The struggle against the proposed Oklahoma Turnpike Authority in Norman continues as local residents and organizations persist in their opposition. Despite the Norman City Council's unanimous disapproval of partnering with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, which was intended to enable the connection of the proposed toll road to city streets and roads, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority maintains they can still build the turnpike without the city's cooperation. "The cities and counties and citizens do have a voice, and we need to keep pushing for that," Kelly Wilson, a member of Oklahomans for Responsible Transportation, told KOCO.
Activist groups, including Pike Off Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, continue to demand more transparency and updated financial evaluations of the turnpike projects. At a recent gathering in Norman, Amy Cerato, Pike Off Oklahoma Turnpike Authority's president, questioned the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority's persistence. "Why are you trying to build a project that is going to be in the red from day one?" Tassie Hirschfeld, a member of Pike Off Oklahoma Turnpike Authority's Board of Directors, asked during the event, highlighting the economic concerns. This reflects a deep-rooted anxiety that the proposed turnpike's cost, potentially impacting over 600 homes, may not justify the undertaking, as per News 9.
Allegations have also arisen accusing the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority of secrecy and noncompliance with the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority Enabling Act, which anti-turnpike advocates argue requires agency partnership with cities before constructing new highways. "Every single step of this process has been through informal channels, back door, crony capitalism," Tassie Hirschfeld of Oklahomans for Responsible Transportation said in a statement outside Norman City Hall, as reported by FOX25.
In response to the growing opposition, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority asserts that they have already rigorously followed the laws set forth by state lawmakers. They also claim to have maintained communication with Norman throughout the design process. However, residents like Amy Cerato have expressed their disillusionment, "I’ve been lied to for two and a half years," she told News 9. "It's a fight worth having." Both Cerato and her fellow community members plan to assertively continue their advocacy, convinced that the state agency's conduct is not in alignment with the community's best interests.
