Last Updated on August 6, 2023, 3:06 AM | Published: March 8, 2023
MOORE, Oklahoma — Moore’s first city council meeting of March was quick but made significant progress on several projects.
- City staff will begin contract negotiations to conduct a Public Transportation Study, planning a future bus-based mass transit system in Moore.
- The Council made motions on two road improvement projects and one utility expansion plan, launching these proposals into the design phase.
Public Transportation Study
Moore’s recent look into the feasibility of bus-based mass transit dates back to the summer of 2022, when the City withdrew from Central Oklahoma’s Regional Transportation Authority.
At the time, city staff wanted to pursue local bus service and had issues with how the RTA looked to establish transit through Moore.
In the June 6th meeting in which Moore withdrew from the RTA, Glenn Lewis said “ They aren’t giving us a train station so what’s the point for us?”
The council members at the time made an effort to assure citizens that they will be pursuing public transit in Moore regardless, and this month’s meeting shows that they have kept to their word.
City staff has completed the application and interview process for a Public Transportation Study, settling on Olsson. Contract negotiations were authorized this week, and so the city will establish the cost and authorize the study at a later date.
Through this study, the City hopes to get some answers on how they can pursue effective bus-based public transit in Moore. No timelines have been set for when residents could see this plan become reality.
Infrastructure Project Design
Moore is constantly repairing or expanding its city’s roadways and one of the first steps is approving design services.
Most of this meeting was taken up by these approvals, which I will list here. The City authorized;
- $51,841 for the design of the Chestnut Avenue Project from NW 1st Street to NW 2nd Street, to Meshek and Associates. This is to address some drainage problems identified on this block.
- $162,495.44 for the design of the SW 34th Street and I-35 Waterline Crossing Project, to Benham Design, LLC. A larger diameter water line will cross under I-35, providing Moore’s new animal shelter and other projects with capable utilities.
- An additional $43,010 for survey, utility, and design services for the Broadway Avenue and Eastern Ave Widening Project, to EST, Inc. This pays for additional necessary services outside of what was included in the original design zone.
A complete list of the City’s current construction projects can be found here.
Moore’s next City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 20th at 6:30 PM.
Damian Powell is our government reporter for the smaller municipalities in the OKC metro such as Moore, Norman, Bethany, and Warr Acres. Damian is studying Political Science at the University of Oklahoma.
