Turnpike travel goes down as gas prices go up

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Turnpike travel was down for May in Oklahoma. <br><br>Oklahoma Transportation Authority officials say higher gasoline prices may be to blame. <br><br>Traffic generally goes up

Friday, June 16th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Turnpike travel was down for May in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Transportation Authority officials say higher gasoline prices may be to blame.

Traffic generally goes up in May as the summer travel season begins. But the authority recorded a slight decline in the number of vehicles traveling the interstate turnpike system.

O-T-A official Dewey F- Bartlett Junior says that's unusual. And he says the only variable is the increase in gasoline prices.

Bartlett is also the president of the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association. Bartlett says he wasn't surprised by yesterday's ten-cent gas price hike, but he says oil prices aren't rising nearly as fast.

Bartlett says part of the problem can be blamed on America's growing dependence on foreign oil.