Another reason we badly need the new section of I-40.

[Tom Elmore]

The world and situation you describe, Kerry, hinged on cheap motor fuel. That world actually lasted only about 40 years, and with today's obvious problems is very much in flux. States and cities that respond with better answers will be those that prosper in the future.

Instead of meeting the demands of current reality, however -- which our fortunate wealth of intact railways would support -- ODOT and its co-dependent facilitators continue to fantasize that they're "still living in 1955..."

Ever hear the term "dynamic analysis?"

TOM ELMORE

[betts]

Gas in Europe has been twice the price here for years, and they're still driving, as well as utilizing rail. Cars, buses and trucks aren't going away, and we still need highways to connect the country. What needs to be emphasized, since cars and trucks aren't going away, is more fuel efficient cars and trucks. That is the solution, while we look for better, cleaner sources of fuel. You can't take a train to the grocery store. You can take a bus, and buses require roads and fuel. Trains have their uses, but they are not the be all and end all of transportation.

[edcrunk]

tom operates on the premise that we're all gonna put down our cars and ride the rails once that all is in place... and then hoist him on our shoulders while shouting "tom, tom, tom" as women bring him their babies to be kissed.
we're not even close to the tipping point for me or many people i know to put down our cars. cars are goin to be a permanent fixture in america... whether they run on gas or not. i don't believe gas will be at five bux a gallon this time next year...
however, if it is, i will publicly admit i was wrong on here.
roads are not going away tom. the crosstown is vital so i can drive to white water or mathis brothers and not go 8 miles out of my way or be forced to take surface streets.

[Kerry]

lol - a friend of mine just drove from Atlanta to Las Vegas and back. In Tom's world my friend would have to stop at the Arkansas stateline, transfer to a train, ride it across Oklahoma, get off the train in Texas, get another car, and finish the drive to Las Vegas.

[oneforone]

I am just wonder how much time we have before a hole on the crosstown causes a vehicle to become stuck causing a multicar pile up or even worse opens up wide enough to where a car or several cars fall though.

I have to agree with Edcrunk. Personal vehicles will be a part of our culture forever. Gasoline may not be in use in 25-50 or 100 years;however, most people will have access to a personal passenger vehicle.

I would rather see the railroads expanded for frieght use. We could reduce fuel usage by using over the road trucks for regional or statewide use versus cost to coast use.

Personally, I think Mr. Elmore is out to build a comfortable financial future for himself. It is not about adding transportation options, reducing the number of cars on the road or saving the planet.

[edcrunk]

oneforone, i honestly don't think he's in it for money. tom is a family man (i hear that he's a devoted father), he hates crooked public officials as well as corrupt govt agencies. he hates for tax dollars to be wasted and truly loves the rails. we have way differing opinions regarding the crosstown and union station, but he's still an honest, upstanding guy. i've asked around from people that know him.

[Kerry]

For the record, outside of the Union Station issue I don't have anything against Tom even if I do take a lot of shots at him here.

[Midtowner]

Tom is someone the city needs. He's an honest person who just wants to do and say the right thing. He believes in something and he's passionate as hell about it.

If I could be come as passionate about anything as Tom is, I'd be goin' places.

He's all in favor of making sure ODOT plays by their own rules as well as considering travel options besides roads and bridges. That's a tall order and Tom'll never be successful -- but thank God for him trying.

[OKCisOK4me]

Tom your killing me. You do realize that not every place a truck stops has rail access don't you? Do you have any idea how slow it is to move freight via rail. It can take weeks to move a single rail car across the country. A simi can do it in 36 hours with tandem drivers. I heard a commercial one time for a nationwide overnight delivery by rail company. The name of the company was Norfolk and Way (say it real fast).

I, in no way, side with ol' Tom on all his conspiracy theories but I thought that it'd be nice to point out that a typical high priority freight train from LA to Chicago and vice versa is approximately a 40 hour trip. Considering the exact lengths of these freights are 5,280 ft. (or what is commonly referred to as 1 mile) it should be understandable that because of the sorting each individual car is going to have to go through, that yes, it would be a lot easier for a single 70 foot trailer to get cross country on its own in a much shorter time.

On a side note, I took a trip to Flagstaff back in 2005. I traveled the scenic route going southwest from Amarillo to Texaco and then west mirroring the route of BNSF's transcon line. When I got to Belen, New Mexico, I had to go back north on I-25 to Albuquerque, and then headed west again. Traveling no more than the speed limit, we left OKC at 10AM, traveled till 2AM (mountain time) until we reached Gallup, NM, and then got up and traveled between Gallup and Flagstaff, AZ, the following day. That 2nd day trip took about 4 hours as we got to Flag around 2PM. My whole point to this (and there was no dilly dallying around) is the trip with a night stop from OKC to Flag took 29 hours. Could we have added the distance from OKC to Chicago & Flag to LA in the other 11 hours it takes freight? No, not likely. Okay maybe if we took shifts driving and didn't stop. But the point is----freight service is much faster than you think!

