Tennessee Governor favors toll roads

Gov Phil Bredesen says he supports proposals in the Tennessee legislature to allow tollroads to be built in the state - which has not had any tolls in the automobile era. "Having that in our pocket as one of the options of how we meet our road building needs, I think that’s a sound, sensible thing to do," he is quoted as saying. Bredesen said the state would explore toll concessions with private operators.

The governor is quoted as saying: "The nice thing about toll roads is that you don’t have to use them. We’re not talking about putting them on any existing roads."

The Bredesen administration's senior official transport commissioner Jerry Nicely says that decreases in the value of federal grants make it increasingly difficult to fund needed road projects.

Identical bills have been introduced in both houses of the legislature and are in committee.

Bills HB1204 and SB1152 are called "Tennessee Tollway Act". They authorize the state department of transport to "develop tollway or toll facility projects and to operate tollways or toll facilities," give the state commissioner power to set tolls or assign toll setting powers.

No tolling is permitted in the bills on roads existing at the time the law is enacted except that HOV lanes may be converted to toll lanes allowing carpools free.

Toll revenue bonds may be issued by the state funding board at the request of the transport commissioner. A state tollway account would be used to accept toll revenues and any tax funds appropriated for tollways and is to be used to pay for tollway expenses and on any activity eligible for state highway funds.

The bills allow the department to enter into "contracts, agreements, or understandings with private parties... for the purpose of developing or operating a tollway or toll facility."

Toll evasion is a Class C misdemeanor.

TOLLROADSnews 2007-03-29