Greetings,
Your efforts thus far have amplified the voice of those private citizens
in this area. We are among those who will be effected by this private
development as it infringes on our rights and environment.
We fear for the peace and successful coexistence of the Bald Eagles
which are nesting along the river in the targeted construction area.
These birds are a great value to this community and the nation. To wait
until their current brood has fledged and then invade their nesting area
is not acceptable. Bald Eagles are known to repeatedly return to a
successful breeding site year after year. The disruption caused by
construction of this toll bridge will be devastating to these breeding
pairs of our nations majestic symbol.
The estimated traffic volumes will turn the Yale Corridor into a
nightmare for those of us who build our homes and raise families here,
while the city will struggles for years to catch up with more of our tax
dollars. Safety will be a vanishing community asset and congestion will
be as common as our morning coffee.
While the development of this toll bridge may be a foregone conclusion,
its exact location should be negotiable. We should continue to work
hard for a more appropriate and less destructive location.
We applaud your efforts to date yet we acknowledge there is still much
to do. We also know these efforts are not expense free and we will be
glad to help with incurred finances where appropriate.
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In all the things I have read and heard, I
have never heard how this bridge is going to benefit south Tulsa
residents in its present route. I have read that it will benefit
Bixby and Bixby schools and how it will benefit Tulsa County (that
simply means that both will receive revenue from the bridge tolls) and
how it will relieve traffic on Memorial, but nothing as to how it will
benefit the south Yale Avenue neighborhoods in terms of traffic or
revenue. No matter how you view it, Yale and Sheridan south of the
Creek Turnpike, whether they are two lanes or five lanes, are
residential thoroughfares and should not support commercial or heavy
commuter traffic.
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It was interesting that no representative from either the County or
Bixby attended the April 26th meeting. I believe that if we polled
the SW corner of the city we would find a preponderance of opinion that this area has continually been shortchanged ("ignored") by the
City. There is no reason to rush this bridge project. In the words of
"Tiny" Thompson, a land developer, "development comes first and then the infrastructure". Let the south side of the river develop, and then let's meet on the bridge again. A homeowner and a QT executive in Hampton Oaks said that they as a corporation have followed the
bridge proposal for a number of years and have not found any economic justification for it at this location or any nearby location. 151st Street has been in existence for a number of years, and it
continues along with the Creek through Broken Arrow as two of the most
beautiful but least traveled roadways in this part of the Tulsa metroplex.
Our neighbor would only surmise that there is more to the bridge story (not to the benefit of South Tulsa) than any of the politicos will elaborate. Also, there is
plenty of cheap commercial space throughout Tulsa that is readily
available at this time! My original thought was move the bridge, but as weeks
go on perhaps this should change to stop the bridge.
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There was an
editorial on the bridge on Yale in the Tulsa World. I'm not
speaking for everyone, but I believe not all people in South Tulsa
along the Yale corridor are necessarily against the bridge. Some
have concerns they would like addressed such as traffic continuing
north on Yale rather than up Delaware. While 71st street
and Hwy 169 were major undertakings, they have always been state or
federal highway’s – these were designed to alleviate local traffic
congestion and not create it. It’s hard to use that logic for Yale
unless there is a state highway of which some are not aware running
up Yale from south of the river. As for economic development, most
of us are for it, not against it; just as long as it is done with
everyone’s needs in mind and not just those who stand to profit from
the almighty dollar (read Bixby, Bixby schools and Tulsa County).
There are lots of signs in the 151st and Yale Place area
regarding new commercial development. That’s great and I’m not
against taking city taxes for Tulsa down to Bixby. Let’s just make
sure everyone’s concerns are heard and that we do what we can to
respond to them. I believe it’s called a “middle ground”.
The historical
analogy Ken used is logical only to the truth about the need for
bridges. Many bridges are now in place to serve Tulsa and the
surrounding communities. Bixby is tied with Jenks and Hwy 75 which
is tied with the turnpike which is tied with ….. do we really need a
bridge so that Bixby traffic can get into south Tulsa easier and
vice versa? If so, why shouldn’t the traffic be routed to Delaware
and up to the turnpike rather than onto Yale northbound on a
residential road and by a grade school?
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Several years ago people on Sheridan fought an entrance to the
Creek Turnpike and now they regret it as they have to go to Yale
or Memorial to access it. It has been a little inconvenient to
some but most of us now recognize what an asset it has been to the
area.
I think a bridge will also be an asset to the area but it is
planned for the wrong place.
The bridge should be placed at dead man's curve at Riverside and
121st street. It would make for a better access to the Creek
Turnpike and remove a very bad situation. Efforts should be made
to help our officials recognize how they can convert a dangerous
curve into a real asset to the area.
I live in Hunters' Pointe and favor a bridge, and will use it, but
the location should be
changed to be safer for all of us.
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