Tulsa World
by: JIM MYERS World Washington Bureau
Saturday, September 17, 2011
9/17/2011 7:53:08 AM
WASHINGTON - Oklahoma no longer would be mandated to spend an estimated $15 million in transportation funds each year on projects such as bike paths and walking trails under an agreement reached by the state's two U.S. senators.
Examples of those so-called transportation enhancement projects include:
- $806,772 for the Tulsa West Bank Trail, Interstate 44 south to 71st Street along the Arkansas River. The project created a paved trail, also called the Turkey Leg Trail, from the I-44 junction to the Turkey Mountain area.
- $323,623 for the Mingo Creek Trail between 71st and 81st streets. The project paid for a new asphalt trail.
Once the agreement reached by Republican Sens. Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn is written into law, which is expected to happen next year, states would be allowed to opt out of the requirement to spend on such projects.
Instead, Inhofe said, states could spend the money on environmental mitigation.
States traditionally dislike mandates attached to any federal funding, and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation welcomed the change on the enhancement projects... FULL ARTICLE
Posted on
Sat, September 17, 2011
by John Cox