For Immediate Release:
December 11, 2003
Sen.
Stratton Taylor
Senate Transportation Chairman Wants Answers
To OTA’s Poor Effort on Creek Turnpike
Senate
Transportation Committee Chairman Stratton
Taylor, D-Claremore, is asking Secretary of Transportation
and Oklahoma Transportation
Authority head, Phil
Tomlinson, for answers on a poor performance during
Wednesday’s snow storm.
“I personally drove the Creek Turnpike that day and
OTA, in my mind, got a failing grade,” said Taylor.
“The section between Highway 169 and Highway 75, which
is the most traveled portion of the turnpike, was in absolutely
terrible condition at 9 a.m., and appeared to have had minimal,
if any, maintenance work performed on it.”
“I ultimately diverted to an alternate route on a
road maintained by the Department
of Transportation and found a better situation,”
said Taylor. “My question is how can this be? They
are both state roads and should have similar maintenance
efforts for snow storms.”
“It is my belief that the OTA leadership simply went
to sleep at the wheel for this section of road,” continued
the Transportation Chairman. “If you are going to
have to pay to drive on the road you would at least think
that your toll fees would be put to good use.”
In a letter to Phil Tomlinson, Taylor has requested information
on how the road was handled that day and what efforts were
made by OTA. Taylor is contemplating holding hearings by
his committee regarding OTA’s performance during the
recent snow storm.
For more information, contact:
Senate
Communications Division
- (405) 521-5774
