No matter how safe a roadway may appear, drivers must be aware of potential problems.
Safety engineers spend hours studying areas when designing roads. While they may be able to help motorists in most areas, they can't account for everything.
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Here is an example.
I am very concerned about the new section of State Highway 152 that extends from Airport Road and S MacArthur to S Council. This section is elevated and not well lit and there are no guardrails from Rockwell to Council. Driving on this stretch of highway at night is very scary as you have to drive over an elevation in the dark without any protection from an unexpected event which might cause you to go over the edge. There has already been one fatality in this section. A man was killed recently after his car went over the overpass onto Airport Road below. Are there plans to put guardrails there and if so, why have they not been installed already? Also, more street lights are needed.Sue, Oklahoma City
Thanks for the question, Sue. Here's your answer from Susan Allison, public information officer with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation:
"A road's appearance is not always a reliable indicator of how safe it actually is. Although this stretch of roadway might appear to some to be hazardous, statistics do not bear that out. According to the engineers' design criteria, the existing side slopes are adequate.
"Whether a guardrail is installed is based on nationwide standards for roadway design as well as engineering formulas that take into account the posted speed, traffic volume and the ‘clear zone' — the area, measured outward from the edge of the driving lane — in which an errant vehicle may recover. The clear zone allows a driver to recover the vehicle without striking a guardrail. In fact, in some instances, the guardrail itself could prove to be a hazard.
"Another factor to consider is historical data of the area, and there is no evidence that prudent drivers are experiencing problems on this particular stretch of road. If they were, we would implement measures to remedy those problems. However, a guardrail is not warranted at this time, as there is an approximately 30-foot clear zone. There also are no plans to install lighting along this section of highway ...
"We will, however, continue to monitor the safety of this corridor and make improvements as they are deemed necessary.”
By the way ...
Susan reminds you looks can be deceiving.
"Despite their appearance, some roads have an alarming number of accidents, while others look dangerous, but have relatively few accidents,” she says.
Enjoy your week and drive safely.
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"Blah about trains?" Check the governor's budget online. $1.5 billion. I have done my research. Transportation = Roads, rail, aviation. If you don't consider the entire package you are missing the point of being fiscally conservative as most Oklahomans like to portray their political slant. We spend too much money on roads in Oklahoma and not enough in optional forms of transportation. What is more fuel inefficient than a semi-truck or an automobile traveling long distance? Not much... Transportation involves more than just roads... it involves fuel conservation (aka. keeping costs down). It involves all modes.
Evan, Get your facts straight. There is no way that ODOT even comes close to spending $1.5 Billion annually. Did you just make that up? Ride the train if you want. Apparently you have more free time than those of us that work for a living. The train is a great novelty trip but if you have business somewhere other than the train station, it just isn't very practical.
Our present highway system is unsustainable. Basically we should all be considering less expensive transportation options that conserve energy. ODOT spends about $1.5 billion annually on state roads but only spends $2.85 million on rail transportation.
What are Amtrak benefits?
Most people consider only gasoline prices when figuring travel cost. Wear and tear on a car, including the brakes, transmission, oil etc, dramatically increase transportation cost. The IRS has increased applicable tax deduction rates to $0.585 per mile due to gasoline prices. If you apply this to personal, non-deductible trips, four adults can now travel by Amtrak for a cost just less than driving.
I compared Amtrak reservations for next-day round trip travel to Fort Worth. The round trip cost between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth (412 miles) is $60. A full train can cost $82. A Trinity Railway Express commuter train, operating between Dallas Union Station and the Fort Worth depot is just $5. A family of four (2 adults and 2 kids) can travel for $60 dollars less round trip most days. Kids are defined as ages 2 - 15. Ages 0 - 2 travel free. Book for a trip earlier and additional savings are possible (the $60 becomes $50 for a single round trip adult passenger). Throw in an AAA, military, or Senior discounts and the savings becomes even more pronounced. Using the new IRS figure, driving will cost $241. Of course, this figure applies to a single or multiple passengers.
However, this is not all. Passenger trains are more efficient and less polluting. The only way this nation is going to maintain lower gasoline prices and relatively inexpensive airfare is to conserve. Amtrak consumes 2,100 BTUs of energy per passenger mile; aviation 3,182 BTUs; Automobiles at 3,458*. Amtrak is safe with just 0.03 deaths per 100 million passenger miles in comparison with automobiles at 0.80. Revenue $0.30 is more than double that of Airlines at $0.13 per mile.*
Just like the I-40 crosstown. ODOT has refused to paint the beams and concrete underneath. But yet claims that it's about to fall down YET keep maximum weight trucks cross over by the thousands. Looks are deceiving.
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Thank you for joining our conversations on NewsOK.com. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Leave a comment. Log in below or sign up (it's free).Editor's note: It is not our intent to offer comments on crime or fatality stories.
What are Amtrak benefits?
Most people consider only gasoline prices when figuring travel cost. Wear and tear on a car, including the brakes, transmission, oil etc, dramatically increase transportation cost. The IRS has increased applicable tax deduction rates to $0.585 per mile due to gasoline prices. If you apply this to personal, non-deductible trips, four adults can now travel by Amtrak for a cost just less than driving.
I compared Amtrak reservations for next-day round trip travel to Fort Worth. The round trip cost between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth (412 miles) is $60. A full train can cost $82. A Trinity Railway Express commuter train, operating between Dallas Union Station and the Fort Worth depot is just $5. A family of four (2 adults and 2 kids) can travel for $60 dollars less round trip most days. Kids are defined as ages 2 - 15. Ages 0 - 2 travel free. Book for a trip earlier and additional savings are possible (the $60 becomes $50 for a single round trip adult passenger). Throw in an AAA, military, or Senior discounts and the savings becomes even more pronounced. Using the new IRS figure, driving will cost $241. Of course, this figure applies to a single or multiple passengers.
However, this is not all. Passenger trains are more efficient and less polluting. The only way this nation is going to maintain lower gasoline prices and relatively inexpensive airfare is to conserve. Amtrak consumes 2,100 BTUs of energy per passenger mile; aviation 3,182 BTUs; Automobiles at 3,458*. Amtrak is safe with just 0.03 deaths per 100 million passenger miles in comparison with automobiles at 0.80. Revenue $0.30 is more than double that of Airlines at $0.13 per mile.*
* Source Bureau of Transportation Statistics