Legislative road, bridge proposals look promising

Economy

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March 22, 2006

By Robert Barron The Enid News and Eagle Wed Mar 22, 2006, 02:29 PM CST

After years of debate and a failed fuel tax proposal in 2005 to fix deteriorating roads and bridges in Oklahoma, help is, hopefully and finally, on the way.

A proposal by legislators to increase funding for roads and bridges around the state received support from Enid’s Lew Meibergen.

Meibergen is president of W.B. Johnston Enterprises and was a leading supporter of last year’s failed fuel tax increase to benefit roads and bridges.

Meibergen said funding he believes is proposed is actually more than the fuel tax increase would be brought in.

There are several bills in the Legislature, by Republicans Jim Newport and Speaker Todd Hiett, and Gov. Brad Henry, a Democrat.

Another improvement for state roads and bridges would be using all fuel tax funds for roads and bridges, instead of siphoning off funding for other projects.

A statewide group called Transportation Revenues Used Strictly for Transportation (TRUST) endorses that measure. The group is backed by Oklahomans for Safe Brid-ges and Roads, which also supported the fuel tax increase. The group launched its campaign just prior to the beginning of the 2006 legislative session.

TRUST will advocate road user fees be used strictly for maintenance, construction and reconstruction of the state’s roads and bridges, which the group called “antiquated.”

TRUST calls for permanent dedicated funding for state roads and bridges through transportation user fees spent on transportation.

Currently, 44.84 percent of motor vehicle fees are diverted to general revenue fund. That totals about $224.2 million. About 8.5 percent of state fuel taxes are diverted to non-transportation uses, totaling about $35.2 million.

Meibergen said some funds now are being earmarked for funding roads and bridges, and he agrees with a call to prioritize the worst bridges in the state.

The ideals proposed by the Oklahomans for Safe Roads and Bridges are still alive, even though the fuel tax increase was defeated by voters in 2005.

“We got our butts kicked big time but we got the attention of the people,” Meibergen said.

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