NewsOK
The Oklahoman Editorial
Published: June 24, 2011
TWO separate accidents involving tractor-trailers snarled traffic on Oklahoma City-area interstate highways one day last week. Truck traffic has been tamped down by the recession, but the recovery promises to put more big rigs on the road than ever. Is the state ready for this?
Perpetual funding shortages have caused traffic jams in road construction progress at the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Even the the widest and newest interstates can't prevent accidents, but freeways that are underbuilt for current traffic volume don't help matters.
The state's backlog in road and bridge reconstruction once made Oklahoma stand out. But more and more states are experiencing the same problems, partly as a result of lowered traffic volume, with its resultant decline in motor fuel tax collections.
One solution is to monetize roads to raise funds for reconstruction and repair. Oklahoma is ahead of the game on this idea, long ago building first rural and then urban multi-lane highways as toll rolls rather than free roads... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Fri, June 24, 2011
by John Cox