As he retires following 48 years with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation,Gary Ridley is drawing compliments as long as the highways he engineered all those years.
One of those with high compliments is Neal McCaleb, president of Transportation Revenues Used Districtly for Transportation or TRUST.
“Gary Ridley is the consummate professional and is regarded as one of the leading authority on transportation in the country,” said McCaleb. “The tremendous progress Oklahoma has made in recent years to modernize and rehabilitate our highway and bridge infrastructure would not have been possible without the efforts of Gary Ridley.”
McCaleb, a former state legislator said Ridley’s legacy will be long standing and missed.
Sen. Mark Allen, R-Spiro chairs the Senate Transportation Committee and issued a statement about Ridley’s retirement.
“Oklahoma has made great strides in recent years in improving our state’s transportation infrastructure and Secretary Gary Ridley deserves a good deal of credit for leading the way.”
Woodward Sen. Bryce Marlatt, another Republican added his best wishes.
“Secretary Ridley has done a tremendous job leading our state’s effort to make an improved transportation system,” said the senator who chairs a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and Transportation.
“In western Oklahoma, going to work or taking your goods to market often means a lot of windshield time in a car or truck. That means we understand and appreciate even more the value of a safe and reliable transportation system,” he added.