A Report and a Tip-of-the-Hat: Gary Ridley praised for understanding ‘all aspects’ of transportation policy – local, state, federal

This week, tributes to former Oklahoma Transportation Secretary Gary Ridley have come in a rising cascade on the world wide web, as well as in newspapers, via television news reports and other means.

Brenda Jones Barwick, current chair at the Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women, said in an interview:

“He understood the transportation business, and all aspects of policy, from the local level to the state, and from there to the federal level. I am so appreciative to him because he was instrumental in moving the state of Oklahoma from having among the worst and most unsafe bridges to a top-five position in positive terms for the whole country.

“He never looked at transportation issues in one or two-year terms, but consistently had long-term thinking about roads and. He was committed, and passionate to assure that our children and grandchildren would be able to be safe when on bridges and roads.”

Barwick, a public relations industry leader with practical public policy experience from her years working for the Reagan Administration, emphasized that Ridley’s ability to look past the immediate toward the long term was rare.

Governor Kevin Stitt posted a statement honoring Ridley, the former state Secretary of Transportation, after news of his passing:

“Oklahoma is grateful for and a better place because of Gary Ridley’s lifetime dedication to improving transportation across our great state and this nation. Gary’s leadership and development foresight has helped pave the way for our state’s robust infrastructure and will leave a legacy for future generations. Gary was an Oklahoman with a heart for public service and a transportation icon who created a wonderful legacy for us to follow. Sarah and I are praying for Secretary Ridley’s family during this time.”

In his long career, Ridley was also director of Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the state Turnpike Authority.

State Senate President Pro TemporGreg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, commented, “The state was fortunate to have Gary Ridley. His dedication and commitment … led to the historic transformation of roads and bridges in Oklahoma. When he took over as secretary of transportation, we were ranked near last for deficient roads and bridges. Because of his foresight and the projects he set in motion, we are now ranked in the top five for best roads and bridges.

“In addition to his blue-collar work ethic, Secretary Ridley was a genuine person who was a stranger to no one. I consider myself fortunate to say I knew him as a colleague and a friend. My wife Maressa and I ask Oklahomans to keep Secretary Ridley and his family in their thoughts and prayers.”

A trio of Republican state legislators issued a shared statement as news of Ridley’s death spread on Thursday.

Broken Arrow’s John Haste (chair, Senate Aeronautics and Transportation, Edmond’s Nicole Miller (subcommittee chair, House Appropriations and Budget Transportation), and Ada’s Ronny Johns (chair, House Transportation, said:

“Gary was a true public servant, respected by all who knew and worked with him, on both sides of the aisle. His vision and leadership helped us modernize our entire approach to transportation infrastructure planning and funding in Oklahoma. He was the consummate professional and an innovator.

“We’re thankful for his life and service, and extend our deepest condolences to Gary’s family during this difficult time.”

It was easy for this reporter to trace the course of Ridley’s impact through numerous stories and references in CapitolBeatOK.com and other personal journalistic sojourns.

https://www.capitolbeatok.com/reports/dolese-bros-co-hosts-fallin-costello-to-celebrate-20-million-investment-at-coleman-quarry/

In 2014, long-serving state Representative Harold Wright posted on Facebook a photo of “Gary Ridley and I cooking hamburgers at the Haskell Lemon Appreciation Day West of Weatherford. … Transportation Secretary Gary Ridley is a true champion for Oklahoma Roads.”

Like anyone in the public eye, Ridley had his share of detractors, including urban critics of personal vehicle transportation.

However, Ridley’s views were actually nuanced, as he pointed out in testimony before Congress:

“If community livability projects and other similar programs are determined to be critically important to the viability and prosperity of the Nation, other funding mechanisms should be identified and the programs should be funded separately from core transportation infrastructure.”

https://usa.streetsblog.org/2013/01/30/the-revolving-door-oklahomas-gary-ridley-asphalt-lobbyist-dot-chief/ He was not against “livability” concepts … he just wanted advocates to find income streams of their own.

Ridley was direct and to-the-point, both in his government service and his varied hitches in the private sector. That “direct and to-the-point” aspect is something that is increasingly scarce in the arenas of politics and public policy.

Note: Patrick B. McGuigan is founder, publisher and editor of CapitolBeatOK.com, an independent, non-partisan and locally-managed news service, based in Oklahoma City.