| Updated: 9/06/2012 9:05 am |
Published: 9/05/2012 6:52 pm
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Communities across Tulsa County are learning more about Vision2, an extension to the Vision 2025 bond, for continued growth and development. Public Forums were held in Tulsa Wednesday.
The Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce is hoping to use the money to widen 61st Street just off Lynn Lane where two new schools are being built. The schools are scheduled to open next school year but parents worry it could be chaotic on a two lane road.
"Just with the high school on a Friday night at a football game this road is packed with people," said April Sailsbury, she lives only two minutes away from where the schools are being built.
At least 4,500 Broken Arrow students will be attending school on that street at either the Pre- K center, elementary school or high school.
"It's going to be packed,” said Sailsbury. “It's going to cause a traffic jam, not only on this road but the road leading into this."
"It's not just a matter of wants it's a matter of needs," said President of the Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce Wes Smithwick.
He says 61st street is just one of seven streets that need to be widened.
"A lot of those students ride cars to and from school and there are a lot of yellow buses that come to and from here," said Smithwick.
The others include 81st and 91st near Highway 169 where Smithwick says traffic can get backed up quickly. The total project will cost $27-million. The city will get the money from Vision 2 if it passes.
Opponents of Vision2 say extending the point-six percent Vision 2025 sales tax isn't what green country needs and road improvement dollars can come from elsewhere in local government.
Vision2 will be on the ballot in November.
Smithwick says the road projects would begin in 2013.
The next public forum will be held in Broken Arrow at City Hall on September 17th.
