orange route

What is the Green Route? Think Orange Route (a highway that is a toll-road designed for big trucks) but going through a more densely populated, more rugged area in east Knox Co and Sevier Co. It makes the orange route into a genuine beltway around Knoxville.

Knox County Commissioners jumped from the ropes and put the atomic elbow to the toll road idea.  The vote?  18-1 against the blasted idea! But there’s always a but in there somewhere…

This is turning into a running joke. We keep hearing that TDOT will listen to the people on toll roads. At the first meeting the public spoke up. If I recall correctly 18 people spoke out against toll roads 2 spoke in favor. The commission voted in favor of doing an expensive study for toll roads.

The economics of passenger rail would seem even more compelling. Would the Orange route money provide more bang for buck completing rail track from Monterrey to Knoxville?

Link...

After years of raiding our road fund, legislators inspired by the lobbying efforts of former Bredesen staffer turned lobbyist girlfriend of the House Transportation Committee Chairman, succeeded in persuading a majority of legislators to offer up a pilot program allowing for toll roads.

What a wonderful way to pay for new roads!