State report finds plan to bring ‘choice lanes’ to TN comes with risks

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – A new Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury report on the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) found the main solution to addressing congestion will require “extensive planning and oversight to respond to new risks.”

In the spring, TN Gov. Bill Lee signed the Transportation Modernization Act into law. A cornerstone piece of the infrastructure law’s efforts to reduce traffic in the state is the creation of what the governor calls “choice lanes.”

Choice lanes are added lanes to state highways that drivers can use for a charge. The goal is to allow drivers to have a more reliable commute when general-purpose lanes are congested.

However, the report found choice lanes won’t be able to be built everywhere they are needed.

“Management gave the example from Murfreesboro to Nashville as too difficult to complete,” the report’s authors wrote.

Despite studying the possibility of bringing choice lanes to cities like Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga and Knoxville, the report concluded that may not be possible.

“The studies may determine that choice lanes are not the best solution for a particular area,” the authors explained.

However, the report notes other states have found choice lanes decrease rush hour traffic and improve overall congestion in states like Georgia and Texas, but “there are risks presented to the state, such as funding, cost maintenance, and long term contracts.”

Regarding the state’s plans to use public-private partnerships to build, finance, and operate the choice lanes, the comptroller’s office suggested researching other states with choice lanes because Tennessee has not been involved in contracts like these.

In response to the report, TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley told lawmakers he concurs with the report’s findings, but they are prepared.

“We certainly are taking the considerations into account that we are discussing here, and we believe that in a way to not increase taxes and not take on debt for the State of Tennessee, this is a viable vehicle to address the congestion issues we are experiencing now from one end of the state to the other,” Eley said.

TDOT is expected to release more information on the proposed locations for choice lanes on Monday, Dec. 18.