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Council briefed on $5.84M RAISE planning grant; public input meeting set for Thursday
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Summary
City staff said a $5,840,000 RAISE planning grant (with $1,460,000 local match) will fund up to 60% preliminary design for multimodal improvements along the Broken Arrow Expressway corridor; staff emphasized public input and previewed measures such as consolidating business drives, limiting left turns, service roads and realignments.
Charlie Bright, director of Engineering and Construction, told the council the city received a $5,840,000 RAISE planning grant with $1,460,000 in matching funds. He said the grant pays for design only (up to 60% preliminary design) and is intended to develop multimodal recommendations, identify right-of-way needs and prepare for environmental review if federal funds are later used for construction.
Bright said the study area extends across the Broken Arrow Expressway corridor and includes sidewalks and trails, signal and turn improvements, connections to schools and parks, and potential reconfigurations of Elm and service roads. He previewed possible measures likely to raise concern among business owners: consolidating or closing private business drives to reduce conflict points, limiting left turns with medians, and constructing parallel service roads to collect driveway access off Elm, with two controlled access points back to the arterial.
Staff emphasized the update was for input only. A required public meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m.; after public input staff will refine alternatives and return to council with final study recommendations that could be rolled into a construction grant application if pursued. Bright estimated construction scope for certain corridors could fall in the tens of millions of dollars and noted the federal government's priorities can change between administrations, which will affect future grant competitiveness and design priorities.
Council members urged early engagement with business owners and neighborhood stakeholders; staff said they planned additional outreach, QR code materials online and coordination with the TED team and ODOT on interchange work affecting Lynn Lane.
Bright said best-case timeline for full delivery and inclusion on ODOT planning could be about five years, with a possible 10-year worst case, depending on follow-on construction funding and ODOT scheduling.
