MAPS 3 Website Launched by OKC Mayor: Interactive City Planning by Citizens?

shane453 · #1 Posted: **Jan 18, 2007, 4:06 PM**

During yesterday's State of the City address, mayor Mick Cornett announced http://maps3.org. Since the Maps for Kids tax, which rebuilt or completely renovated 75 school buildings in the Oklahoma City district and helped stir new development in inner city areas that had been dormant for decades, will be ending in 2008. The city is already thinking about "What's next" for the historic MAPS (metropolitan area projects) program that has given us the canal, the river, the Ford Center, and so many other things we couldn't live without today. To decide whether or not to move forward with MAPS 3, and what projects to fund with the sales tax collection, the city has launched the MAPS 3 website.

The site allows all citizens to submit proposals to the city- They can say whether or not they would support a MAPS 3, what suggestions they have for projects to fund, and even include an image that helps illustrate their plan, if they submit them by the end of May this year.

I think this is an amazing idea in city planning- really handing the torch down to the people. Since MAPS can only proceed if it passes a city-wide election, it is also a great strategy to popularize the program (as if it needed more popularity in the metro).

bombermwc · #2 Posted: **Jan 24, 2007, 8:37 PM**

already sent in my request for MAJOR road repairs and light rail.

shane453 · #3 Posted: **Jan 24, 2007, 9:00 PM**

I don't think they'll use MAPS money for road resurfacing. They prefer to use general funds for those kinds of things, and MAPS for major new projects, or at least that's the vibe I get from the city's comments.

bombermwc · #4 Posted: **Jan 25, 2007, 4:15 PM**

Yeah it's not a typical MAPS project but i get so tired of driving in pothole city. They complain about being underbudget in street maintenance, so do something about it. Add a 1/2 cent gas tax or something. The roads are pathetic all over town. The suburbs maintain much better and it's just amazing how bad OKC does it in comparison.

I'm amazed everytime I go to the airport that the first road into the city perfectly describes the state of the other roads in town....patched, bumpy, and craptacular. One would think that since they spend so much money on the area around the road looking nice, that they would actually keep the road itself nice there too, but that would be common sense.