Something big coming?

[Just the facts]

just curious... If. You had a billion to spend on roads.... Which areas would you do?

I would just keep working my way out from the P180 streets and throw in Britton and Capitol Hill.

[okclee]

You guys are now getting to one of my nerves that is the city roads and how the inner city gets screwed while the outer areas have beautiful shiny new roads and sidewalks.

[Just the facts]

You guys are now getting to one of my nerves that is the city roads and how the inner city gets screwed while the outer areas have beautiful shiny new roads and sidewalks.

I doubt the outer areas have beautiful shiny new roads and sidewalks. They are 4 laned so far in advance that by the time anyone gets around to driving on them the weather has already taken their toll.

[bchris02]

There are a few nice roads in suburban OKC, but many of them, even in nice areas, are in such poor shape they are hard on your vehicle to even drive on. I am thinking specifically of roads like 122nd St as well as Memorial Rd in places. I think that major thoroughfares should be resurfaced with concrete at bare minimum. Some of them like Memorial Rd as well as Penn should also be widened to six lanes. Populated areas should have streetlights and possibly landscaped medians as well.

I know talk of improving the roads in suburban areas go against urbanist idealism, but the majority of the population of OKC still live in the suburbs and I think increasing the quality of life in suburbia is as important as building up the core.

[Plutonic Panda]

I dunno man, but have you driven on some of the suburban roads? Edmond's are horrible. Honestly, the state of OKC roads and highways is about the best I remember ever.

are you for real? Trolling?

[Just the facts]

I think that major thoroughfares should be resurfaced with concrete at bare minimum. Some of them like Memorial Rd as well as Penn should also be widened to six lanes. Populated areas should have streetlights and possibly landscaped medians as well.

Well, you can't do that for a billion dollars - which should give you an idea of the tax burden created.

[soonerguru]

are you for real? Trolling?

No, being real. You're much younger than me, so maybe you don't remember just how bad our roads in OKC were at one time. Baghdad probably had better roads. No, not perfect, but better. The highways, which I drive on for work every day, are much smoother than at any time in memory (we did get stimulus money to scrape the concrete on I-44 and some other improvements). I-40 used to be bad from border to border, and now, once this section in Yukon is completed, will be about the best it's been in my lifetime. Not trolling, speaking from experience.

[OKCRT]

OKC roads are (overall) better now than I have ever seen also. Go back some years and you would understand.

[Bullbear]

OKC roads are (overall) better now than I have ever seen also. Go back some years and you would understand.

Agreed. I have made the observation many times just around my neighborhood. 23rd is a million times better than it use to be.. and so are many other roads in the city. 10 years ago was a HUGE difference

[HangryHippo]

I'll echo the sentiments of the last three posts as well - the roads here are in the best shape they've been in in a long, long time.

Of course, who knows if they'll stay that way for long, but there has been noticeable improvement.

[Richard at Remax]

If there is a bad road in Edmond its probably because its in okc city limits. aka western all the way up to 192nd. at least they are finally getting some love

[Pete]

Roads in most cities are pretty bad.

They are certainly worse here in Los Angeles than in OKC, and we have incredibly mild weather and a much more dense tax base.

[warreng88]

So, from the past two pages, the only thing I can tell is that the something big coming has to do with our roads. How am I doing so far?

[Bullbear]

So, from the past two pages, the only thing I can tell is that the something big coming has to do with our roads. How am I doing so far?

That is correct and our citizens are lazy and poor traveled with bad attitudes so I think it was decided we didn't deserve anthing big so it was all scrapped!.. sorry

[KenRagsdale]

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation received a little more than $200 MM out of the the state's 2014 $7 billion in spending. The big winners are education (common, career tech and higher ed) and health and human services.

Courtesty Wikipedia:

The Governor's proposed Executive Budget for 2014 totals $7 billion in spending. Figures shown in the spending request do not reflect the actual appropriations for Fiscal Year 2014, which must be authorized by the Legislature. Percentages in parentheses indicate percentage change compared to Fiscal Year 2013 enacted budget. The budget request is broken down by the following expenditures:

Appropriations by Cabinet Department: $7 billion (+2%)
$3.4 billion - Education (+0%)
$1.4 billion - Health (+4%)
$815 million - Human Services (+6%)
$656 million - Safety and Security (+0%)
$209 million - Transportation (+1%)
$116 million - Finance and Revenue (-1%)
$85.0 million - Commerce and Tourism (+6%)
$84.6 million - Judiciary (+0%)
$35.7 million - Agriculture (-5%)
$35.7 million - Veterans Affairs (+0%)
$32.6 million - Legislature (+0%)
$17.8 million - Science and Technology (+0%)
$14.6 million - Environment (+0%)
$12.1 million - Energy (+0%)
$10.7 million - Military (+0%)
$8.5 million - Secretary of State (+1%)
$2.5 million - Governor and Lieutenant Governor (+0%)

[okclee]

"Something Big Coming" is now about roads. LOL!

