Thu
Jul 31 2008
08:31 pm
Interstate Rail Transit
By: Stan G

What's up with Knoxviews? When I do a search or attempt to go to a previous page, I get an error message from Cas Walker about table 'watchdog'.

I had hoped to attach this to a prior blog entry; but, since I can't, I'll post it here while it's current.

It appears it's time for TDOT to take a serious look at rail transit in East Tennessee given the recent post concerning Virginia's plans and the following from today's News-Sentinel:

(link...)

Topics:
jbr's picture

Tennessee Railway Network Map

Submitted by jbr on Thu, 2008/07/31 - 9:29pm.

(link...)

Georgia Rail Map

(link...)

Brian A.'s picture

Why does it take 1+ years to

Submitted by Brian A. on Thu, 2008/07/31 - 9:58pm.

Why does it take 1+ years to do a general feasibility study?

Brian A.
I'd rather be cycling.

bizgrrl's picture

Georgia and Virginia are

Submitted by bizgrrl on Fri, 2008/08/01 - 5:53am.

Georgia and Virginia are states with a bit of money. Tennessee, not so much.

jbr's picture

Money allocated for new road

Submitted by jbr on Fri, 2008/08/01 - 7:26am.

Money allocated for new road projects should be evaluated and possibly directed toward mass transit projects. Such as rail.

According to this msnbc.com article "more than 30 states faced deficits totaling a projected $40 billion"

(link...)

With that and the drops in driving, and therefore gas tax money, road builders may take desperate measures to secure funding for superfluous road projects.

yellowdog's picture

Being right is not enough.

Submitted by yellowdog on Fri, 2008/08/01 - 11:21am.

Here is the link to a brief discussion on Knoxviews recently about the proposed Green Route, a massive highway project that would extend the Orange Route far to the east, into Sevier and Jefferson Counties: (link...)

I mention it because jbr wrote here "road builders may take desperate measures to secure funding for superfluous road projects." No kidding!

Several years ago, the head of the Blount County Chamber of Commerce at a public hearing accused citizens whose lawsuit had stopped the Pellissippi Parkway Extension of resorting to "undemocratic" means by filing a lawsuit, and the TN roadbuilders magazine called highway opponents "eco-terrorists." Not long thereafter, the Bush Crowd changed the procedures for using the provisions in the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) to severely limit citizens ability to challenge such projects as the PPE and the Green Route.

The struggle is well underway and it will take way more than a few outraged comments on blogs seriously to slow the mad rush in Tennessee toward more highways. It can be done, though, as our friends in Virginia have shown. But it will take serious organizing and money. Anybody game?

Joe Hultquist's picture

Being effective is by definition enough.

Submitted by Joe Hultquist on Sat, 2008/08/02 - 12:17am.

The mention of Virginia calls for further explanation, which I will only offer in a very abreviated form. VDOT was pushing a major public/private highway fix to the problem of congestion (primarily trucks) in the I-81 corridor. They put out an RFP and got responses from two consortiums. The one they chose was named STAR Solutions, a partnership of several major corporations. STAR Solutions proposed adding two additional lanes to I-81 in either direction, and making them truck only toll lanes.

Also, VDOT tried to push through a two step NEPA process to expedite the plan. The whole thing began to unravel for two reasons. First, it was too expensive, and in spite of the projected toll revenue, massive government investment was going to be required. The second reason it failed was because of a very broad "grass roots" opposition effort that included many local governments as well as other local interest groups.

One very significant coalition player was (and still is) RAIL Solution (link...), an advocacy coalition of its own right that has been pushing a rail alternative. They have managed to put the rail alternative back on the table after VDOT did everything they could to poo poo it and discredit it (including running Norfolk Southern Railroad [NS] off when they tried to propose something similar early on). RAIL Solution even succeeded in getting the Virginia legislature to pass a bill mandating a fair and thorough study of the rail alternative. That study is happening now, and the state and NS are partnering on it. Also, STAR Solutions was apparently disbanded in January of this year.

The bottom line here is that the good fight is well worth fighting, and may even be winnable.

yellowdog's picture

Joe: Thanks for posting the

Submitted by yellowdog on Sat, 2008/08/02 - 2:09pm.

Joe: Thanks for posting the link to RailSolutions. They have done a great job, which in some ways is my point because it has taken a great deal of serious and committed organizing to be effective.

I do find it interesting that there seems to be very limited interest here in the implications of the Green Route proposal.

Stan G's picture

If the green route hits

Submitted by Stan G on Sun, 2008/08/03 - 12:59am.

If the green route hits TDOT's agenda, I suspect there will be more interest. I expect to either be dead or extremely senile at that time. In the meantime, I would like to think that TDOT would learn from it's successful upgrade of I-640 -- an upgrade that many believed was the better route for TDOT to travel rather than the major upgrade to I-40 through downtown Knoxville.

IMO, the curretn effort should focus on the Sharp's Gap interchange upgrading I-75 from one lane in each direction to a minimum of two lanes. Who but TDOT would build a one-lane Interstate.

Stan G's picture

Is Knoxville a Serious Contender?

Submitted by Stan G on Sat, 2008/08/02 - 3:07am.

Submitted by Brian A. on Thu, 2008/07/31 - 9:58pm.

Why does it take 1+ years to do a general feasibility study?

I’m not in a position to answer your question other than to suggest that 1+ years is not going to have a major effect on the start of the project. The obvious linkage between Atlanta and the Chattanooga airport is along the current CSX line, which no doubt will require major upgrades and realignments before it can handle high speed transit. The obvious linkage between Chattanooga and Knoxville is Norfolk Southern. That presents a problem because there doesn’t appear to be a direct connection between the two lines.

It appears a Richmond to Bristol connection why proposed ranks as a low priority. Knoxville’s first priority therefore would appear to be the Knoxville to Chattanooga connection. There major obstacle there would appear to be here (link...) .

Joe what action has City Council taken to push for Knoxville-Chattanooga rail service?

bizgrrl's picture

Who but TDOT would build a

Submitted by bizgrrl on Sun, 2008/08/03 - 4:52am.

Who but TDOT would build a one-lane Interstate.

Hah. Where is the Sharp's Gap interchange?

Stan G's picture

It’s the interchange where

Submitted by Stan G on Sun, 2008/08/03 - 9:03am.

It’s the interchange where I-75 intersects with I-640 and where I-275 South begins just to the north of Sharp’s Gap. In both directions, I-75 funnels into a single lane with the major problem being the north-bound flyover.

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

TN Progressive

TN Politics

Knox TN Today

Local TV News

News Sentinel

    State News

    Wire Reports

    Lost Medicaid Funding

    To date, the failure to expand Medicaid/TennCare has cost the State of Tennessee ? in lost federal funding. (Source)

    Search and Archives