Frequently Asked Questions

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) is a multi-modal transportation agency. While ODOT is primarily responsible for Oklahoma’s (Interstate, US, and State) highway system and assists with a variety of other modal programs, ODOT does not act alone in statewide transportation planning. Governmental entities – including federal and state agencies, metropolitan and regional planning organizations, transit agencies, tribal governments, and local jurisdictions – partner with ODOT in the planning process. Additionally, advocacy groups and industry organizations contribute to the planning process.

ODOT’s long range transportation planning process reflects the ‘Family of Plans’ in Oklahoma. The Family of Plans includes other statewide plans (Strategic Highway Safety Plan, Oklahoma Freight Plan, etc.), Metropolitan Transportation Plans, Regional Transportation Plans, and Tribal Nation Transportation Plans. ODOT reviews these plans as part of the planning process to understand each plan’s priorities and goals in order to develop a statewide long range transportation plan (LRTP) that reflects the key themes identified in other transportation planning efforts throughout Oklahoma.

ODOT is responsible for the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of the state highway system (SHS) and associated assets (rest areas, intelligent transportation systems, etc.) along the state-owned highway system. The SHS is comprised of state numbered highway routes, US numbered highway routes, and the interstate highway system. It includes 12,254 centerline miles of state highway and nearly 6,800 bridges.

ODOT also serves various roles related to railroads. ODOT manages leases with three different railroad companies operating on state-owned track, administers the Federal Highway Administrations (FHWA) Grade Crossing Safety Program, manages Oklahoma’s Heartland Flyer passenger rail service, serves as a liaison between ODOT and rail companies for ODOT projects involving rail property, and reviews federal funding opportunities to improve Oklahoma’s rail systems.

ODOT is the Governor’s designee for the administration of state and federal public transportation financial assistance programs for areas with a population under 50,000. In 2019, ODOT was charged with creating the Office of Mobility and Public Transit, which consolidated transit activities previously performed by a variety of agencies. The Office of Mobility and Public Transit oversees the federal program which provides formula funds to states for assisting groups in meeting the transportation needs of older adults and people with disabilities. ODOT is also responsible for administering the Transportation Alternatives Program (previously Transportation Enhancement) funding.

ODOT is responsible for the maintenance of property included on, and in the right-of-way along, the state highway system. The maintenance of pavement, snow and ice removal, and mowing account for a large share of the annual maintenance budget. The following chart provides information about the share of the major categories and activities completed with funds in the maintenance budget.

The Eight Year Construction Work Plan (CWP) contains capital improvement projects proposed for the state highway system, including bridge replacement or rehabilitation and highway improvements. ODOT’s eight Field Division Engineers, identified below, lead the effort in developing this fiscally balanced work plan, in consultation with local officials and the communities they represent. The CWP is updated each fall. The Oklahoma Transportation Commission approves the final product. The document’s projects are consistent with the policies of the LRTP. The CWP can be found here.

The Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) identifies transportation projects expected to receive full funding and to take place over the four years following the STIP’s release. The program identifies highway and transit projects planned for various areas of the State.

The STIP includes projects listed in the first four years of the CWP, as well as anticipated Transportation Improvement Projects (TIP) selected by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) in their respective regions. These regions include the Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Lawton, and Fort Smith metropolitan transportation planning areas.

This STIP includes projects funded through the Indian Reservation Roads Program (IRR) and other Federal Lands Highway Programs (FLH). The STIP details the process for the County Improvements for Roads and Bridges (CIRB) Program, federal lands, and public involvement. The projects listed in the STIP are consistent with the policies of the LRTP, the MPO long range plans, and the tribal long range plans.

The STIP is updated every two years. The current STIP was adopted in the winter of 2020 and covers FFY 2020-2023. The current STIP can be viewed here.

ODOT receives public and stakeholder feedback as well as feedback from online surveys. This feedback is used to inform the development of the goals, objectives, strategies, and content of the LRTP. Comments about projects are provided to the appropriate ODOT Field Division Engineer.

ODOT’s 2045 LRTP provides information about Oklahoma’s existing/ready and planned electric vehicle (EV) corridors. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, alternative fuel corridor designations currently cover over 135,000 miles of the National Highway System (NHS) network. I-35, I-40, I-44, SR-51, SR-351, US-69, US-75, US-412 in Oklahoma. EV corridors that are Existing/Ready include only facilities that have: DC fast charging equipment, stations located every 50 miles within five miles of a highway and are open to the public (excludes Tesla facilities). Private electric vehicle charging stations are planned and expected to be developed throughout Oklahoma’s electric vehicle corridors.

ODOT’s bicycle and pedestrian needs were estimated by examining regional long range plans bicycle/pedestrian plans, prior TAP funding requests, and conferring with ODOT and MPO staff directly. In MPO regions, each MPO’s planned mileage of bike routes, bike lanes, and shared use paths or trails from 2020-2045 is gathered. The figure below shows the existing mileage of bike routes, bike lanes, and shared-use paths or trails in Oklahoma’s four MPO regions. These regions are planning to expand the mileage, often by large amounts. For instance, the Frontier MPO plans an additional 15.60 miles, and the Lawton MPO plans an additional 64.26 miles. The MPOs consider bicycle and pedestrian needs as a part of their long range planning and identify costs for these non-motorized modes of travel in the regional transportation plans. MPOs are required to develop financially constrained MTPs, thus estimated costs cannot exceed reasonably expected revenue.

