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Edmond Life and Leisure - October 10, 2024
City Source
Plans would make roads easier & safer
SPOTLIGHT: Edmond on the GO bond program would help address priority street and intersection improvements The $151 million in projects proposed would mean easier – and safer – travel across the City
From City Source Edmond
When Steve Lawrence hears the frustration of mobility challenges in Edmond, he understands because he experiences them too.
“As an engineer that has worked at Edmond while raising my family, I am well aware of the issues that busy families face,” said Lawrence, who was named Director of Engineering for the City of Edmond in April 2023 and has worked for the City since April 1999. “City staff have been extremely creative and aggressive in finding funding opportunities for roads in Edmond. We have been successful at acquiring federal funds for roads, but that is a very slow process and does not keep up with Edmond’s current and future needs.
“Edmond residents expect higher levels of service than many surrounding communities, yet Edmond struggles to provide adequate funding for roads that many of the surrounding communities have through GO bond funding.”
Addressing the needs and expectations for safe and efficient streets – and funding to meet those expectations of safe and congestion free streets –is the biggest portion of the Edmond on the GO proposal.
Edmond on the GO is a General Obligation (GO) Bond program that will fund the highest priority streets, parks and public safety improvements Edmond residents expect. If approved by voters, this will mark the first GO Bond program for the City of Edmond since 1980, a historic and foundational investment.
On the Nov. 5, 2024, election ballot are three separate bond proposals that would fund 22 projects in three categories – streets, parks, and fire safety. If all three are approved by voters, the Edmond on the GO proposals would combine for a 10-year, 15 mill levy that would generate a projected $231 million to fund these vital projects. If only one or two of the questions are approved, the target mill levy of 15 does not change. The duration of the tax would be shorter depending upon the total dollar amount of projects authorized by voters.
Improving streets is the No. 1 concern of many Edmond residents. The City receives about 730 calls and requests every year from Edmond residents about streets improvements. Edmond on the GO addresses that concern with 65 percent of the program funding – $151 million – dedicated to street improvements, including 33 separate resurfacing projects, the largest investment at $35 million, that would double the amount of money invested in resurfacing streets and improve safety and mobility across the City.
“Just like a car, roads need preventative maintenance,” Lawrence said. “Edmond maintains approximately 1150 lane-miles of roads. Of those roads, 90 percent are asphalt which require regular maintenance and resurfacing. If not maintained, the pavement fails completely leading to very costly reconstruction and leaving many roads in generally rough condition.”
The bond also includes numerous intersection improvements, pedestrian crossing safety improvements, sidewalks and a continuation of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) program, which includes the use of real-time technology to improve traffic safety and mobility during congested traffic periods, construction activities, maintenance activities and incidents such as traffic collisions and other emergencies. ITS keeps traffic flowing at the same pace, even when there is a 40 percent increase in traffic volume. Edmond on the GO will add 20 intersections to the ITS system and, during non-peak time, ITS can reduce traffic delays by up to 75 percent.
“While roadway travel is consistently the highest priority of Edmond residents, it is also a high priority for first responders,” said Chief J.D. Younger, who has served as Edmond Chief of Police since
May 2017. “Providing police service to over 100,000 residents and visitors across 88 square miles requires police officers to drive millions of miles each year. Having roads that are engineered for the appropriate volume of travel and maintained in a serviceable manner is critical to ensure police officers can get where they are needed when they are needed.”
The specific projects – with costs – on the list are:
• 33 street resurfacing projects throughout Edmond ($35 million)
• Covell Road and Santa Fe Avenue intersection improvements ($20 million)
• Widening of Covell Road from I-35 through Air Depot Boulevard ($15.8 million)
• Covell Road and Western Avenue intersection improvements ($12 million)
• Danforth Road widening from Holly Hill Road to Thomas Drive ($9.2 million)
• 2nd Street and Boulevard intersection improvements ($7.2 million)
• Intelligent Transportation System Phase V ($7 million)
• Coltrane Road widening north of 2nd Street ($4 million)
• 15th Street corridor between Broadway Avenue and Boulevard capacity improvements ($3 million)
• Kelly Avenue and Edmond Road capacity improvements ($3 million)
• 15th Street and Bryant Avenue capacity improvements ($3 million)
• Santa Fe Avenue and Edmond Road capacity improvements ($3 million)
• North University Drive right-of-way retrofit, bike lane, pedestrian infrastructure ($3 million)
• Thatcher Street right-of-way retrofit, bike lane,
and pedestrian infrastructure improvements ($1.2 million)
• 2nd Street and Garland Godfrey - crossing safety improvements ($1 million)
An interactive map with street project details can be found at www.edmondok.gov/1912/General-Obligation-Bond-Projects.
“Any improvement to our streets and intersections to help with traffic flow and overall mobility can do nothing but help us ensure quick and efficient response times,” said Chris Goodwin, who has served as the Chief of the Edmond Fire Department since August 2017. “That is vital at times when seconds matter.”
If residents do not approve part or all the proposals, many of the City of Edmond's highest priority projects will be delayed until an alternate funding source is secured.
“The current funding source that we have for our City – relying significantly on sales tax dollars – is not meeting the needs of our growing infrastructure nor our growing quality-of-life needs,” said Darrell A. Davis, Mayor of Edmond. “The thing about a GO Bond is the funding is dedicated from the start to projects residents want. For our streets, 65 percent of the funding is guaranteed to go to those specific street projects, so voters know where it will go – that’s accountability from Day 1.”
If voters approve part or all the bond package, property taxes will increase until the funding goal for approved projects is met. As an example, based on the median home value of approximately $307,000 in Edmond, the increase would be about $1.34 a day per household or about $40 a month. GO Bonds are a common funding method used by cities to address critical infrastructure needs. Edmond is the only major city in the metro area that doesn’t utilize a GO Bond program.
“Over the years we’ve analyzed what options we have for revenue sources for the projects our residents have told us they value,” Davis said. “This option is one we have looked at extensively and has been demonstrated to be effective and efficient in other places throughout the region.”
In the end, though, the proposed street projects are about giving Edmond residents the kind of safe streets and efficient mobility they want and need.
“We should have safe streets for our children to learn how to drive,” Lawrence said. “We should make reasonable improvements to minimize traffic congestion for busy families. We should have a safe, connected community for retirees. When City staff know exactly how to make wise investments to raise the quality of life for Edmond citizens and are unable to do so due to funding, it is very frustrating and disappointing.”
Learn more about GO Bonds, the proposed projects and more at www.EdmondOK.gov/OnTheGO.
Learn more about what’s happening around the City at www.edmondok.gov/CitySource
