OETA Story on Toll Road Rates Going To Increase? aired on 07/13/09

This is a story that aired on OETA Public Television's The Oklahoma News Report in Tulsa Oklahoma as reported by Cathy Tatom and photojournalist Edwin Wilson. For more information or to contact us, please go to the new and improved www.oeta.tv The verbatim script follows below...

TRAVELLING DOWN OKLAHOMA'S TOLL ROADS COULD SOON BE A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE. AND IT WON'T MATTER WHETHER YOU DRIVE A CAR, TRUCK OR HAUL A TRAILER. OETA'S CATHY TATOM REPORTS THE STATE'S TURNPIKE AUTHORITY WILL MEET THIS WEEK TO DECIDE WHEN AND HOW MUCH TOLLS WILL INCREASE.

"Hello there! It's gonna be $3.50." OKLAHOMA'S TURNPIKE AUTHORITY IS LOOKING AT A 21-MILLION DOLLAR SHORTFALL IN REVENUES FOR 2009. MONEY IT SAYS IT NEEDS TO MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THE STATE'S TURNPIKE SYSTEM. THE O-T-A BLAMES THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC DOWNTURN FOR FEWER CARS... AND EVEN FEWER COMMERCIAL VEHICLES TRAVELLING THE STATE'S TURNPIKE SYSTEM THESE DAYS. SO LATER THIS WEEK, THE O-T-A WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO OKAY THE STATE'S FIRST INCREASE IN TOLLS SINCE 2001. A 16-PERCENT HIKE. CLIFFORD WILKERSON AND HIS WIFE VIRGINIA OF YUKON ARE HAULING THEIR TRAILER BACK FROM VACATION. THEY HAVE VERY DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON WHETHER TURNPIKE TOLLS SHOULD GO UP.




Clifford Wilkerson/Yukon: "I don't like it 'cause it costs me enough as it is. It costs me $35 a round trip as it is."




Virginia Wilkerson/Yukon: "Well, if it will fix the roads it will be alright." GEORGE GROVE OF ARIZONA SAYS OKLAHOMA ISN'T THE ONLY STATE RAISING TOLLS.




George Grove: "I've been travelling across country and I've noticed a lot of the places where you had to pay fees were getting pretty expensive for running an interstate system. I'm not sure I like paying it." BUT HE ADDS, HIGHER TOLL RATES WON'T STOP HIM FROM TRAVELLING ACROSS OKLAHOMA'S TOLL ROADS.




George Grove/Arizona: "It wouldn't be a deterrent because that's the way I have to travel. You know its like having a captive audience you know so it's not a matter of whether you want to pay it or not. You really don't have much choice unless you want to drive an other four or five hundred miles out of your way to save $3.50. That's not logical." GRIGOR EMIRIZAN DRIVES HIS BIG RIG THROUGH OKLAHOMA ON HIS CALIFORNIA TO NEW JERSEY LONG HAULS. HE SAYS HIGHER TOLLS MEAN LOWER PROFITS FOR TRUCKERS.




Grigor Emirzian/Trucker: "More that? Wow! We was thinking pay less than that. Now fuel price is up, freight price go down, and then plus tolls up no, it's not right thing, better to lower them."

"Because Oklahoma has so many toll roads and there are so many different toll schedules depending on the type of vehicle you drive it takes 20-pages to print them all out." AND IF THE TOLL HIKES ARE ADOPTED, IT'S EXPECTED TO BE AN ACROSS THE BOARD INCREASE. HOWEVER, ONE THING WON'T CHANGE, PIKE PASS USERS WILL STILL GET A DISCOUNT FROM THE CASH PRICE.

nats... Thank you!." AT THE TOLL GATE ON THE TURNER TURNPIKE IN STROUD, I'M CATHY TATOM, THE OKLAHOMA NEWS REPORT.

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