HOOKER
DesignWorks Texas County Health Department Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Healthy Living Program City of Hooker OU Institute for Quality Communities Oklahoma Municipal League
Summary In November of 2019, the Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) traveled to Hooker, Oklahoma, to work with the Texas County Health Department’s Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Healthy Living Program, the City of Hooker, and other local partners. This project was also supported by matching funds from the Oklahoma Municipal League. Over a 48-hour period, the IQC team observed the downtown area and other important locations for walkability in the community. A city of nearly 2,000 residents, Hooker, Oklahoma is located within Texas County and is the second largest city after Guymon. Hooker is a thriving community of engaged citizens and deep cultural values.The city hopes to create spaces of comfort and safety for all of its residents through its pedestrianoriented streetscapes and public amenities. With a relatively stable economy, Hooker has a number of community assets around town to support walking, jogging, cycling and healthy lifestyles. However, these destinations are not fully linked through the community to allow people to use active transportation as part of daily life. The recommendations in this report are the beginning of a campaign to support walking, biking, and jogging in Hooker. The campaign focuses on making the entire community a hub for walkability with safe and comfortable links to walkable destinations.
• Create a system of wayfinding for cars and pedestrians off Highway 54 and other significant entryways;
• Encourage greater walkability and connectivity between public amenities; • Identify and improve challenging intersection crossings.
Walkability and Health Growing evidence suggests that walkability in communities can support economic development, environmental health, and the level of participation and interaction from community members. Importantly for a state challenged with health issues like Oklahoma, a walkable community can also support healthy lifestyles and lead to reduced rates of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. For more on the correlation between health and community design, check out two video presentations at the IQC Placemaking Conference website, located at iqc.ou.edu/conference:
• Dr. Richard Jackson, “Healthy Communities” (2013) • Dr. Karen Lee, “Active Design for Healthy Places” (2015) Walkability is about more than just a sidewalk. For people to choose walking or biking as part of their daily transportation, notable city planner Jeff Speck says that those options should be safe, comfortable, interesting, and useful. “Safe” includes concerns about traffic speeds, separation from traffic, and crossings. “Comfortable” might include shade and limited noise from traffic. “Interesting” means there are things to look at and enjoy along the way. “Useful” means there are useful destinations in the walkable area. For more about walkability, check out Jeff Speck’s video presentation on the IQC Placemaking Conference website located at iqc.ou.edu/conference:
• Jeff Speck, AICP, “Walkable City” (2013) • Dan Burden, “Livable Communities (2013) • Gil Penalosa, “8 to 80 Cities” (2015)
Touring Hooker
Around the City Public Works Director Buddy Holbert did an excellent job leading the team through the City of Hooker to get a better understanding of the community’s needs. The team saw the major locations and amenities available in Hooker including parks, schools, sports fields, the city pool, local businesses, and all the surrounding neighborhoods. The team met with the school superintendent and toured the high school. The team led a meeting with community members at the city golf course.
Storefronts on Glaydas St. Buddy Holbert led the group through a tour of Glaydas Street, the city’s main street in downtown. The downtown area has very few vacant storefronts, wide streets for festivals, and accessible sidewalks. The group met with several local business owners, toured their shops and gained an understanding of the needs of each business. The conversation highlighted greater needs of connecting Glaydas Street to the rest of the town.
Bisecting Highway Similar to many rural communities in western Oklahoma, Hooker is bisected by a major highway. It separates many residents from the downtown, parks, schools, and other amenities offered by the city. While the highway allows heavy traffic to pass through the city, it bisects the community and only has one crosswalk that goes almost unused everyday. Because of the awkward placement of this one crosswalk, trucks neither stop at this intersection, nor do pedestrians choose to cross there.
Five-way Intersection A unique feature of Hooker is its five-way stop near the high school. Broadway, Panhandle, and Jefferson Streets all intersect just northeast of Hooker High School. This area is important for both pedestrian and car traffic because it connects trucks to Highway 54, as well as connects students and parents to the neighborhoods, parks, and sports fields. This intersection could be a potential location for greater pedestrian use, further connectivity from downtown to the neighborhoods, and wayfinding signs for car and pedestrians.
Destinations in Hooker Schools Both the High School and the Elementary School are located close to the five-way intersection.
Downtown Downtown Hooker is the meeting point for shopping, dining and entertainment.
Golf Course The golf course is a fun attraction for residents and visitors to enjoy golf and the incredible landscape of Hooker.
Recreational Facilities The parks, playground, pool, football stadium, and baseball field on the west side of the city form a recreational and sports hub for residents and visitors.
