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Tennessee Department of Transportation

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Tennessee Department of Transportation
Agency overview
Formed1915
JurisdictionState of Tennessee
HeadquartersJames K. Polk State Office Building
Nashville, Tennessee 37243
EmployeesApproximately 3,900
Agency executive
  • John Schroer, Commissioner
Websitehttp://www.tn.gov/tdot/

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is a multimodal agency with statewide responsibilities in roadways, aviation, public transit, waterways, and railroads. The mission of TDOT is to provide a safe and reliable transportation system for people, goods, and services that supports economic prosperity in Tennessee.

Major responsibilities

The major duties and responsibilities of TDOT are:

  • to plan, build, and maintain the state-owned highway and Interstate system of over 14,000 miles (23,000 km);
  • administer funding and provide technical assistance in the planning and construction of state and federal aid road programs for cities and counties;
  • provide incident management on Tennessee’s Interstate system through TDOT SmartWay, an intelligent transportation network of cameras and dynamic message signs;
  • staff transportation management centers in the four largest urban cities in Tennessee;
  • provide motorist information;
  • construct and maintain 19 rest area facilities and 17 welcome centers;
  • administer program for control of outdoor advertising adjacent to Interstate and state highways;
  • issue and administer special permits for movement of overweight and over-dimensional vehicles;
  • prepare and distribute city, county, and state road maps, aeronautical charts, and airport directories;
  • promote safe driving behaviors on highways;
  • provide management, technical and financial assistance, and supervision to public, private, and nonprofit public transportation agencies in the state
  • administer funding and assistance in location, design, construction, and maintenance of the state's 80 public airports;
  • support improvements in Tennessee’s railroads and rail service;
  • inspect over 19,000 bridges, 80 public airports, and all of the state's railroads;
  • maintain state park roads;
  • operate Reelfoot Airpark and ferry operations;
  • respond to initiatives of the Tennessee Aeronautics Commission;
  • provide aerial photography and mapping services to all state agencies;
  • provide aircraft for state executive transportation and economic development recruiting;
  • administer highway beautification programs;
  • provide grants to all Tennessee counties for litter abatement and litter prevention education; and
  • provide cycling trails that connect or go through state parks and natural areas.

Organization

TDOT is headed by a single commissioner who is appointed by the governor. The department is organized into four regions of the state: Knoxville (Region 1), Chattanooga (Region 2), Nashville (Region 3), and Jackson (Region 4). Each region is subdivided into three districts and those districts are further subdivided into county facilities. TDOT has at least one facility in all of Tennessee’s 95 counties. Several administrative offices, including the commissioner and staff, operate from the TDOT headquarters in downtown Nashville, the state’s capital city. TDOT has approximately 3,900 employees.

TDOT is organized into four regions, which are divided into districts and then further subdivided into county facilities. The table below indicates the region, the districts in each region, the counties in each region and district, and the locations of the district offices.

TDOT Regions with their Constituent Districts
Region District District Office Maintenance Offices Construction Offices Counties References
1 (Knoxville) 17 Johnson City Johnson City, Morristown Johnson City, Morristown, Elizabethton Carter, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, Washington [1]
18 Knoxville Knoxville, Newport Knoxville(2), Newport Anderson, Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson, Knox, Sevier, Union
19 Harriman Harriman, LaFollette Harriman, LaFollette, Maryville Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott
2 (Chattanooga) 27 Cookeville Cookeville, Crossville Cookeville, Crossville, Livinigston Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, White [2]
28 Tullahoma Tullahoma, Dunlap Tullahoma, Dunlap, McMinnville Bledsoe, Cannon, Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Marion, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren
29 Chattanooga Chattanooga, Benton Chattanooga(2), Cleveland Bradley, Hamilton, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Rhea
3 (Nashville) 37 Nashville Nashville, Gallatin Nashville(2), Gallatin Davidson, Macon, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Wilson, Williamson [3]
38 McEwen McEwen, Clarksville McEwen, Clarksville, Columbia Cheatham, Dickson, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Maury, Montgomery, Robertson, Stewart
39 Belfast Belfast, Lawrenceburg Belfast, Lawrenceburg, Murfreesboro Bedford, Giles, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore, Perry, Rutherford, Wayne
4 (Jackson) 47 McKenzie McKenzie, Newbern McKenzie, Newbern, Trenton Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Dyer, Gibson, Henry, Lake, Obion, Weakley [4]
48 Jackson Jackson, Bethel Springs Jackson, Bethel Springs, Brownsville Chester, Crockett, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McNairy
49 Arlington Arlington(2) Memphis(2), Covington Fayette, Lauderdale, Tipton, Shelby

History

The predecessor to TDOT was created by legislative action in 1915 when the first administrative agency for highways and the first highway commission to guide the administrative agency's activities were created. The highway commission was directed by six non-compensated commissioners which included the governor, the state geologist, and the dean of the University of Tennessee Engineering School. In 1919, transportation was organized under a three-commissioner structure which remained in place until 1923. The agency was reorganized in 1923 with the establishment of a single commissioner in Chapter 7 of the Public Acts of 1923. Under the single commissioner structure in 1923, J.G. Creveling, Jr. was appointed by Governor Austin Peay. In 1972, the agency name was changed to the Tennessee Department of Transportation to reflect other modes of transportation in addition to highways.

