With the 2024 election in the rearview mirror, Oklahoma City officials and planners are asking residents for feedback ahead of an upcoming 2025 ballot initiative that would fund infrastructure needs throughout the city.
People across Oklahoma City have voiced their dissatisfaction with the condition of city streets over the years, including in the most recent annual resident survey. The city’s Public Works Department is hopeful that a vote for a general bond in late 2025 can continue fixing the issues, but they need input on what to include in the bond package.
General obligation, or “G.O.,” bonds are largely how major infrastructure projects have been funded across the city, including building and improving streets, sidewalks, bridges, trails, parks, and police and fire stations. Bond projects nowadays are determined by a combination of street and bridge ratings, planning studies, annual resident surveys, and the Oklahoma City Council’s priorities.
The last time a bond issue was approved was 2017, when Oklahoma City voters passed the Better Streets, Safer City program, which included a 10-year, $967 million investment in streets, parks, police and fire facilities. The largest component of the 2017 bond package was $491 million for streets and sidewalks, a top concern for residents across the city.
While a specific amount for the 2025 bond has not been set, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt told Bloomberg TV in October it would “definitely be a package in excess of $1 billion.”
“The 2025 bond package will fund basic needs and critical infrastructure every community needs for stability, growth and safety,” City Manager Craig Freeman said in a news release. “Since 2017 when the last bond program was approved, we have been gathering input from residents in a variety of ways to learn about neighborhood and community needs. While we can’t meet every need across OKC’s 621 miles with a single GO bond election, we’re asking residents to help us identify priorities.”
Streets with the highest traffic and roughest surfaces are the likeliest to be prioritized for repairs. Rebuilding streets also can make them safer for cyclists and pedestrians, with better intersections and more safety amenities. Wear and tear on vehicles could be reduced, limiting maintenance costs for drivers and also allowing them to better focus their attention on their surroundings as they drive.
Another previous 2007 bond program also built additional infrastructure for the city, including 350 lane miles of new or rebuilt streets, 48 arterial street widening projects, and more than 100 miles of sidewalks.
City hosting workshops, pop-up events to gather feedback
City planners told The Oklahoman this summer that a new website called Vision, used at that time to gather feedback for annual city budget priorities, also would feature prominently outreach on the 2025 bond package. By visiting okc.gov/GO, residents can drop a pin on the webpage’s interactive map and highlight locations that need to be improved.
City officials also held multiple come-and-go workshops in various wards last month, where people could speak directly with city staff about residential needs and priorities. A workshop meant to be offered in Spanish at the Latino Community Development Agency in early November was canceled due to severe weather issues, but several more workshops and pop-up events are still scheduled through November and December:
- Nov. 19 — 9 to 11 a.m.
- Healthy Living Center, 13660 S Western Ave.
- Nov. 19 — 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Oklahoma City University Tom & Brenda McDaniel University Center, 2501 N Blackwelder Ave.
- Nov. 22 ― 9 to 11 a.m.
- Martin Nature Park Visitor Center, 5000 W Memorial Road
- Dec. 6 — 6 to 9 p.m.
- Paseo Arts District near Betsy King Shoes, 3022 Paseo
“As the city begins its 2025 GO Bond process, it’s important we hear from neighborhoods,” said Ward 2 Councilperson James Cooper, who’s expected to help host the workshop session at OCU’s McDaniel Center. “I’m eager to meet with residents face-to-face and to host an opportunity for folk to connect one-on-one with city of OKC department representatives. This meetup is the perfect opportunity for people to get information about projects happening in Ward 2, share their infrastructure concerns, and weigh in on the 2025 bond program.”
In addition, spokespeople for the city are suggesting that interested residents organize their own meetings with their neighborhoods, clubs and groups. By emailing public.info@okc.gov, people can use the city’s downloadable toolkit to collect, share and submit more ideas about the bond issue.