The 5310 Specialized Transportation Program improves access to transportation for seniors and individuals with disabilities living in the state of Oklahoma. The ODOT Office of Mobility and Public Transit administers the 5310 Program. (Previously, the Department of Human Services (DHS) Aging Services managed the program.) There is a fee for service and scheduling in advance is typically required.

Oklahoma is presently served by one intercity Amtrak train, known as the Heartland Flyer, which operates between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas and carried 67,218 passengers in federal fiscal year 2018. The service is jointly funded by the states of Oklahoma and Texas. Additionally, Amtrak inaugurated a Thruway bus service in 2016 for rail passengers in Oklahoma and Kansas that connects Oklahoma City to Newton, Kansas, where travelers can connect to Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, operating between Chicago and Los Angeles. Oklahoma continues to work with Amtrak and neighboring states on initiatives that could lead to expanded intercity and long-distance passenger service options within the state.

The needs assessment identifies the following five categories of passenger rail needs in Oklahoma and provides monetary costs estimates for each.

• Continuation of operations of the Heartland Flyer between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth: Oklahoma subsidizes the existing Heartland Flyer service. The majority of the corridor used by the Heartland Flyer from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth has double tracks installed for the BNSF operations, and Positive Train Control (PTC) has been established for this facility. These features ensure the flow of both freight and passenger trains can be accomplished efficiently and effectively.
• Addition of a second daily roundtrip between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth: Amtrak continues to work with state DOTs in both Oklahoma and Texas to explore options for adding dual frequencies to the Heartland Flyer service. Oklahoma will support a share of the total costs.
• Construction of a Heartland Flyer station near Thackerville: Amtrak is working with the BNSF Railway, the Chickasaw Nation, and ODOT regarding consideration of a new stop for the Heartland Flyer near the I-35 Thackerville exit, which is close to the Texas border. Thackerville is the site of the WinStar World Casino and Resort, the largest casino in Oklahoma. Early projections from Amtrak indicated that the stop could potentially increase Heartland Flyer ridership by 12 percent based on the anticipated economic boost to the area.
• Extension of Heartland Flyer service to Newton, Kansas: Extending the Heartland Flyer to Newton, Kansas would provide connections to the national passenger rail network at both ends of the Heartland Flyer through the Texas Eagle at Fort Worth, Texas and the Southwest Chief in Newton, Kansas. The Southwest Chief in turn serves destinations between Los Angeles, California and Chicago, Illinois.
• Intermodal passenger transportation: Intermodal transportation allows linkages between two or more modes to reduce automobile dependence and congestion in metropolitan areas. Oklahoma is exploring several options for intermodal connections that include passenger rail in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa. In Oklahoma City, attention has focused on Santa Fe station to link passenger rail, transit, bike sharing, and the Oklahoma City Streetcar in addition to other rail or transit services in the future. As a large metropolitan area, Tulsa represents an unrealized opportunity for passenger rail service expansion. However, the appetite for establishing the service has not reached a point to make this a viable option for Amtrak to pursue at this time despite its long-term goal to connect Tulsa to Kansas City, Missouri. As an alternative consideration, Amtrak may, at some point, consider establishing a Thruway bus service similar to what is currently in operation from Oklahoma City to Newton, Kansas. The level of utilization of this bus service would provide data to assist Amtrak in determining the demand for a more substantial investment of establishing a rail component.

ODOT is principally responsible for meeting the needs for state highway system bridges, roadways, interchanges, safety, and maintenance. In addition to the general upkeep of the highways and associated right-of-way, the maintenance category includes safety improvements, ports of entry, weigh stations, rest areas, and ITS technology. ODOT makes use of state funding from fuel taxes, vehicle registration fees, and transfers of general revenue funds as well as apportionments of federal funding to construct, maintain, and operate the state highway system.

In addition, numerous public and private entities partner with ODOT to deliver Oklahoma’s integrated multimodal transportation system. Partner-owned assets and functions include bicycle and pedestrian facilities, intermodal facilities, passenger rail, public transportation, ports and waterways, congestion management, and locally owned public streets and roads. Partner entities include ACOG, INCOG, Lawton MPO, Frontier MPO, RTPOs, OTA, cities, towns and counties, rural, urban, and tribal transit providers, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

Public-private or private entities such as Amtrak, private rail operators, private rail corporations, and private port and terminal operators also participate in the development and delivery of transportation in the state; however, only public costs and revenues are included in analyzing the Oklahoma transportation system’s long-term costs, revenues, and funding gap.

EV adoption varies significantly across the country and the world. While international adoption does not directly affect Oklahoma’s local transportation systems, increasing global investments are improving the technology and reducing its price. In 2018, EVs accounted for 0.35 percent of the 2,683 vehicles sold in Oklahoma. Since the first year of EV sales, a total of less than 5,000 EVs have been sold in Oklahoma, placing the state 28th in the country for total EV sales. ODOT is anticipating that by 2045, approximately 22% of the vehicles on the road in Oklahoma will be electric.

Oklahoma has approximately 116,000 miles of public roads, of which ODOT is responsible for the 12,254 centerline miles of the state highway system. Over 81.7 million miles of travel occur on the state highway system daily.

The interstate system is a significant component of the state highway system. ODOT is responsible for 673 of the state’s 933 interstate miles, with the remaining 260 miles under the responsibility of the OTA as toll facilities. OTA operates ten turnpikes on approximately 606 miles of roadway.