Wewoka Walkability Workshop

WEWOKA

Walkability Workshop City of Wewoka Seminole County TSET Healthy Living Program Oklahoma Municipal League OU Institute for Quality Communities

Executive Summary On July 17, 2018, the City of Wewoka invited the University of Oklahoma Institute for Quality Communities (IQC) to conduct a walkability workshop. The project was funded in part by a grant from the Oklahoma Municipal League. Wewoka, meaning “barking water” in the Seminole language, is located between Seminole and Holdenville, with a population of about 4,000 people.

The goal of the meeting was to identify possible improvements to enhance walkability in Wewoka, and better improve the safety and security of its citizens, especially kids. This stemmed from the results of a questionnaire survey conducted by the city in April of 2018, for parents to rate the walkability of their kids’ routes to and from school.

The workshop which took place at the Civic Center had approximately 30 people in attendance, including city officials, TSET representatives, and residents. The meeting started off with a presentation led by the IQC director, to review concepts and principles of walkability. Thereafter, the IQC staff led the group in a walking tour of two (2) groups to learn about Wewoka’s walking destinations, walking routes, and obstacles to walking.

Both groups took a starting point at the intersection of 12th Street and S Okfuskee Avenue. The first group toured north all around the school district area, while the second group toured south exploring the frequently walked route from the school to the football stadium, and the grocery store area.

Finally, both groups reconvened at the starting point of the walks, and then to the Civic center for lunch. After, we discussed the identified problems noticed, and feasible recommendations to improve Wewoka walkability.

Assets for Walking in Wewoka

Football Stadium: The stadium is the home for the Wewoka Tigers. It serves as a recreation ground, and at a walkable distance to the school district.

Grocery Store: With a central location and proximity to senior housing, the grocery store is an asset for the community. The store is used by a number of people, and allows customers on foot to take and return carts due to high demand for walking to the grocery store.

Alleys: Wewoka holds their alleys to high esteem. The students who use the alleys in walking to and from the school, find the walk to be safe and secure. Also, the well planted trees along the residential neighborhood alleys make walking comfortable.

Wewoka Public Schools: All of the three (3) campuses- the elementary school, the middle school, and the high schoolas well as the school cafeteria are located within less than a 5-minute walk of each other.

Existing Assets & Challenges

Focus Areas

Key Recommendations Recommendation 1: Improve walkability on 10th Street Corridor & the School district.

Recommendation 2: Repaint sidewalk on 14th Street Corridor & connect to the Football stadium.

Recommendation 3: Plan for recreational Creek edge.

picnic park on the

Wewoka

Recommendation 1:

10th Street Corridor EXISTING CONDITIONS: The image on the left shows the group that walked around the 10th Street Corridor. The map below shows an analysis that resulted from the walk, including existing conditions of sidewalks and crosswalks. The 10th Street Corridor has great potential to connect public schools, a grocery store, and senior housing. All of these destinations generate pedestrian traffic, especially before and after school hours. 10th Street also intersects with north-south streets that have existing sidewalks. These features make 10th Street the most important street to replace sidewalks that have deteriorated, repaint crosswalks that have faded away, and consider other traffic calming and placemaking opportunities.

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS: The graphics on the following pages show ideas for reconstructing sidewalks along

10th Street, painting a plaza where the street is frequently closed during school hours between the school and cafeteria, and painting crosswalks or placing artwork at each intersection.

Reconstruct Sidewalk

Trees/Planters

Paint Plaza Improve Intersections

Painted Concrete Plaza

Interactive Leaning Wall

New Trees

Intersection Art

Art Canvas

Outdoor Plaza

Standard Crosswalk

Leaning Wall

High School

4-way Stop sign

Existing Gate

Creative Crosswalk

Painted Street for traffic calming

Existing Alley to Cafeteria

Curb Extensions

Intersection Art

Repaired Sidewalk

Recommendation 2:

14th Street Corridor EXISTING CONDITIONS: The image on the left shows the group that walked through the residential neighborhood, and down to the football stadium. After exploring the various walk routes for students, the 14th Street was seen to be of high priority. The intersection on 14th Street and S Okfuskee Avenue, was seen to be problematic in respect to the speed limit that allows up to 30mph and presence of no defined crosswalks. Also, the sidewalk demarcation along 14th Street is faded, therefore making it unsafe to walk. The intersection on 14th Street and Mekusukey Avenue has a traffic signal but no crosswalk, and requires attention. Lastly, there is no proper way-finding to the football stadium.

