Pike Off OTA Praises Norman Council For Denying Agreement With OTA Over Proposed Turnpike Projects

Leaders at Pike Off OTA have spent at least two years fighting against proposed turnpikes that could impact hundreds of homes.

On Monday, they praised the city leadership after they rejected a proposed partnership last month.  

Pike Off OTA’s president, Amy Cerato, demanded more transparency and new revenue estimates for these projects. OTA said they’ve followed the laws state lawmakers put in place. “There’s definitely a better way,” Cerato said. “When you get a large group together, you can’t be ignored.” 

News 9 met Pike Off OTA president Amy Cerato at her Norman home a year ago. Her home was originally in one of the paths of a proposed turnpike. She helped start Pike OFF OTA to protect her community. 

“The OTA planned these routes in secret,” Cerato said. “The government is supposed to work for us and they’re not doing what we want. They’re trying to run us over.” 

Under the Access Oklahoma Turnpike Plan, more than 600 homes could be demolished. “Know that your voice is powerful, and it should be heard, and the statues actually say we do have a say,” said Kelly Wilson, at Pike Off OTA’s news conference. 

In August, the Norman city council voted against a partnership with OTA and said it would not issue any permits to help with construction. “The city smartly said, ‘No,’” Cerato said. 

Pike OFF Board of Directors member Tassie Hirschfeld said the project’s debt service carries a $5-billion price tag. 

“Why are you trying to build a project that is going to be in the red from day one?” Hirschfeld said. 

In a statement, OTA said it released its long-range plan in 2021 and said the “OTA continued to communicate with the City of Norman throughout the design process, well before reaching 60 percent design completion.”  

“I’ve been lied to for two and a half years," Cerato said. “It’s a fight worth having.” 

Cerato and her neighbors disagreed and said they plan to continue speaking up for as long as it takes. 

“It’s just wrong for a state agency to operate this way,” Hirschfeld said. 

Pike Off OTA said it wants more transparency on the cost to drivers for access to the new roads and accountability for the planning process. The OTA said it remains committed to adhering to all laws regarding turnpike construction. Currently, Pike Off OTA said it didn’t have specific plans for further action against Access Oklahoma. 

The full statement from OTA can be read below: