Terrill take on ODOT, Mayor McCheese and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce

The closing of a small section of railway in downtown Oklahoma City by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Rail company has attracted the interest of State Representative Randy Terrill.

Terrill recently wrote to the federal government's Surface Transportation Board objecting to BNSF's abandonment of a rail line due to the relocation of the I-40 crosstown.

The State Representative argues the abandonment will worsen the blockage of traffic by trains across South 4th and Main Streets in downtown Moore. "Clear security concerns are also raised by this plan," wrote the legislator. He cited Altus Air Force Base and Fort Sill as well as Tinker Air Force base as being at risk due to the closing of the tract.

Meanwhile, El Reno Tribune editors have sided with other towns in central Oklahoma who are asking for an investigation of the relocation project by Governor Brad Henry.

"The rail supporters made their case to the councils in each of the four communities (El Reno, Norman, Chickasha and Shawnee) and apparently their argument must have been convincing," stated the Tribune in a recent editorial.
The editors argue that a huge amount of federal funding is being spent on the relocation of Interstate 40--thus it's being funded by taxpayers. "Cities around the nation, many similar in size to Oklahoma City and the surrounding area, have developed commuter rail service, so why shouldn't we in central Oklahkoma be talking to one another about this regional issue?'