Shawn W

22 July 2025

It's weird for a bike person to say, but the new traffic light being put in at 19th and May might be the legacy from my service on the MAPS subcommittee. Like, it definitely wouldn't have gotten done if I didn't speak up*, but so much other stuff I speak up about goes unheeded.

...(which is a whole other ridiculous story for another day that could have gotten five houses demolished). Anyway, you're welcome neighborhoods.

26 Nov 2025

Finally got to experience my "legacy project" after not riding for two weeks, then traveling for work, then returning to rainy weather.

20 Nov 2025

More info at www.cranksgivingokc.com

6 Nov 2025

You have until Friday to submit your comments about the proposed long range transportation plan. I know you can do better than 84 comments. www.ConnectCentralOK.com

*The light was approved by the city in 2021 (after being petitioned by the neighborhood), but was unfunded with no target for funding. When the contractor putting in the sharrows was bragging about installing lidar sensors at all lights along the route to better detect cyclists...

22 July 2025

...(for sure a good thing), I said, what good is all that safety if we ignore the approved but missing light at this intersection. They had no idea about the prior approval, and they had to go back and re-do their plan to include a new light...

21 July 2025

OKC, come welcome the return of The Wheels Project and learn about how you can help. facebook.com/events/s/whe...

16 July 2025

Good news: Maybe deep fork trail will get completed this decade, much needed transit facility. Bad news: An October vote means 2026 at the earliest for an RTA vote. Awful news: State Fair Park gets yet more money, new parking garages.

City of OKC@cityofokc.bsky.social

City Council voted today to bring a $2.7 billion bond program to a vote of OKC residents on Oct. 14. The 2025 bond program is designed to maintain and improve the City’s core infrastructure. Learn more at okc.gov/bond25.

24 June 2025

Rode the parade route (woooo no cars!) and enjoyed the level of Thundering Up on display right now.

(btw there were already ppl out there apparently holding their spots for the parade)

24 June 2025

Rode the parade route (woooo no cars!) and enjoyed the level of Thundering Up on display right now.

NBA championship parade literally goes by my building. They're already setting up. Not sure I'll be able to leave in the morning...

11 June 2025

I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying (I almost never check FB unless tagged or having to do something for work and saw this today, which she hadn't tagged me in)

27 May 2025

If you've got young riders in the OKC Metro, consider joining us on a Saturday morning ride.

24 Mar 2025

Buffers, flex posts, and armadillos being installed on the new MAPS 4 bike lane (Classen/Grand to Britton). Only complete to 63rd but it's moving along.

18 Mar 2025

Join OBS on this protest ride on Saturday ridewithgps.com/routes/49834...

18 Mar 2025

LOL the timing. And maybe a better place/time to protest. But also, does the city know what grand opening means? Read the last line....

3 Mar 2025

Shawn W@shawndubs.com

Whelp, we only have city council left. Please write your councilor if this is an issue you care about.

28 Feb 2025

If you know folks in the OKC metro impacted by the federal layoffs, spread the word. The free headshots alone are worth engaging with this event. Signup link: https://forms.gle/5NF3HRJwo4cq8qCFA

twitter.comShawn W on X: "Attended the 2025 GO Bond workshop for Ward 6 last night and the very first thing I saw was the highlighted part and I about lost it. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU NEED FUNDING TO COMPLETE THIS TRAIL THAT'S ALREADY BEEN MOSTLY BUILT? I THOUGHT AT $14M IT WAS ALREADY FULLY FUNDED!?! https://t.co/8V4OkXeYRS" / XAttended the 2025 GO Bond workshop for Ward 6 last night and the very first thing I saw was the highlighted part and I about lost it. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU NEED FUNDING TO COMPLETE THIS TRAIL THAT'S ALREADY BEEN MOSTLY BUILT? I THOUGHT AT $14M IT WAS ALREADY FULLY FUNDED!?! https://t.co/8V4OkXeYRS

28 Feb 2025

Whelp, we only have city council left. Please write your councilor if this is an issue you care about.

Shawn W@shawndubs.com

I never posted the thread over here, but if anyone in OKC can attend the planning commission meeting today at 1:30 to advocate for the preservation of the Deep Fork trail THROUGH the Red Ridge property instead of AROUND it, that'd be great. More details in this thread: twitter.com/shawn_dubs/s...

