Henry Signs Roads, Bridges Bond Bill

Governor Henry's office said today he's signed a bill that would put $300 million into repairing state roads and bridges, including $25 million designated for county roads.

House Bill 2272 authorizes the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to issue $300 million in bonds to meet the agency's 8-year road and bridge maintenance plan, and a revolving fund to repair county roads will get $25 million.

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Oklahoma's Metro Roads Among Nation's Worst

A new national study shows that major roads in Oklahoma's metro centers are among the nation's worst, Rep. Mike Thompson said today, adding that the report shows the need to ensure more tax dollars are used for road repair and maintenance.

He has filed legislation this year, House Bill 3342, to require that all car tag and other motor vehicle fees now diverted to other uses be dedicated to road maintenance.

"It's time for our road taxes to start funding road repair," said Thompson, an Oklahoma City Republican who chairs the House Transportation Subcommittee. "It's a simple concept that the majority ofOklahomans endorse - as many as 81 percent of Oklahomans support thisproposal in some polls."

According to TRIP, a national transportation research group, Oklahoma's roads are among the worst in the nation.

TRIP's report, "Keep Both Hands on the Wheel: Metro Areas With the Roughest Rides and Strategies to Make Our Roads Smoother," ranked Oklahoma City in the top 10 metro areas with the greatest share of major roads and highways with pavements in poor condition.

The report found that 41 percent of major Oklahoma City roads are in poor condition and that 40 percent of roads in Tulsa are just as bad.

Interstates, freeways and other critical local routes were included inthe state.

TRIP estimated that Oklahoma drivers pay additional expenses for vehicle maintenance as a result of Oklahoma's bad roads. The report estimates drivers pay an additional $682 per year because of Tulsa's crumbling roads and an additional $661 in Oklahoma City.

"Bad roads are an in direct tax on working families," Thompson said. "It's time we used the direct road taxes they already pay up front to improve the state's highways and bridges."

Thompson's bill passed the House on a 99-0 vote and now awaits a vote from the state Senate.

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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.

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Republicans Take Credit For Road Funding Boost

Transportation funding increases championed by legislative Republicans are changing the physical landscape of Oklahoma roads, officials with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation told lawmakers today.

Oklahoma Department of Transportation Director Gary Ridley met with members of the House Transportation Subcommittee on Thursday to discuss the condition of Oklahoma's roads. Ridley noted that funding for the state road system had flatlined for 20 years and did not see an increase until 2005 when Republicans gained control of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

"ODOT officials say the funding increases sought by Republicans is already having an impact, although it will take years to fully repair the decades of neglect," said Rep. Mike Thompson, Oklahoma City Republican who chairs the committee.

Prior to 2005, road funding in Oklahoma was just $200 million per year, essentially unchanged from 20 years prior. When inflation was taken into account, road-maintenance funding had actually declined by 45 percent over those two decades.

Making a bad situation worse, previous Legislatures had approved new road construction funded through bond debt, and repayment of that debt was coming straight out of maintenance funds for roads, essentially reducing road funding by another one-third.

The new Republican majority made road funding a priority in 2005 and has steadily increased the road budget every year since they gained control of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

In 2006, the Legislature voted to provide annual increases of up to $50 million per year for Oklahoma roads and bridges until $200 million in additional new funding was achieved. That same year lawmakers also provided a special, one-time $125 million appropriation for critical bridge repair across Oklahoma.

The funding plan approved in 2006 will eventually invest $6 billion to fix Oklahoma's crumbling roads and bridges over the next decade.

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TRUST Poll: Public Views Roads, Bridges As Unsafe

The Transportation Revenues Used Strictly for Transportation (TRUST) road coalition today released a statewide survey of 400 registered voters showing a significant portion of Oklahomans believe the state’s roads and bridges are unsafe.

They expressed near universal demand for elected officials to significantly increase road and bridge funding by using more of Oklahoma’s $600 million in motor vehicle fees to provide for the repair and maintenance of the state’s infrastructure.