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS: The graphics on the following pages show conceptual ideas for traffic calming at 14th and Okfuskee, adding a painted and protected “pedestrian lane� along 14th Street, adding a crosswalk and pedestrian-activated crosswalk signal at 14th and Mekusukey, and adding a gateway at the football stadium.

Incorporate: 1. Mini Roundabout 2. Repaint crosswalk 3. 2-Way Stop sign 4. Curb extension

Repaint Sidewalk

1. Repaint Crosswalk 2. Pedestrian Traffic Signal

Example of a mini-roundabout in Shawnee, Oklahoma. A gateway treatment or mini-circle could be one effective traffic calming measure at this odd intersection. Freshpainted crosswalks and signs also help.

New Gateway Entrance

Plastic delineator posts can be used to mark the right-ofway for a pedestrian lane along 14th Street.

STADIUM GATEWAY A gateway placed at the entrance to the football stadium could be aligned with Wewoka Avenue, creating a visible landmark and photo opportunity.

This mini-roundabout illustration from the Federal Highway Administration’s “Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks” Guide shows guidance for implementing traffic calming at intersections.

See Chapters 2 and 3 of U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration guide to “Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks”

Recommendation 3 (BONUS):

Wewoka Creek- Barking Water EXISTING CONDITIONS: Wewoka means ‘barking waters’ in the Seminole language, but there is not a landmark around the town that represents this. The creek edge located at the far northeast of the town was considered to be a potential site for activities that would help the people of Wewoka hold onto its history, as the name depicts.

PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS:

The streets leading to the creek would require some wayfinding signage and the elements used in this recreation area should be recyclable. Some of the feasible proposals for the space include; • Outdoor and Picnic Area • Hammocking & Camping Area • Barbecue Cookout area in cleared outdoor areas

Next Steps This document provides basic concepts for improving walkability conditions on two key corridors in Wewoka: 10th Street and 14th Street. These two corridors are linked by a north-south corridor (Mekusukey) that already has recent pedestrian improvements.

The concepts for 10th and 14th are one set of options, but they can be further refined based on available funding and input from anticipated future partners like the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

The first objective of the concepts is to improve safety and comfort of walking with improvements to sidewalks, the addition of crosswalks at intersections, and traffic calming measures. The second objective of these concepts is to create an interesting, memorable walk for people in Wewoka with opportunities to add artwork, color, landscaping, and landmarks. Finally, all of these efforts allow Wewoka to showcase a series of walkable destinations like the Barking Water viewing site, downtown Wewoka, and the football stadium. All of these destinations can be connected along a concise network of streets with pedestrian enhancements.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES: TSET Incentive Grants: Wewoka is eligible for approximately $22,000 from TSET Healthy Living Program Incentive Grants. These funds would be ideal matching funds for key sidewalk construction or a signage program.

AARP Community Challenge Grants: This annual grant program funds ‘quick-action’ projects that are ready to go. In 2017, the grant program helped city officials in Shawnee construct a traffic mini-circle. In 2018, Vinita won a $25,000 grant to construct a public space in a downtown alley. Wewoka may consider competing for funds from this program.

America Walks: This is a community change grant program, that awards $1,500 to communities for projects that help create healthy, active, and engaged places to live, work, and play. The purpose of the grant is to advocate environmental sustainability, through locally supported efforts to improve walking and walkability.

Collaborators Project Partners City of Wewoka Seminole County TSET Healthy Living Program Oklahoma Municipal League OU Institute for Quality Communities Workshop Participants Peggy Ellwanger, Vice Mayor Mark Moseley, City Manager Theresa Barkhimer, City Clerk Wendy Honas, City Asst. Clerk Micah Abel, Public Works Director Rod Raudebaugh, Code Enforcer Bill Denton, School Superintendent Tom Ryan, Council Ward 3 Michael Windle, Police Chief Kevin Green, Fire Chief

Claudia Willis, TSET HLP Bettye Finch, TSET HLP Kathy Taylor, TSET HLP Sheila Egge, Chamber Manager Shannon Smith, Sheriff Danny Bailey Fred Smith Mary Smith Kelly Parker Ginger Ryan Peggy Ellwanger

OU Institute for Quality Communities Shane Hampton, Director Hope Mander, Associate Director Ron Frantz, Environmental Design Coordinator Folasayo Salami, OU Division of Regional and City Planning Goutam Vella, OU Division of Landscape Architecture Rachel Ware, OU Division of Landscape Architecture Sridhar Yalamanchili, OU Division of Landscape Architecture

Report Prepared By: The University of Oklahoma Institute for Quality Communities Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture 830 Van Vleet Oval, Gould Hall Norman, OK 73019 iqc.ou.edu