Ditch the car and experience Confluence differently this year.
The Plaza District, where we’ll be for the third year in a row, has seen rapid growth and re-development in recent years. As a result, you have easy access to everything you might need and want while at the two-day conference. Just outside the Lyric Theatre, within a three-block radius you’ll find eateries, bars, coffee, and retail. The Plaza District has it all. However, if you want to experience the rest of Oklahoma City and other historic districts scattered across the metropolitan area, it’s now easier than ever to do so without a car. Crisscrossing OKC by different modes of transportation is easier than it’s ever been. Try it for two days—go carless and experience OKC a little differently this year.
The usability of city streets and sidewalks for pedestrians and bicyclists alike has never been better throughout OKC. Some roads have been on road-diets to make them safer for both cyclists and drivers. Other streets have seen bike lanes implemented. Sharrows, or roads that both bikes and cars share, are ever present and though they can seem intimidating, OKC divers are respectful of cyclists on the road.
The Plaza District has been one of the first areas that have seen how cyclists and pedestrian traffic can have a positive impact on an area’s bottom line. Bike racks can be seen up and down the 16th Street corridor which makes protecting your ride simple while you’re at Confluence.
A bike share program, SPOKIES, has been created in downtown OKC and kiosks are popping up all over with the most recent kiosk at Elemental Coffee at 8th and Hudson. For $5 a day, you’ll have access to unlimited 30-minute rides and with eight kiosks in the downtown area, getting to where you need to be will be simple and cheap. SPOKIES will be expanding to several other districts in the near future, including the Plaza District, Paseo and Uptown that will connect to Midtown, Bricktown and Downtown. Soon, you won’t even need to own a bicycle to see all of OKC on two wheels.
Black Streets – These are bike friendly streets, but they lack dedicated bike facilities
Blue Streets – Bike friendly streets that have been designated with a sharrow lane
Green Streets – These streets have dedicated bike lanes
Red Streets – These streets are much busier than the others and require extra caution when using
Public Transportation:
A rebranded public transportation system has seen an uptick in ridership as of late. New routes and increased service on previous routes, Embark is being relied upon more and more by Oklahoma City residents. Because of that, OKC has been working on a street car system on schedule to be operational by 2018 (Confluence 6!!). For the time being however, Embark buses are your best bet to get around with a little foresight. $4 for a daily pass, you can get from one point to another with just a little bit of planning. They have a journey planner on their website and an app for both iOS and Android that you can utilize and plan your trips and there is always Google Maps if that’s what you prefer. Fassler Hall, home of the “Confluence Meet and Greet” this year is easily accessible from the Plaza District. Take a short, 1.3 mile trek over by foot or look for the No. 10 bus and get off at 10th and Hudson and walk across the street to meet the rest of the conference attendees at Fassler. The No. 10 bus runs every 30 minutes so frequency is no problem for Embark.
Cabs
Need a lift quick? Thunder Cab is the official ride of Confluence Conference. Simply call 405-600-6161 and schedule a driver, they’re at the ready to get you across Oklahoma City during the conference or any time you’re here.
Going carless at Confluence is no longer a challenge in present day Oklahoma City. Experience OKC and all that is has to offer differently this year during the conference. Who knows, maybe by the time your visit is over you’ll like Oklahoma City so much that you’ll want to rent an apartment here!