The most compelling results of the poll included: 63% of Oklahomans think it’s just a matter of time before a similar incident to the recent bridge collapse in Minnesota happens in Oklahoma; Close to 1/3 of voters say the feel unsafe when driving on Oklahoma roads; 92% of voters say the legislature should spend more on roads; 81% agree the legislature should use Oklahoma’s existing motor vehicle fees to dramatically increase funding, with 63% strongly agreeing with this; Road funding is not a partisan issue among voters, among the most supportive of increased funding are senior citizens, a critical voting bloc for any politician; Increasing road and bridge funding is the most important issue facing the state – more than jobs, crime, illegal immigration, education or healthcare.

Pollster Pat McFerron of Cole Hargrave Snodgrass And Associates, who conducted the poll on behalf of TRUST said, “Voters have reached a tipping point and have shifted from wanting to complain about our state’s infrastructure to truly expecting action and answers.”

TRUST co-chairman and spokesperson, Kell Kelly, chief executive officer of SpiritBank, said, “Oklahoma's elected officials are making significant strides in the right direction. But we have major hurdles that may prevent us from achieving meaningful progress in making roads safer. When you look at Kingfisher and flood damage statewide, it will be an astronomical number that will cut directly into our state’s road maintenance plan. In fact, prior to the flood damage, we already had a $9 billion backlog in needed road repairs and bridge replacements.”

TRUST president Neal McCaleb said, “Our crumbling infrastructure not only hampers our image and holds back our economy, it puts Oklahoma families in danger. Minnesota is a four-alarm wake up call to what will happen if we don’t move quickly to increase significantly our investment in the state's infrastructure.”

“The only way to meaningfully reduce the $9 billion in needed road repairs and bridge replacements is to use more of the $1.2 billion in road taxes and fees Oklahomans already pay each year to fix roads. This poll shows Oklahomans agree with that. They want their transportation revenues to be used strictly for transportation,” said Kelly.

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Liebmann Wants Road Funds Boost

State Rep. Guy Liebmann, chairman of the House General Government & Transportation Committee, is filing legislation to ensure road funding is increased by at least $50 million each year, the Oklahoma City Republican announced today.

"Maintenance of roads and bridges is a core function of government and there's no reason to place an artificial limit on how much we can spend in that area," Liebmann said. "Oklahoma's roads have been neglected for decades and it's going to take a serious effort to rehabilitate them."

Legislation approved in 2006 provided for annual increases of up to $50 million per year for Oklahoma roads until $200 million in new funding was achieved. However, the law contained a "trigger" that limited the annual increase to just $17.5 million if total state tax collections grew less than 3 percent in a year. This year, early revenue estimates indicated growth was below the 3-percent target and only $17.5 million in new money was approved for road-and-bridge maintenance. But revised estimates later showed state tax collections grew more than 3 percent.

"We had the opportunity to provide a significant boost to the road budget this session but the 'trigger' law thwarted those efforts,"Liebmann said. "I want to ensure that doesn't happen again."

Liebmann's bill would eliminate the 3-percent trigger and require that at least $50 million in new funding be provided for roads each year until the full $200 million goal is achieved.

Prior to 2005, road funding in Oklahoma was just $200 million per year, essentially unchanged from 20 years prior. When inflation was taken into account, road-maintenance funding had actually declined by 45 percent over those two decades.

Making a bad situation worse, previous Legislatures had approved new road construction funded through bond debt, and repayment of that debt was coming straight out of maintenance funds for roads, essentially reducing road funding by another one-third.

The new Republican majority made road funding a priority in 2005 and has steadily increased the road budget every year since they gained control of the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

"In light of the tragedy in Minnesota and the sad state of many Oklahoma bridges, I believe my legislation will be embraced by most lawmakers and signed into law," Liebmann said. "We can't afford to ignore this issue."

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