash cans and recycling bins to reduce litter
Downtown Life Games and activities on the sidewalk (painted hopscotch and marbles lines, chalk buckets, etc)
ON SITE Benches Plants Individual plotters Concrete games Sidewalk Repair
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W. Chickasha Ave.
S 5th St., just off of W. Chickasha Ave.
SUGGESTIONS: PAYMENT AND MAINTENANCE EMPLOYEES Hire a government employee to direct downtown development. Responsibilities for this position would include raising funds through various means for initial purchases as well as maintenance.
CONTRACTS Establishing a contract with an NGO/non-profit, similar to Downtown OKC Partnership, that specializes in downtown revitalization and maintenance
BUSINESSES A program organized by the Chickasha Economic Development Council that collects a small fee each month from downtown businesses for maintenance.
ACTIVATE CHICKASHA
WORKS CITED Anderson, Michael. “Salt Lake City Street Removes Parking, Adds Bikes Lanes and Sales Go Up.” People for Bikes, 5 Oct. 2015, https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/salt-lake-city-street-removes-parking-adds-bike-lanes-and-sales-go-up/. Accessed 7 Mar. 2019. Shah, Parth. “6 Things You Need to Know About Cycling on the Sidewalk.” NPR, 16 Oct. 2016, https://peopleforbikes.org/blog/salt-lake-city-street-removes-parking-adds-bike-lanes-and-sales-go-up/. Accessed 7 Mar. 2019. Day, Cassandra. “Middletown’s ‘What’s Your Main Street’ Signs Showcase City’s Diverse Offerings.” The Middletown Press, 15 Jan. 2019. https://www.middletownpress.com/middletown/article/Middletown-s-What-s-Your-Main-Street-13536391.php. Accessed 7 Mar. 2019. “Video: Miami artist talks about hopscotch project in downtown Greensboro.” News & Record, 28 April 2015. https://www.greensboro.com/news/video-miami-artist-talks-about-hopscotch-project-in-downtowngreensboro/article_cb5b9bca-edc6-11e4-897f-232f16927369.html Nordrum, Amy. “HIstorical Plaques Project.” FMATS, Sep. 2015. http://fmats.us/projects/greenspacehistory/
WORKS CITED “Accessible Parking Spot: Are They All the Same.” National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association, 9 Oct. 2016. https://nmeda.com/accessible-parking/. Accessed 7 March 2019. “6’ Economy Solid Plastic Parking Curb.” Traffic Safety Store. https://www.trafficsafetystore.com/parking-blocks/plasticeconomy-6#PBE6YL. Accessed 7 March 2019.