Traffic continues to be a concern in the growing area of Middle Tennessee, but more specifically in Rutherford County. To better handle traffic congestion, the idea of building a commuter rail line between Murfreesboro and Nashville has been suggested multiple times over the past few years. Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr said… Carr said that Governor Bill Lee has shown interest in building Smart Lanes on the interstate, which would be paid for by a mixture of public and private dollars… If a “Choice Lane” were built on Interstate 24, it would require users to purchase a pass to use the newly constructed lane.  

Last year, Governor Lee said that Tennessee is the only state in the southeast that does not allow for public / private partnerships in the development of roads and bridges. Under his proposal from 2022, a private-sector partner would contract with TDOT to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain Choice Lanes. Choice Lanes would then give drivers the option to pay a user fee to access an additional lane with more reliable trip times, while keeping the option to use traditional highway lanes.

While the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) reports the current population growth has great economic opportunity for Tennesseans, TDOT also reports that the growth outpaces roadway capacity investments. Governor Lee believes his proposed Transportation Modernization Act will provide the state with innovative tools to address traffic congestion and free-up funding to invest in rural and suburban communities, all without raising the gas tax or taking on debt. Choice Lanes is one of several ideas in the Transportation Modernization Act.  Click here to learn more.