Blue Collar Muse

Well folks, time to let your voice be heard if you’re concerned at all about Tennessee Toll Roads. Why? Well, our beloved government, once again, wants to represent us. They want to know what we think about Toll Roads in Tennessee. So they’ve scheduled public meetings for Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville. Ooops … did I mention those meetings were scheduled for July 10th, 15th and 17th respectively? I know, there was just so much publicity. How could it have slipped past me? Actually, there is one more public meeting on July 29th in Memphis which will at least partially address the matter so you Westies take notice!

Thanks to an email tip from Bobbie Patray of The Tennessee Eagle Forum, however, we can still make our voices heard. And we need to do so. Bobbie notes the meetings were not about specifics but “… about the concept of tolling in general and what it could bring to the State of Tennessee.” She linked to a story in the Knoxville News Sentinel which reports TDOT says there will be no Toll Road if public opposition is high enough. While that’s encouraging, one wonders what will have to happen for TDOT to accept that we don’t want Tennessee Tolls.

KNS reporter J.J. Stambaugh notes,

Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely drew a round of applause Thursday when he promised that the proposed Knoxville Parkway won’t be a toll road if the public is opposed to the idea.

It was the only applause he drew during the 90-minute meeting at Bearden High School, which was attended by about 50 people.

I don’t have any numbers for those attending in Nashville or Memphis but it seems the publicity for this little shindig in the East was as skimpy as elsewhere. The money quote is about a third of the way through the article.

Nicely and other officials, including TDOT Chief of Environment and Planning Ed Cole, explained that the Legislature has authorized TDOT to look at possibly building toll roads, but included the caveat that “strong public support” is a prerequisite for moving forward.

During a following question-and-answer session, Knoxville resident David Cochran asked Nicely to define “strong public support” for the audience, most of whom clearly were opposed to tolls.

“That’s one of the things we’re doing here tonight,” Nicely said. “I don’t think I can define ’strong public support’ tonight.”

Nicely’s response initially drew snickers and groans from the crowd, but he found himself showered with applause after adding: “There probably is more opposition than there is support for the project. … If that trend continues, we would not proceed.”

And there you have it. The will of the people is painstakingly sought in the decision making process. All the people have to do is rally enough opposition. But we don’t know how much opposition is enough opposition. And the person who will determine how much is enough can’t tell us how much that actually is. If that isn’t government in action, I don’t know what is.Fortunately for us, while public comments at the meeting are closed, your opinion on the matter can still be heard! For those interested, your comments must be in writing (either email or snail mail), send snail mail to:

Project Comments
Tennessee Department of Transportation
Suite 700, James K. Polk Building
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-0332

Note in the beginning of your letter your comments concern the proposed Tennessee Toll Roads and the recent public meetings held in regards to them. TDOT will be able to attach your comments to the appropriate file from there. Get them in the mail quick, too. Bobbie Patray notes there’s only a 21 day window after a meeting for your comments to be attached. No one at TDOT could clarify whether that meant 21 days from the last meeting or 21 days from the 10th for Memphians, 21 days from the 14th for Nashvillians and so on. Nor could they clarify whether or not it was a postmark of 21 days or actually received in 21 days.

If you prefer email, send your comments to Elizabeth Beeching at elizabeth.beeching@state.tn.us with “Toll Roads” in the subject line. They’ll print your email off and add it to the comment file.

If you have further questions or concerns on this, here are two additional sources of information. The folks at TDOT’s Community Relations Department were very helpful and encouraged me to call them at 615-741-2331. In addition, TDOT maintains a page listing the Public Comment Meetings available to all Tennesseans on all their projects here. Might be a good page to bookmark.

That’s it. Get busy! Go write and tell them “No Tennessee Toll Roads!” If we don’t we only have ourselves to blame!

Blue Collar Muse

SEE ALSO :

Toll Roads in Tennessee? at Rustmeister’s Alehouse.

Thanks to Stacey Campfield’s ‘Blue About Toll Roads’, Michael Silence’s ‘A Blogger’s Campaign Against Toll Roads’and Blue Collar Republican’s Tennessee Toll Roads for the link love!

Kat Coble schools my toll road despising backside in Queen of the Toll Road at Just Another Pretty Farce.

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