Tulsa's City Council Takes Road Trip to OKC to Complain About ODOT Priorities

Tuesday, February 29th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The Tulsa City Council took a road trip to Oklahoma City Tuesday to complain about highways funding and projects. The council and county commissioners complained about the priorities in the transportation budget. The plan backpedals on promised improvements for Tulsa roads.

The City Council convened its first ever meeting at the state capitol, hoping to use politics to battle what they see as a political problem. "And I'd just like to know who we made mad and how we can get through this," said councilor Darla Hall. "I think we should take the politics out of it."

The councilors are angry because major road improvements like the widening of Highway 169 north, have been delayed for another couple of years at least. The expansion of Interstate 44, including the bridges on Yale Avenue, is pushed back until at least 2005 and that's not all. "Every single project that is designated for Tulsa County has been pushed back," said Rep Russ Roach, (D) Tulsa.

Tulsa's legislative delegation, the city council, county commissioners and chamber are united in a call for a dramatic shift in road funding. The state road-funding project over the next five years favors rural areas.

City councilor Sam Roop says his east Tulsa constituents want answers. "They're mad about it," he said. "They're very mad about it, and we're here to try to find out why these projects are being pushed back and see if there is anything we can do to affect change."

The group found common ground in their belief that Tulsa traditionally is shortchanged on road projects. They don't want to lose out on the next $300 million dollars, which currently contains nothing for Tulsa.

The city councilors left with a lot of hope, but no specific promise that Tulsa projects would be funded anytime soon. The legislators did promise to put political pressure on the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to move Tulsa projects back to the front burner

The delays will also affect widening of Highway 20, and the new interchanges on Highway 75. O-D-O-T plans a series of public hearings to discuss their priorities, but the closest meeting to Tulsa is scheduled for Bristow in March.