Quote Originally Posted by okcpulse View Post
We need to stop holding OKC responsible for the condition of our highway system and stop pretending that Dallas on their own drives their freeway system. These are federally funded and maintained highways. The expansive freeway system in Dallas by design is out of necessity. The DFW metroplex population has exploded over the last 25 years, and the construction we've seen in the last decade is a reaction to that growth and a remediation for projected growth at the same rate. We easily forget that the transportation network in DFW is high volume, and not only moves a lot of passengers daily but high volumes of heavy freight as well that forces the infrastructure to take a beating around the clock. The aesthetics of the freeway system in Dallas is very nice, but this is something Oklahoma has not ignored in recent highway construction projects.

Meanwhile in Oklahoma City, which is a different animal than Dallas altogether and by no means should be compared, deals with steady growth. Oklahoma City's challenge is aging infrastructure that moves a steadily increasing volume of traffic and freight. Yes, OKC has outgrown its current freeway system but we can't act like it isn't being addressed. But again, out of necessity, a high-five interchange is not a need in Oklahoma City, it's a want. We shouldn't be building massive interchanges that belong in metro areas of 5 million+ designed to handle 250,000 or more vehicles a day. Oklahoma City can and is planning to construct the same type of interchanges but on a scale that fits the needs of a metro area that won't reach 2 million people until 2030 unless there is a drastic shift in growth patterns, something you can't sell to the U.S. department of transportation.

By 2030, it is likely that DFW will be in the neighborhood of 10 million people and city leaders there are being forced to plan and build accordingly. That alone does not make Dallas superior to OKC or is any more forward-thinking than we are. They have their own problems to deal with and solve. That's just the reality.
This is very spot on. Agree 100%