Measure Would Increase Road, Bridge Funding
Oklahoma road funding could dramatically increase under legislation approved by a House committee this week.
House Bill 3342, by Rep. Mike Thompson (pictured), would incrementally increase road funding by up to $500 million over the next several years.
"The Legislature has made significant investments in our roads in recent years, but it's still not enough," said Thompson, an Oklahoma City Republican who chairs the House Transportation Subcommittee. "When bridges on major highways are collapsing, that should be a wake-up call for all of us. House Bill 3342 is a very aggressive response to a very serious problem."
Officials with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation recently closed the left lane of westbound I-40 at the North Canadian River bridge, between Council Road and Morgan Road, to perform emergency bridge repair.
Prior to 2005, road funding in Oklahoma had essentially flat-lined at $200 million per year - the same amount approved 20 years prior. Taking inflation into account, road-maintenance funding had actually declined by 45 percent over those two decades.
In response, House leaders developed a plan to finally begin investing in road maintenance. Legislation first approved in 2006 allowed annual increases of up to $50 million per year for roads until an additional $270 million was provided.
House Bill 3342 builds on that plan by raising the total increase from $270 million to $500 million new dollars. The legislation also provides new funding by requiring that all car tag and other motor vehicle fees that are now diverted to general revenue be used for road maintenance.
When funds are diverted to the general revenue fund, tracking how that money is spent is extremely difficult, Thompson noted. Those diverted funds are targeted by the bill to ensure they go to road uses. "It's a simple concept: Road taxes and fees should be used for roads," Thompson said. "House Bill 3342 ensures that transportation fees go for transportation needs."
House Bill 3342 passed out of the House Appropriations & Budget Committee and now heads to the floor of the House.
House Bill 3342, by Rep. Mike Thompson (pictured), would incrementally increase road funding by up to $500 million over the next several years.
"The Legislature has made significant investments in our roads in recent years, but it's still not enough," said Thompson, an Oklahoma City Republican who chairs the House Transportation Subcommittee. "When bridges on major highways are collapsing, that should be a wake-up call for all of us. House Bill 3342 is a very aggressive response to a very serious problem."
Officials with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation recently closed the left lane of westbound I-40 at the North Canadian River bridge, between Council Road and Morgan Road, to perform emergency bridge repair.
Prior to 2005, road funding in Oklahoma had essentially flat-lined at $200 million per year - the same amount approved 20 years prior. Taking inflation into account, road-maintenance funding had actually declined by 45 percent over those two decades.
In response, House leaders developed a plan to finally begin investing in road maintenance. Legislation first approved in 2006 allowed annual increases of up to $50 million per year for roads until an additional $270 million was provided.
House Bill 3342 builds on that plan by raising the total increase from $270 million to $500 million new dollars. The legislation also provides new funding by requiring that all car tag and other motor vehicle fees that are now diverted to general revenue be used for road maintenance.
When funds are diverted to the general revenue fund, tracking how that money is spent is extremely difficult, Thompson noted. Those diverted funds are targeted by the bill to ensure they go to road uses. "It's a simple concept: Road taxes and fees should be used for roads," Thompson said. "House Bill 3342 ensures that transportation fees go for transportation needs."
House Bill 3342 passed out of the House Appropriations & Budget Committee and now heads to the floor of the House.
Labels: Mike Thompson, Roads and Bridges
posted by Mike McCarville @ 12:00 PM
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