Oklahoma in the ranks

[jerrywall]

From article: Utah also had among the most well-functioning transportation infrastructures, ranking among the highest in this category. Zero miles of state roads were in disrepair in 2013. The percent of deficient bridges in the state was also the fifth lowest nationwide. Workers had an average commute time of 21.2 minutes, one of the lowest in the country.

I've got to wonder how much easier it is to hit those goals, when they have significantly less than half the highway mileage that Oklahoma has, despite more total square miles.

[HangryHippo]

I've got to wonder how much easier it is to hit those goals, when they have significantly less than half the highway mileage that Oklahoma has, despite more total square miles.

Of course it's easier, that's the whole point. Oklahoma's system has far too much road.

[Jersey Boss]

I've got to wonder how much easier it is to hit those goals, when they have significantly less than half the highway mileage that Oklahoma has, despite more total square miles.

The article referenced said "state roads", I don't know if this means exclusively highways or not.

[jerrywall]

Of course it's easier, that's the whole point. Oklahoma's system has far too much road.

Yeah, that was sort of my point. Unfortunately, I don't think Utah's solutions translate perfectly to Oklahoma.

[Rover]

Utah has 43,000 miles of public roads. Oklahoma has 112,000. But much more of OK is developed where Utah has huge areas of undeveloped areas, including mountain sides, high desert, etc.

[Bunty]

Yeah, that was sort of my point. Unfortunately, I don't think Utah's solutions translate perfectly to Oklahoma.

True. A lot of Oklahomans wouldn't want to change over to the dietary restrictions of being a Mormon to achieve better health.

[Bunty]

Utah has 43,000 miles of public roads. Oklahoma has 112,000. But much more of OK is developed where Utah has huge areas of undeveloped areas, including mountain sides, high desert, etc.

And Utah as close to a million fewer people to tax than Oklahoma to maintain its highway system.

[HangryHippo]

Utah has 43,000 miles of public roads. Oklahoma has 112,000. But much more of OK is developed where Utah has huge areas of undeveloped areas, including mountain sides, high desert, etc.

Oklahoma should have more undeveloped areas. There's no reason for some of the roads we have to pay to maintain.

[Rover]

Yes, we don't need roads to farmland to get crops to market. Let's eliminate them.

[Rover]

And Utah as close to a million fewer people to tax than Oklahoma to maintain its highway system.

True. So, what are you saying?

[HangryHippo]

Yes, we don't need roads to farmland to get crops to market. Let's eliminate them.

Exactly, Rover, that's exactly what I'm saying.

Christ, you're unbearable.

[Rover]

Exactly, Rover, that's exactly what I'm saying.

You do know I was being sarcastic, right? (hence the frown)

[Plutonic Panda]

Yes, we don't need roads to farmland to get crops to market. Let's eliminate them.

are you for real? It's almost obscene of how many roads are in Oklahoma serving 4 million people. There are thousands of miles of roads that should removed. Lately I've been driving around the state on my days off and it's like Oklahoma is just an extremely low dense city sprawled all over the place. There are tons of four lanes roads in the middle of nowhere with hardly any traffic and single family homes every 5 miles.

[Rover]

The typical tea party thinking is to reduce infrastructure, ignoring that infrastructure is a large part of what enables an economy to grow. We are a rural state with lots of low density farming and ranching. That is who we are. We are not a state with great mountains and ski slopes or rambling ranches. We are a sparsely settled state that is barely 100 years old. We are not blessed with great waterways for freight transportation, nor could we build railroads to serve the farmlands properly. When you go to foreign underdeveloped countries and see how farm products rot because they can't get it to market and where villages are isolated and poverty reigns, then maybe you can see the value of infrastructure. Oklahoma doesn't need to relegate itself to 3rd world status.

[Plutonic Panda]

First off, I never said anything about Oklahoma being 3 world. I don't care what other counties do. We may have vast farmland, but smarter planning could line milled roads connected to two lane asphalt roads and then served by "hubs" that are along four lane concrete highways.

