Paid ‘choice lanes’ could be built on Tennessee interstates. Here’s what that means
Traffic is a nightmare no matter where you go and now Tennessee lawmakers want to help alleviate some of the stress that comes with commuting.
A bill called the Transportation Modernization Act passed the state senate and is now headed to the House. The bill includes “choice lanes” which are lanes designed to reduce traffic congestion.
Drivers could choose pay a fee to use these “choice lanes” which, according to Tennessee Senator Becky Duncan Massey (R-Knoxville), would reduce traffic in existing lanes and allow choice lane users to travel more efficiently during peak traffic times.
UT’s Center for Transportation Research has been working with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to find out what areas could benefit the most from these lanes.
“In the Knoxville area we see significant congestion from downtown to Farragut,” Center for Transportation Research Director, Dr. Kevin Heaslip said. “Certainly, I think I-40 would be under consideration.”
There are several ways these choice lanes can be built. One way would be to create a lane on top of the existing ones.
“One of the challenges is if you try to expand the interstates outwards, you have to buy land from private owners,” Heaslip said. “So that’s a very long process and can be very costly process. So in some areas, Texas, for example, they’ve chosen to move upward.”
The bill passed the Senate and is being reviewed by the House Finance Committee. It will then go to the House floor.