A petition that will allow Oklahomans to vote on raising taxes to pay for road improvements is expected to meet its goal by Friday.

Oklahomans for Safe Bridges and Roads filed an initiative petition Sept. 23 that called for a special election in which voters would decide upon a proposed constitutional amendment to create a "lock box" trust fund to pay for Oklahoma's bridges and roads.

Crystal Drwenski, spokeswoman for Oklahomans for Safe Bridges and Roads, said the petition needs signatures amounting to 15 percent of the votes cast in the Nov. 2 general election--about 219,000--before this will be put to a vote.

"As of last Monday, we already had 208,000, and I'm sure we will surpass our goal by Friday," Drwenski said.

The petition must be turned in by Dec. 24. Once it is looked over and approved, a statewide election date will be set, she said.

Drwenski said the lack of funding and the road conditions in Oklahoma have been brought up to the legislature the past three years but nothing has been done.

"We feel we are never going to see any action from the legislature and decided it would be best for the people of Oklahoma to have a voice on this issue," she said.

If the amendment is passed, it will seek to gradually raise the current fuel tax by 8 cents per gallon for diesel fuel and 5 cents per gallon for unleaded fuel over a period of several years. This will cost the average Oklahoman an additional $2.50 per month, she said.

The average price for regular grade gasoline this week is $1.83 per gallon, according to the Web site eia.doe.gov. If the amendment is passed, the average price of gas would be raised to $1.88 per gallon.

The amendment would establish a constitutional fund known as the Oklahoma Bridge and Highway Trust Fund, Drwenski said.

Cade Gunter, human relations senior, said he thinks Oklahoma's roads need work and that he wouldn't mind spending a little extra money on gas to fix them.

"I think it's a good idea because the roads here are terrible," Gunter said. "I went to Kansas last weekend for the game, and I realized how bad the roads were here when I traveled out of state."

Clayton Tramel, Norman resident, said he doesn't want to pay any more for gas than he already is.

"I go to school in [Oklahoma City] and drive back and forth every day," Tramel said. "I can barely afford gas at the price it is now. They should get the funding from somewhere else."

Tramel said he believes the roads definitely need work, but that he can't afford to pay for the repairs.
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