The Oklahoma Department of Transportation is inviting the public to weigh in on its 25-year plan for transportation priorities. Over the past year, the 2020-2045 Long Range Transportation Plan has been developed with input from the public and stakeholders and ODOT is now presenting a summary for final review and public comment at www.oklongrangeplan.org.
Rather than a list of specific projects, the plan focuses on overall transportation priorities and goals for various modes of travel and freight movement in the state including highway; passenger and freight rail; public transit; bicycle and pedestrian; ports and waterways and airport access. The federally-required plan is updated every five years.
“Transportation planning needs to look decades into the future because the infrastructure decisions we make today will affect future generations and the state’s long-term economic outlook,” ODOT Deputy Director Dawn Sullivan said. “We hope the public will continue to partner with us to produce a long-range plan that truly addresses the transportation issues and needs that are important to Oklahomans.”
The agency began collecting public input last summer to document the condition of the existing system, analyze future needs and trends and develop strategies and policies for the next 25 years. More than 3,800 Oklahomans responded and overwhelmingly ranked safety as ODOT’s top priority. Additionally, 84% of survey respondents agreed that ODOT should improve existing highway and bridge conditions even if it meant taxpayers being asked to pay a little more. Many participants were also interested in ODOT investing in and preparing for public transit and new technologies, including connected and automated vehicles.
Oklahomans are encouraged to visit www.oklongrangeplan.org between June 2 and June 23 to view a summary of the final LRTP and take a short online survey. Feedback from the survey will be incorporated into the final plan document and then ODOT will hold a formal public comment period from June 29 to July 29 to accept input by email, mail or phone. Comments and questions can be directed to lrtp@odot.org or by mailing Matthew Swift, Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Strategic Asset and Performance Management Division, 200 N.E. 21st St., Oklahoma City, OK 73105. While written comments are preferred, feedback can also be given by phone by calling 405-522-6879.
Once all public input has been received, the final version of the plan will be presented to the Oklahoma Transportation Commission for adoption in late summer. The LRTP will then be submitted to the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration, ODOT’s two primary federal funding partners.
—www.odot.org—