Don't act like every road that is out there is being used by farms who couldn't otherwise operate without it. Like I said, what I have been seeing are wide roads in the middle of nowhere with very little traffic on them ALL OVER THE STATE!!!!!!!! There is no reason for that.

We don't need 100,000 thousand miles of roads to serve farms. That is crazy.

[Plutonic Panda]

BTW, the circumference of the earth is about 25,000 miles. We have 100,000 miles of roads. No one sees anything wrong with it.

[Rover]

Which highways are you talking about...going where to where...that you want to eliminate or don't think are important enough to serve the people in the area?

And, yes you should care about economic development and learn a little from what happens in other countries and the lessons shown.

[Rover]

BTW, the circumference of the earth is about 25,000 miles. We have 100,000 miles of roads. No one sees anything wrong with it.

And the sun is 93 million miles away. So what's your point. You can't throw out a number completely out of context and expect it to mean anything or to provide any reasonable economic or social analysis. It's like saying anyone over 300 pounds should be a great football player.

[Plutonic Panda]

I do care about economic development, but there are highways in the middle of nowhere that could be built for the OKC area expanding the city.

[hfry]

Highways in the middle of nowhere? HA! Just because you think they are in the middle of nowhere and seldom used doesn't make it a fact or frankly even close to the truth. Do we have a lot of paved roads? sure and at the highway 74 Odot meeting they admitted as much but every highway is being used either by oil and gas, agriculture or the numerous number of small cities that are spread out through this state but saying they could instead be built in OKC is silly. You are normally very good about providing maps when you want to make points such as this and while some may disagree its a point because you put work into and actually thought about it but simply saying we have lots of unused roads that could be put to use in the city is something that any large city can and will say for generations to come.

[Plutonic Panda]

I guess you're right. It just seems weird to me how many miles this state has for roads, but I'm not them 24/7, so perhaps they have a purpose.

[TheTravellers]

Where You Live Says A Lot More About You Than You'd Think

Oklahoma is listed as one of "The Open Minds" - "The Open Minds are interested in arts, literature, the sciences, and other intellectual activities".

[Plutonic Panda]

And the sun is 93 million miles away. So what's your point. You can't throw out a number completely out of context and expect it to mean anything or to provide any reasonable economic or social analysis. It's like saying anyone over 300 pounds should be a great football player.

Marc Kushner: Why the buildings of the future will be shaped by ... you | Talk Video | TED.com

[Snowman]

are you for real? It's almost obscene of how many roads are in Oklahoma serving 4 million people. There are thousands of miles of roads that should removed. Lately I've been driving around the state on my days off and it's like Oklahoma is just an extremely low dense city sprawled all over the place. There are tons of four lanes roads in the middle of nowhere with hardly any traffic and single family homes every 5 miles.

First off, I never said anything about Oklahoma being 3 world. I don't care what other counties do. We may have vast farmland, but smarter planning could line milled roads connected to two lane asphalt roads and then served by "hubs" that are along four lane concrete highways.

Don't act like every road that is out there is being used by farms who couldn't otherwise operate without it. Like I said, what I have been seeing are wide roads in the middle of nowhere with very little traffic on them ALL OVER THE STATE!!!!!!!! There is no reason for that.

We don't need 100,000 thousand miles of roads to serve farms. That is crazy.

A major portion of our state highways are two lane road (I would bet large majority but I am not going to verify that now) , going to hubs (aka cities), with the four lane non-interstate highways tending to either connect the medium size cities to either the interstate system or OKC/Tulsa directly. Also it is comical if you are going on this tangent and still wanting features like 5 high stacks or six lane distributor roads in the metro.

[Plutonic Panda]

A major portion of our state highways are two lane road (I would bet large majority but I am not going to verify that now) , going to hubs (aka cities), with the four lane non-interstate highways tending to either connect the medium size cities to either the interstate system or OKC/Tulsa directly. Also it is comical if you are going on this tangent and still wanting features like 5 high stacks or six lane distributor roads in the metro.

the reason I don't want these smaller highways built out there is so we can have wider and nicer highways and interchanges here in the metro.

By all means, support the endless roads throughout the state.