Priority Corridors These paths show where residents desire accessible walking paths that connect the city’s destinations and create safe spaces for walking through town.
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Community Meetings Key Ideas Two meetings were held with community stakeholders on Monday, November 2, to learn more about goals and ideas local residents have for Hooker. This page contains themes and ideas gathered from participants in the meeting, which strongly influenced the content of this report.
• Hooker is bisected by Highway 54, but there is no signage or features to • • • •
create a sense of arrival and to attract visitors to the city’s local businesses and ammenities. There is only one crosswalk connecting both sides of the city, but it is not located in a favorable spot, therefore it is not safe to pedestrians to cross the highway. Hooker has existing parks and a variety of recreational facilities that are assets for the community. They should be better connected to each other. Students are the residents who walk the most, but the streetscapes of the city do not favor walkability. The streets are wide, there is frequent truck traffic through the city, and many streets lack sidewalks. The intersections in the city are not safe for the users, especially the fiveway intersection close to the school.
Meeting participants took to the streets to practice installing test versions of traffic calming and crosswalk features that might work for Guymon’s widest streets.
RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS
Create a system of wayfinding for cars and pedestrians When people find their way to downtown, they find a lively pedestrian center. But there are many more destinations to explore in Hooker on foot. That makes downtown a great place for the hub of Hooker’s active transportation. A unique wayfinding system can be started that portrays the many assets that the City of Hooker has to offer. The blue wayfinding signs can have a uniform color scheme and design to show cars and pedestrians that they are at one of the city’s many amenities. These signs should be placed strategically along sidewalks for pedestrians and along roadways for cars. Signs for car traffic must be larger, with more prominent writing to allow drivers enough time to read the signs and decide what destination to head to. The map of Hooker identifies key locations that wayfinding signs could potentially be effective.
Jefferson St
Wayfinding for Car Traffic Wayfinding for Pedestrians
Panhandle St
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Adding simple infrastructure to streets can keep pedestrians and cyclists safe while also slowing down traffic around downtown and the schools. By carefully selecting a street, adding some traffic calming features to slow down cars, and enhancing some crosswalks, Hooker can create alternatives to busy streets that are comfortable for all ages and abilities.
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Along with wayfinding, the City of Hooker needs to connect walking paths from their public spaces such as downtown, the golf course, the public schools, the city pool, sports fields, and neighbrhoods south and east of Highway 54. With a complete connection, visitors can tour the entire City of Hooker and offer residents safe areas to walk, run or bike through their city.
Jefferson St
Improve walking connections between public amenities.
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Proposed walking connections
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Pedestrians lanes: Guidance from the Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks Guide (see resources) include lowcost pedestrian safety tools that can be employed to better connect a city and encourage walkability.
Cities and towns across the US are using low-cost solutions to increase pedestrian safety and accessiblity to public amenities. A simple white line can be utilized in low-speed areas, while a painted street with plastic or metal barriers can provide added security on high-speed rodes.
Improve challenging intersection crossings.
The design of the streets in Hooker and the frequent truck traffic through the city do not create a safe environment to walk. In downtown, the wide streets encourage high driving speeds. The street parking keeps driver’s from seeing the storefronts, and there are no crosswalks for pedestrians.
Intersection of Glaydas (65’ wide) and Broadway (55’ wide)
The five-way intersection compromises students’ safety due to the lack of sidewalks and safe crossings.
