GLENPOOL, Okla. — Glenpool leaders and drivers have had enough.
The most recent wreck along 151st St., also recognized as Highway 67, claimed the life of a 9 year old boy. City manager David Tillotson and Police Chief Jeremy Plane called on the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to work more quickly to make the area safer.
"The reality is, we have come to a point where we have to do something now," said Tillotson. "We cannot continue to wait any longer."
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9-year-old boy killed in Glenpool crash
This is the most recent in a string of accidents on 151st.
“We want to see lights," said Charlotte Mason. "I know that there are some people that say well it’s going be frustrating if there are lights but listen this is about saving lives."
She has lived in the area for decades and said as the city grows, so has the amount of wrecks.
2 News heard from residents on the dangers of the road in July:
Tillotson agreed.
“By having those signalization pieces in place, in conjunction with a reduced speed limit, we believe it would have affected the outcome of this," he said. "With that, we know some of these changes take time. We are dealing with a state budget. It is not an immediate process sometimes, it does take some time to work through the system and get that done, but what we are calling on today as part of this is immediately asking ODOT to begin an implementation of a reduced speed limit of this corridor."
Tillotson and Plane put pressure on ODOT to not wait any longer before acting to make 151st safer.
Plane called the roadway the most dangerous area in their city.
“The other thing that we’re asking for as part of this immediately is a timeline on what it would take to begin to implement the recommendations from the corridor study so that we understand, and our public can begin to understand, when to expect these changes to take effect."
Glenpool and ODOT release corridor study on highway:
2 News searched for that answer too — when can the Glenpool community expect to see safety measures added to the stretch of highway?
We called and messaged ODOT's communications team multiple times, and were told they didn't have all of the information to speak on the matter yet.
Although urgent, the city is still committed to working together as a team to get the issue under control for drivers. Tillotson said their next step is going to state legislators to secure funding to expedite any changes — whether it be street lights or speed reductions — implemented.
“For us, it is a matter of continuing to work proactively with ODOT," said Tillotson. "We don’t want to create a scenario where we are at odds with the state. We want to find solutions proactively with them as we move forward."
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