Wed April 18, 2007
Roads ride to top of city's $736 million bond wish list
By John Estus
Staff Writer

City officials on Tuesday unveiled a draft of what would be the most expensive bond issue in Oklahoma City history.

Road improvements will make up the bulk of the $736 million proposal. Also on the city's wish list is a $26 million face-lift for the downtown police headquarters and municipal court buildings, and $77 million for parks projects.

The bond package should be finished by summer's end. It goes to voters in December.

Until then, city officials want more public input.

"We need to make sure we're communicating and talking to our citizens,” City Manager Jim Couch said.

Couch said the most effective way officials have received public input so far is last year's citizen survey, which asked people to rate their willingness to support a list of possible bond issue projects.

"It let us know pretty loud and clear what the citizens are interested in,” city spokeswoman Kristy Yager said.

The overwhelming message? Fix the roads; 89 percent of those surveyed support it.

The bond proposal comes as city leaders continue to discuss a possible MAPS 3 initiative. A decision about whether voters will be asked to support MAPS 3 could come as early as this summer.

City leaders have not identified what type of projects could be funded with a possible MAPS 3 and instead have asked citizens to submit their own ideas through a Web site: MAPS 3 | Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett.

The $550 million in proposed road-related projects is more money than all bond issue projects since 2000 combined. City voters approved $340 million in 2000.

Bond issues typically pay for a city's infrastructure needs and few are more essential, expensive and popular with voters than road improvements.

Extensive road projects are proposed citywide. The largest — by dollar amount — include:

•$14 million to widen Kelley Avenue between Memorial Road and Wilshire Boulevard.

•$10.8 million for resurfacing between Western Avenue and Interstate 235 between NW 23 and NW 10.

•$8.8 million for resurfacing between Kelley and Martin Luther King avenues between NE 23 and NE 10.

Fixes for police, golf
The proposal also includes about $31 million in improvements to police headquarters and city golf courses, despite survey results showing those projects are the two residents are least willing to support.

Couch reminded city council members at a special workshop Tuesday that some projects still have "an overwhelming need,” even if they're not popular with voters.

Last year's survey included a number of questions about funding a light rail system, but no light rail projects made it to the bond issue proposal.

Couch called light rail and other public transit needs an "emerging issue” and said the decision to place questions about it on the survey was made more out of curiosity than immediate need.

"Our current transportation model is unsustainable,” Mayor Mick Cornett said. "A key funding issue for Oklahoma City and the metropolitan area is going to be the state's ability or willingness to get involved.”

During the next state legislative session, Cornett said, he will ask lawmakers to begin discussing a statewide public transportation funding effort that would work toward light rail and other options.

In a presentation to civic leaders last year, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber presented a plan to implement a commuter rail line by 2030 with routes running north and south between Edmond and Norman, and east and west between downtown and Midwest City.

The plan also calls for inner-city transit improvements.