TLDR: City started trail '21, Kirkpatrick Fdn bought land where the trail was going through late '23, won't let city go through, wants city to go around at millions more cost to taxpayers, even though there's a provision in the PUD requiring the trail. They're downzoning/removing trail requirement.

Train/bike travel weekend

That said, I _did_ ride the full spectrum of cycling infra while in Austin. Road, sharrow, signed bike route, painted lane, flex post separated lane, fully protected lane, crushed granite trail, concrete trail. Austin has a lot of good infra. We've got a ways to go.

Didn't take any pictures, which is annoying but between the rain last night and the faux rush this morning...

Train/bike travel weekend

This trip was full of missed opportunities. Was supposed to explore more last night in Austin after concert but rainy/could. Woke up at 6am and could have explored Austin for a few hours if I knew I'd have until 11.

And was originally planning to explore some in Ft Worth with a three hour layover. But with only an hour I'm not sure it's worth unfolding the bike.

Train/bike travel weekend

But Amtrak came in right after. When we finally got going, it was about an hour and a half late. I'll still make my train connection to OKC, but ironically the train departure ended up being about the same time as the bus departure.

Just wouldn't have made it to this actual train, leaving Austin on a bus at same time. The idea was to get to Temple faster than the train (bus was leaving earlier than train) to have breakfast with my friend then on the train I'm on now for the rest of the leg. Really too bad that didn't work out.

Train/bike travel weekend

Anyway, after like an hour a rescue engine showed up to remove the rail line blockage.

Took awhile for them to hook up and get moving. And that thing took seven minutes to clear out. What a long train to just leave sitting there for however long.

Train/bike travel weekend

But I walk out to the platform to see a freight train blocking the track. Shortly after I get a notification from Amtrak that the train is delayed due to a track blockage. I guess I didn't need to rush.

Forgot to mention above that it was a GREAT show, but froze my... everything off.

Train/bike travel weekend

Was supposed to be an easy ride to the bus stop for a short ride to Temple to have breakfast with a college friend. But after packing my bike up I noticed the bus was delayed two hours, which blew up my plan. I checked the schedule and the train out of Austin was departing in forty minutes.

Enough time to ride over, I unpacked the bike and rode to the train station. I packed my bike back up and bought a ticket with about ten minutes until boarding.

Train/bike travel weekend

Bought a band hoodie for a new, drier layer. Helped but damage done. Plus soaked and muddied shoes. Ride back to the hostel was comfortable because riding. But my original plan of exploring downtown Austin was literally washed out. I just wanted to be back in warmth and in a bed.

This was my first time in a hostel as well and that was an education. Was just tough to justify an expensive downtown hotel for what was supposed to be a quick, cheap trip. It was mostly fine, but a few lessons learned. But hey there was bike storage! Now to bike to a bus to a train...

Train/bike travel weekend

There was a medium chance of rain for right before the for show, but then only a small chance the rest of the night. Got rained on all the way to the venue, and while it did lighten, it essentially sprinkled all night. Which might have been fine, but it was cold as well.

Opted for a lighter jacket because riding. But that proved a mistake. Wearing a cold, wet jacket all night was brutal, as I did not realize the venue was OUTDOORS. Sure, it's Austin, but an outdoor concert in February (still winter)? Temp was 40 w/38 wind-chill on arrival, not sure how low it got.

Train/bike travel weekend

I was asking one of the Amtrak employees a question as folks were de-training and he saw me get my bike out from the luggage compartment and said, hey one of the few times that space gets used as designed. Apparently this little nook was purpose built for folding bikes.

Got to Austin, put the bike together, and rode to my hostel to check-in and drop off my bag. Then headed out to a concert venue for a show. I planned pretty decently for this quick trip, but where I did not plan well was in regard to the weather.

Train/bike travel weekend

Next train, no folding bike compartment tho

20 Feb 2025

Body warm, layers on lock. Even slightly sweaty. Fingers and toes pretty cold by the time I got to work but there's only so much I can do there. Couldn't get more than 30 seconds out of the video camera even though fully charged. #wintercycling