From WATE Knoxville: Governor Bill Lee’s Transportation Modernization Act, a bill that will create a new strategy and invest $3.3 billion to accom
From WATE Knoxville: Governor Bill Lee’s Transportation Modernization Act, a bill that will create a new strategy and invest $3.3 billion to accommodate Tennessee’s record growth passed in the Tennessee General Assembly yesterday. The bill will now head to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.
In a release from the Tennessee Department of Education yesterday,, Governor Lee said “Tennessee needs a transportation strategy fit for the fastest-growing state in the nation, and our plan will prepare rural and urban communities for continued growth and economic opportunity, all without new taxes or debt. I commend the General Assembly for its partnership to meet our state’s transportation needs.”
TDOT says the legislation will give the resources needed to solve the state’s current and future mobility challenges, including seeking the use of public-private partnerships to preserve state funds for rural infrastructure priorities, exploring Choice Lanes to decrease congestion and increase economic impact statewide, and expanding the alternative delivery model to save taxpayer dollars and deliver road projects more efficiently.
The plan received bi-partisan legislative support and was sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R – Franklin), Senate Transportation & Safety Chair Becky Massey (R – Knoxville), House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R – Portland), and House Transportation Chair Dan Howell, who represents a portion of Bradley County.
Representative Howell said in the release…
“As Tennessee continues to experience unprecedented growth, investing in our transportation infrastructure is essential to ensuring residents and our economy keep moving forward. The Transportation Modernization Act will provide historic funding to address congestion in both rural and urban areas of our state. It will also provide innovative solutions to these challenges without the need to raise taxes. I was honored to guide passage of this important piece of legislation in the House, and I appreciate Gov. Lee, TDOT, and my colleagues in the General Assembly for their support of this generational shift in how we address infrastructure in our state.”
