Your Damn Roads!!!

[TwoForFlinching]

It's the states problem, not the contractors. They adhere to the bid they submit letter for letter. Remember when they installed the highway cable system? The original contract didn't account for breaks in the line so hi-po's could flip around and issue tickets. When the state brought it up, contractors were nearly done. They pointed out breaks weren't in the contract bid the state signed, so they had to have a new round of bids to fix the cable system before it was done. We paid for it twice.

 

[SoonerP226]

The worst around Tulsa is where 169 Ties into Creek TP Extension that 2 mile bridge is like a roller coaster. Why that contractor was ever paid is beyond my realm of thinking.

From what @CHenry said (and he does occasionally know a thing or two, but don't tell him I said that), that was the engineer's fault, not the contractor's. They just installed what was specified.

 

[SoonerP226]

We paid for it twice.

Only twice? Whaddya know, the state is getting more responsible...

 

[Parks 788]

Well, if Oklahoma had the taxes Kalifornia has, the roads would probably be a wee-bit nicer.

Negative. If you collect more in taxes from either gas, tolls/fees, or any other tax slated for road improvement there is a great chance that the collected tax money will never go towards road improvements. It becomes a slush fund that other politicians and activists get their greedy hands on for other pet projects. Happened in Kaliforniastan several years ago with a massive tax increase that was only to go to road repair and improvement. Very little money sees the roads.

 

[BobbyV]

The worst around Tulsa is where 169 Ties into Creek TP Extension that 2 mile bridge is like a roller coaster. Why that contractor was ever paid is beyond my realm of thinking.

I will also say the way we go about road work is asinine. OKC is the worst on I-35 lets shut down 2 or 3 lanes for miles ahead so they can do a minor repair.

Also all the major cities I have been to do work at night only. Only let major highways be worked on at night and incentivize them to get done early. When they fixed the I-40 bridge I thought they were done 3 or 4 weeks early and got a major bonus for each day they were ahead. Then if you miss your deadline. Guess what? penalties.

I remember living in ABQ when they redesigned the I-40/I-25 interchange. Seemed like it would take forever, but those suckers got it done in like a year. I don't remember how far ahead of schedule they were.

 

[HeyEng]

Negative. If you collect more in taxes from either gas, tolls/fees, or any other tax slated for road improvement there is a great chance that the collected tax money will never go towards road improvements. It becomes a slush fund that other politicians and activists get their greedy hands on for other pet projects. Happened in Kaliforniastan several years ago with a massive tax increase that was only to go to road repair and improvement. Very little money sees the roads.

Well, that's why you have protections to avoid this. Many years ago (1990'ish), a large metro county outside of Atlanta approved a 1 cent sales tax increase for the roads. It passed. In the matter of a couple of years, almost every road in the county had been repaired and for a long time, they were some of the highest rated roads in the country. That same tax has been successful enough that it has been renewed every time since it was originally passed. Since 1990, a **** load more people have moved to the ATL area, and the roads have suffered, but the roads in that county is still pretty darn good.

 

[rickm]

The roads are rough for a reason we dont have high speed pursuits that last for hours with 30 or 40 cops following them in Okla like they do in California.

 

[HFS]

I thought they would fix the roads after the Oklahoma Centennial in 2007.
I was telling everybody that they intentionally let the roads get in such bad shape so that during the Centennial, all the young 'uns would know what it felt like in the land run days.
I said you can drive down the highway in your car, and get a real authentic taste of what it was like when your family piled in the old buckboard wagon and your Pa whipped the horses and you went hauling ass across the plains to get some of that land.
I said they would probably fix the roads, after the Centennial was over with. Any day now, just any day...

 

[SoonerP226]

My grandma used to say that Texas had the good roads and Oklahoma had the rich politicians. After traveling the highways all over Texas the winter before last, I'm not so sure that's true any more.

 

[HFS]

Ain't nobody got money for roads.
It's for the CHILL-DREN!