Enter
the Hunters Bend Website
"MOVE THAT BRIDGE"
This is a temporary webpage dedicated to getting information to all residents in the south Yale Avenue corridor regarding the proposed Yale Avenue bridge. Please read the attachments to familiarize yourself with this project and its impact on YOU and YOUR HOME. This site will try to remain objective in its view. If you have an opinion to post, please email us at movethatbridge@cox.net and we will post your opinion if it is logical and does not attack or otherwise degrade any person involved with this project. Please read everything here, including the links.
NEW Tulsa World articles may be accessed in the media link area at the bottom of this page.
We have added a link to a satellite picture of the bridge area that you can manipulate - it's a very clear picture.
Click HERE to view pictures of the traffic on Yale Ave by the Jenks SE Elementary School
The following blog was taken from http://www.batesline.com/archives/001379.html - it has to do with the bridge - read down.
February 26, 2005
Recall quid pro quo
UPDATE: Chris Medlock has posted his account of this matter and how the story wound up in the Saturday World.
For the second time now, an quid pro quo offer has been passed along to Tulsa Councilor Chris Medlock: Support us on our pet issue, and we'll call off the effort to recall you from office. There's an interesting connection, one not immediately obvious, between the two offers that have been made.
The most recent such offer came via a very high ranking city official, who ought to realize that his involvement in passing along such an offer practically makes him an accomplice in offering a bribe to a public official. If the Mayor's administration was really serious about blocking the recall, this official -- known as a moral, scrupulous family man -- ought to go straight to the U. S. Attorney and offer to wear a wire for his next conversation with the source of the offer.
The quid in this instance is to vote in favor of granting an easement through city-owned land to a private company which plans to build a bridge across the Arkansas River near Yale Avenue. The bridge would connect south Tulsa with sparsely developed areas in the western part of Bixby and its fenceline, as well as the southeastern corner of Jenks. The name of the company is Infrastructure Ventures, Inc. If built, the bridge would open a large area for new development, none of it in the City of Tulsa, which may be why the bridge builders are concerned about City Council approval -- Tulsa would again be boosting development in other municipalities, while Tulsa's own public services and infrastructure are neglected. If the Council refuses to grant the easement, Infrastructure Ventures would get Tulsa County to condemn the city-owned land. Tulsa County is a partner with Infrastructure Ventures -- the county will provide emergency services and snow and ice removal, in exchange for 10% of toll revenues after 10 years.
The previous offer made to Medlock, near the beginning of the recall push in November, required him to stop the second phase of the Council's airport investigation from going forward. The second phase was to involve scrutiny of the contracts for personal services (such as public relations and legal work) and other contracts for services.
One major contract that would be scrutinized in the second phase involves a federally-funded noise abatement program for residential areas on the approaches to Tulsa International Airport. There have been numerous complaints about the way this program has been administered -- one affected homeowner has documented the shoddy workmanship and written about the interesting political connections of Cinnabar, the company that has the contract with Tulsa Airports Improvements Trust to manage and implement the noise abatement program. (I wrote something about Cinnabar and the noise abatement program last May.)
So we come to the interesting connection between the two offers made to Medlock:
- The Chairman and CEO of Cinnabar, a company that would be investigated in Phase 2 of the council airport investigation, is William S. Bacon.
- The President of Infrastructure Ventures, the company that will build and operate the Yale Avenue toll bridge, is William S. Bacon.
Click here - http://medblogged.blogspot.com/2005/02/recall-effort-taking-its-toll.html - to see Mr. Medlock's version
=========================================================================================
The following is taken from the Bixby Chamber of Commerce website (see link below)
Transportation
South Tulsa County Arkansas BridgeThe Bixby Chamber of Commerce supports construction of a bridge over the Arkansas River at Yale Place. The Bixby Chamber of Commerce seeks legislative assistance in prioritizing, securing funding and accelerating completion of this project.
The South Tulsa County Bridge is part of INCOG's 2025 mobility plan. The project has wide support in the Tulsa area and is key to opening the economic development of the western portion of our city for both industrial and residential access. A Kimberly Clark manufacturing plant and a planned industrial park are located near the Yale Place bridge. The Yale Place bridge will provide needed alternate access between Tulsa and Bixby; the Memorial Drive bridge, over the Arkansas River, experiences lengthy traffic delays during times of congestion, icy roads and accidents on Memorial Drive.
The Bixby Chamber of Commerce supports the construction of this bridge whether from private funds, state funds, or from funds from the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.
=========================================================================================
LINK AREA
SATELLITE PHOTO OF BRIDGE AREA - CLICK HERE
BIXBY CHAMBER PAGE (scroll down to transportation) - CLICK HERE
PROPOSED BRIDGE ROUTE AND ALTERNATE ROUTES - CLICK HERE
VISION 2025 ARTICLE ON YALE BRIDGE - CLICK HERE
EMAIL ADDRESSES AND WEBSITES OF OFFICIALS INVOLVED - CLICK HERE
OPINION PAGE (send us yours at movethatbridge@cox.net) - CLICK HERE
LETTER TO OK DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION FROM MOVETHATBRIDGE - CLICK HERE
CITY COUNCIL SITE - CLICK HERE
ARTICLE ON PRIVATE USE OF EMINENT DOMAIN IN COLORADO - CLICK HERE
TULSA MEDIA COVERAGE
KTUL Channel 8 Story
Residents Voice Concerns Over Proposed Toll Bridge
KOTV Channel 6 Story
The News on 6 - Residents Don't Support A South Tulsa Toll Bridge
Tulsa World Stories
$45 Million Toll Bridge Plan Backed by Officials
Return to Hunters Bend Website