Gene Perry, treasurer of the Norman Sustainability Network at Dump the Pump in Norman, OK on Thursday, June 17, 2009.

OnTrac and the Future of Public Transportation in Oklahoma

The Norman Sustainability Network teamed up with CART (Cleveland Area Rapid Transit) on Thursday to host Dump the Pump, an event aimed at raising awareness to the public transportation offered in Norman, Oklahoma.

During this event I got a chance to speak with Gene Perry, treasurer of the Norman Sustainability Network (NSN). One of the campaigns that NSN is currently working on is the OnTrac program. According to the OnTrac website, the goal is to save the Union Station rail system to be used as a hub for commuter trains. Their plan is currently being threatened by plans to extend I-40 into the Union Station rail paths, destroying any commuter rail futures at this hub.

"This wouldn't even be an issue if they just built the highway close to 125 feet south of their current plans," said Perry. "We have even created an engineering plan to show how they could easily move the highway, and that has been submitted to ODOT."

Perry says what is needed now is for more pressure to be put on the Oklahoma City City Council. "They need to come out and say they are against the current plans. If they did that, it could really help our cause."

Below is a video from KSBI News detailing the situation. Keaton Fox reporting.