Norman City Council unanimously rejects proposed partnership with Oklahoma Turnpike Authority
Concerned citizens took the podium one by one during the Norman City Council meeting to stand against the city's potential partnership with the OTA.
Concerned citizens took the podium one by one during the Norman City Council meeting to stand against the city's potential partnership with the OTA.
Concerned citizens took the podium one by one during the Norman City Council meeting to stand against the city's potential partnership with the OTA.
The Norman City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to reject the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority from building new roads from certain areas of Norman.
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Residents in Norman were defiant during the meeting, delivering passionate pleas against the partnership between the OTA and the city. While dressed in red, they got their message across that they didn't want new turnpikes built in Norman.
"No partnership with the OTA now and not ever," Norman resident Kelly Wilson said.
Concerned citizens took the podium one by one to stand against the city's potential partnership with the OTA.
"This is just a small portion of the people who would like to be here," Wilson said.
Some said the partnership "makes absolutely no sense," while others said Norman City Council could "sell the soul of the city, or you can protect the citizens."
Ultimately, their message worked as the city council unanimously rejected a resolution that would have led to a partnership. The construction would have been part of the OTA's 15-year plan called ACCESS Oklahoma.
OTA officials responded to the decision by saying in part, "While the OTA has prepared to commit many tens of millions of dollars to design and build what would become City of Norman infrastructure, OTA respects the Norman City Council's decision to reject the proposed resolution requesting that the Authority include frontage roads, pedestrian facilities, local road widenings and numerous interchanges as part of the design. OTA will complete its engineering plans for the East-West Connector without these amenities within Norman's city limits."
At the end of the day, Norman residents in red got what they asked for.
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