Five-way intersection
Intersections: Wayfinding, Safety, and Style
Painted intersections have been a useful tool for slowing traffic down in areas of high-pedestrian activity and adding color and vibrancy to a city. The intersection of Glaydas and Broadway is a perfect example of an intersection that needs slower traffic, more opportunities for pedestrian safety, and iconic scenery that will direct residents and visitors to interact with downtown shops and restaurants. More information on the benefits of intersection paintings can be found at https://www.theguardian.com/travel/gallery/2013/may/28/portland-usa-street-art https://www.shareable.net/city-repair-from-illegal-street-painting-to-city-sanctioned-placemaking/
Woodstock, Illinois, is an example of a five-way intersection that increased pedestrian space by extending sidewalks and green spaces around the roadways, decreased the width of the streets coming together, extended the curbs through pavement and painted lines, and included a roundabout to continue the flow of traffic while also promoting safety for pedestrians and cyclists. More information can be found at www.hlrengineering.com Increase pedestrian space while redesigning intersection geometry, consolidating spaces in logical and usable areas. (NACTO Urban Street Design Guide)
Compact intersections reduce exposure, slow traffic near conflict points, and increase visibility. (NACTO Urban Street Design Guide)
Roundabouts: Gateways and Flowing Traffic
Studies across cities have shown that roundabouts are safer than other types of intersections because they slow speeds down, allow for one-way traffic, and avoid head on collisions and left turns. Roundabouts are also more efficient than stoplights or stop signs because they reduce the time of delay, creating easy transitions for high-traffic areas. Roundabouts can also save cities between $3,000 and $5,000 in maintenance and energy costs. From rural towns in Kansas to big cities such as Madison, Wisconsin, more communities are choosing roundabouts as their preferred intersection. Many cities are including a “truck apron” that allows semi-trucks to drive over the circle, allowing them to make the without affecting traffic flow or other cars. A roundabout in Hooker at the five-way intersection would promote greater safety for pedestrians, a continuous flow of truck and car traffic, and could be used as a gateway into the city. Wayfinding signs within the circle would allow drivers to know where the city’s public amenities are and give them an opportunity to follow signage to that destination. More information about the benefits of roundabouts can be found at https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/safety/safety-eng/roundabouts/br-truck.pdf
Pedestrian Crosswalks: Safe and Economical
Pedestrian crosswalks allow residents and visitors to safely cross intersections and let cars know that pedestrians may be approaching. This helps slow down traffic around pedestrian-heavy intersections. These crossings can also serve as points for wayfinding signs. Painted curb extensions can offer an economical and colorful way of drawing pedestrians to city signs that display the City of Hooker’s many public amenities and shortens the street length, slowing down traffic and keeping the pedestrians safe.
PedestrianOriented Wayfinding Curb Extension Crosswalk
Funding Opportunities Recreational Trails Program - Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department This grant reimburses up to 80% of the costs of developing a recreational trail with a 20% local match. Placemaking Grant - National Association of Realtors https://realtorparty.realtor/community-outreach/placemaking Up to $5,000 is available for parks, trails, play, and fitness areas. A regional Realtor Association must be engaged in order to apply. AARP Community Challenge - AARP Livable Communities https://www.aarp.org/livable-communities/community-challenge/ The AARP Community Challenge funds over 150 community projects each year. The program funds projects for public space, bike/walk mobility, and housing that have fast implementation schedules. REAP Grant Program - OEDA http://www.oeda.org/reap/ REAP Grants are authorized by the Oklahoma Legislature for funding small, rural communities with less than 7,000 in population. OEDA manages distribution of these funds in Texas County. Grants do not require a local match, and can be used for a wide variety of public projects including transportation and community buildings. Transportation Alternatives Program Oklahoma Department of Transportation https://www.ok.gov/odot/Doing_Business/Local_Government_Resource_Center/Transportation_Alternatives_Program_ (TAP)/index.html This program funds recreational trails and transportation enhancements from federal funds.
Collaborators & Participants Texas County Health Department
Community Members
Kayla Marler, TSET Healthy Living Program Sharon Neal, TSET Healthy Living Program James Tyree, TSET Healthy Living Program
Jeanne Hershey Sheila Blankenship Rick McMichael Tim Hofferber Janelle Egglestin James Farley Linda Dicks Janet Kachel Mignon Lambley Kevin Lu Beau Rapp Rowdy McBee Mary Beth Puyear Carol Cathcart Chris Purdy Robbie Wayman Linda Ricks Ajanette Gibler Sheila Blankenship Rodney Seawright Yuridia Vargas Shellie Shob Kelly Phillips Robin Vega Rob Cook Esther Thornburg James Tyler
City of Hooker Buddy Holbert, Public Works Director OU Institute for Quality Communities Shane Hampton, Director Hope Mander, Associate Director Ron Frantz, Director of Small Towns Studios Taylor Huizenga, Graduate Assistant Alice Calmon, Graduate Assistant Matt Kessler, Graduate Assistant
Resources
TACTICAL URBANIST’S GUIDE TO MATERIALS AND DESIGN Version 1.0 DECEMBER 2016 | Created by The Street Plans Collaborative, with funding from The John s. and James L. Knight Foundation
The Asphalt Art Guide contains design ideas to incorporate public art into streetscapes, creating public spaces and visual . The guide is available for free as a PDF download at asphaltart.bloomberg.org/guide/.
The Tactical Urbanist’s Guide to Materials and Design contains advice on materials and designs that are best for short-term experiments in street design. The guide is available for free at tacticalurbanismguide.com.
The Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks Guide offers suggestions on road improvements specifically for small and rural towns to improve pedestrian and cyclist traffic. This guide is available for free at altaplanning.com/resources/smalltown-rural-multimodal-networksguide/
Report prepared by: OU Institute for Quality Communities OU Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture 830 Van Vleet Oval Gould Hall 165 Norman, OK 73019