I know this has nothing to do with the subject but I just had to get it off my chest, lol.

[Platemaker]

[IMG][/IMG]

hmmm.... Here is a map of the original trolley lines.... I don't really see how Union Station played a part in OKC's public transit. It looks like it was just OKC's train station... city to city.

[AFCM]

Tom is someone the city needs. He's an honest person who just wants to do and say the right thing. He believes in something and he's passionate as hell about it.

If I could be come as passionate about anything as Tom is, I'd be goin' places.

He's all in favor of making sure ODOT plays by their own rules as well as considering travel options besides roads and bridges. That's a tall order and Tom'll never be successful -- but thank God for him trying.

I agree, Tom is passionate about OKC; we definately need more people like him advocating for what they think is best for the city. The only issue I have with him is the way he draws correlations between wanting a new crosstown and wanting to axe rail. Some of us want a new crosstown AND rail, while most of us despise the officials at ODOT. I want a new crosstown; there's no need to read between the lines or infer anything other than I WANT A NEW CROSSTOWN.

[oneforone]

oneforone, i honestly don't think he's in it for money. tom is a family man (i hear that he's a devoted father), he hates crooked public officials as well as corrupt govt agencies. he hates for tax dollars to be wasted and truly loves the rails. we have way differing opinions regarding the crosstown and union station, but he's still an honest, upstanding guy. i've asked around from people that know him.

If he is not in it for the money he is in it for the notoriety. I believe that people do things for personal gain. Nobody does anything for the good of the community or they feel the need to right a wrong. Self reward is always the initial goal.

[Midtowner]

If he is not in it for the money he is in it for the notoriety. I believe that people do things for personal gain. Nobody does anything for the good of the community or they feel the need to right a wrong. Self reward is always the initial goal.

Sometimes, that reward is feeling good about the fact that you helped your fellow man or did a good thing. I don't believe in altruism either, but your definition of personal gain seems to be a trifle too narrow.

[Tom Elmore]

News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | Patchy crosstown worries commuters

A couple of questions:

Weren't the most recent "holes in the Crosstown" not on the actual Crosstown Bridge -- but at SE 15th in Midwest City and at the Amarillo Junction bridge?

Why are there cement sacks beneath one of the concrete patches on the actual Crosstown bridge? Is this an indication of the professionalism and expertise ODOT brings to bear on these problems?

If, as ODOT Chief Engineer John Fuller indicates, problems with the Crosstown Bridge deck are more likely after rains, why hasn't the "thin asphalt coating" mentioned years ago been applied?

Why has ODOT quit even tarring cracks and seams all across the I-40 segment between the Dallas and Amarillo Junctions?

Do they "like it rough?"

If it's gonna have to last "at least another four years," shouldn't ODOT spend a little more effort on the road deck -- or do they like keeping Oklahoma citizens "in doubt?"

TOM ELMORE

[SouthsideSooner]

I agree with Ed and the other posters that cars will be the preferred and utilized transportation choice for decades to come. As gas becomes too expensive, other alternatives will become the fuels of choice whether that be Fuel Cell, Natural Gas, hydrogen or something else.

While I fully support the beginning stages of a modern intercity mass transit system as a part of MAPS 3 and like the ideas expressed by Betts and others on the subject, I am more strongly supportive of the new Crosstown being completed as planned.

The plans have been made and construction has started and I am against anything that might delay the completion and drive up the cost of this project, especially when it's a subject that has been beat to death and decided.

GM test drives new hydrogen-fueled car | NewsOK.com

[Luke]

Flying cars are truly the mode of transportation of the future.

[OKCisOK4me]

If this has already been discussed before, either in the past or on another thread, then I apologize.

But why can't there be a mandatory re-route for all through trailer traffic? Have them all take I-44 West to I-240 East where it merges back in with I-40? Granted there is a lot of inner city traffic because of the industrialized areas still around the downtown area but it seems to me that the majority of the traffic that tears up the current Crosstown are the semi's that cross it every day.

[edcrunk]

Nobody does anything for the good of the community or they feel the need to right a wrong. Self reward is always the initial goal.

well, there was this guy that lived about 2000 years ago who did a selfless act that inspires his followers to act selflessly today... so i have to disagree with that statement as a whole.
but i do believe he enjoys getting his pic in the paper... who doesn't! i don't think that is what drives him tho, IMHO.