[Just the facts]

"Something Big Coming" is now about roads. LOL!

That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing depending on which roads and what they wanted to do with them.

[warreng88]

That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing depending on which roads and what they wanted to do with them.

But, I highly doubt Steve Lackmeyer would be reporting on our roads unless it has to do with the downtown proper area. And I don't consider roads entertainment, I am not sure about the rest of you.

[Plutonic Panda]

No, being real. You're much younger than me, so maybe you don't remember just how bad our roads in OKC were at one time. Baghdad probably had better roads. No, not perfect, but better. The highways, which I drive on for work every day, are much smoother than at any time in memory (we did get stimulus money to scrape the concrete on I-44 and some other improvements). I-40 used to be bad from border to border, and now, once this section in Yukon is completed, will be about the best it's been in my lifetime. Not trolling, speaking from experience.

Well, OKC roads are improving for sure. Literally, the only place I can think of that has worse roads than OKC is Denton. Tulsa's roads are absolutely awful, but at least they generally have turn lanes and landscaping; Tulsa is a joke though.

Edmond's roads seem to be among the best in the metro from what I've seen. I know it is arguable I'm biased, but that is from my observation.

A few suburbs which might have roads as bad as or worse than OKC's are El Reno, MWC, Jones, and Guthrie. Moore seems to have decent roads for the most part and Norman has excellent roads. When Main Street and Lindsey is completed, coupled with the HWY 9 and all of the I-35 interchanges, I would say Norman would have the better roads than Edmond.

Edmond has a couple bad roads, Broadway directly north of DT Edmond is horrible, and I know there are one or two more, but aside from a few side roads that barely have any traffic, I'm not sure what bad roads there are in Edmond. Edmond seems to resurface roads years and years before they need it. They have plans to widen every single road north of Danforth to 4 lanes, divided, concrete, and landscaped median. Eventually, the plan is to have Covell widened to six lanes all the way through the city which I found out is why they have the lanes so wide.

Like I said though, I do believe OKC is really hopping the bandwagon trying to improve their roads, there is just so much, I guess it will take awhile.

[Plutonic Panda]

That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing depending on which roads and what they wanted to do with them.

new 10 lane highway loop around Edmond... every road north of Kilpatrick widened to six lanes... I-35 widened to six lanes in each direction... great stuff!!!

[oklip955]

You mean 10 lane loop through my place. Would not make me happy.

[Plutonic Panda]

You mean 10 lane loop through my place. Would not make me happy.

ahhh... they'll build a couple 100 story skyscrapers.... you will have a huge view of city on the 60th floow, you'll love it!!

[bchris02]

Back to the original topic of this thread, I hope deals that have been in the works start getting announced before long. This town has seen months of talking and speculation about various developments, be it mystery towers, whatever will make KC/Dallas jealous, a full service hotel downtown, etc, yet nothing has been announced. I realize real estate deals take time but it has been very quiet for a while now.

[soonerguru]

Well, OKC roads are improving for sure. Literally, the only place I can think of that has worse roads than OKC is Denton. Tulsa's roads are absolutely awful, but at least they generally have turn lanes and landscaping; Tulsa is a joke though.

Edmond's roads seem to be among the best in the metro from what I've seen. I know it is arguable I'm biased, but that is from my observation.

A few suburbs which might have roads as bad as or worse than OKC's are El Reno, MWC, Jones, and Guthrie. Moore seems to have decent roads for the most part and Norman has excellent roads. When Main Street and Lindsey is completed, coupled with the HWY 9 and all of the I-35 interchanges, I would say Norman would have the better roads than Edmond.

Edmond has a couple bad roads, Broadway directly north of DT Edmond is horrible, and I know there are one or two more, but aside from a few side roads that barely have any traffic, I'm not sure what bad roads there are in Edmond. Edmond seems to resurface roads years and years before they need it. They have plans to widen every single road north of Danforth to 4 lanes, divided, concrete, and landscaped median. Eventually, the plan is to have Covell widened to six lanes all the way through the city which I found out is why they have the lanes so wide.

Like I said though, I do believe OKC is really hopping the bandwagon trying to improve their roads, there is just so much, I guess it will take awhile.

Wait. What? Oh, I guess you're not talking about "roads," you're talking about streetscapes. In that case, we have room for improvement. But our ROADS are better than they've been in ages, and I can guarandamtee they're better than Tulsa's. I was there for a wedding recently and was astonished by the poor state of that city's roads -- even in the ritzy midtown areas. Just awful.

[Jesseda]

Maybe Finally there is plan to finish the outer metro loop from mustang to norman. and east back up to I-40 in southwest okc to Choctaw and back up to northeast okc and connect to the Kilpatrick turnpike on I-35.