Tennessee’s transportation system

Highway system
  • Bridges: 19,500, more than most southern states, including 8,150 state owned bridges and 11,419 locally owned bridges
  • Interstates: 1,104 miles (1,777 km)
  • 19 Interstate rest areas
  • 17 Interstate and U.S. Route welcome centers
  • 9 truck weigh stations
  • State highways, 13,884 miles (22,344 km)
  • Total highways, 93,523 miles (150,511 km)
Airport system
  • 74 general aviation
  • 5 commercial
  • 142 heliports
Rail system
  • 18 short line railroads on 842 miles (1,355 km) of rail
  • 6 major rail lines on 2,098 miles (3,376 km) of rail
Transit system
  • 28 transit systems serving all 95 counties
Waterways
  • 946 miles (1,522 km) of main channel navigable waterways
Bicycle and pedestrian system
  • 231 miles (372 km) of greenways, sidewalks, and trails
  • 9 bicycle trails on 1,500 miles (2,400 km) including a single across state trail totaling 500 miles (800 km)
  • 4,497 miles (7,237 km) of greenways, sidewalks, and trails

Funding

Funding for the state transportation system in Tennessee comes from a fund that is separate from the state’s general fund which operates most of the other state agencies in Tennessee. Transportation revenues come from both federal transportation monies and from state funding resources. Those state funds come from a combination of dollars collected from gas and diesel tax revenues, titling and registration fees. Tennessee operates on a "pay as you go" system by using available revenues resulting in no debt service.

Leadership

Six-commissioner structure, 1915–1919

Ex-officio members: Tom C. Rye, Governor; A.H. Purdue, State Geologist; Charles, E. Ferris, Dean of Engineering, University of Tennessee Appointed: Authur Crownover, Charles W. Williams, William H. Crox (succeeded by C. F. Milburn)

Three-commissioner structure, 1919–1923

W.P. Moore, W.W. House, W.T. Testerman

Single-commissioner structure, 1923–present
  • J.G. Creveling, Jr., January 1923 – October 21, 1925
  • C.N. Bass, October 21, 1925 – February 16, 1928
  • Harry S. Berry, February 16, 1928 – February 27, 1929
  • R. H. Baker, February 27, 1929 – January 17, 1933
  • F.W. Webster, January 17, 1933 – December 11, 1934
  • H.S. Walters, December 11, 1934 – September 20, 1935
  • Briggs Smith, September 20, 1935 – January 18, 1937
  • M.O. Allen, January 18, 1937 – January 11, 1939
  • C.W. Phillips, January 11, 1939 – January 16, 1949
  • E.W. Eggleston, January 16, 1949 – August 10, 1950
  • Charles Wayland, August 10, 1950 – September 1, 1951
  • C.W. Bond, September 1, 1951 – September 18, 1952
  • Herbert A. McKee, September 18, 1952 – January 15, 1953
  • W.M Leech, January 15, 1953 – November 15, 1958
  • Herbert M. Bates, November 15, 1958 – January 19, 1959
  • D.W. Moulton, January 19, 1959 – January 15, 1963
  • David M. Pack, January 15, 1963 – January 16, 1967
  • E.W. Speight, January 16, 1967 – January 16, 1971
  • Robert F. Smith, January 16, 1971 – January 18, 1975
  • Eddie L. Shaw, January 18, 1975 – January 20, 1979
  • William B. Sansom, January 20, 1979 – June 30, 1981
  • Robert E. Farris, July 1, 1981 – October 31, 1985
  • Dale R. Kelley, November 1, 1985 – January 17, 1987
  • Jimmy M. Evans, January 17, 1987 December 7, 1992
  • Carl Johnson, December 28, 1992 – October 21, 1994
  • Carl Wood (acting), October 21, 1994 – January 21, 1995
  • J. Bruce Saltsman, January 21, 1995 – January 18, 2003
  • Gerald F. Nicely, January 18, 2003 – January 15, 2011
  • John Schroer, January 15, 2011 – present

References

  1. ^ Staff. "Region 1". Tennessee Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  2. ^ Staff. "Region 2". Tennessee Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  3. ^ Staff. "Region 3". Tennessee Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  4. ^ Staff. "Region 4". Tennessee Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
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