Getting somewhere slowly is easy. But if you want to get there quickly, speed and convenience usually come at a cost.

But not on Tennessee roadways.

During peak traffic times, no amount of money can buy you speed or convenience—everyone is stuck moving slowly. In the process, we burn two to three times the gas we should, which is not only inefficient but harmful to the environment.

Gas taxes, currently the primary source of funding for road construction and maintenance, are simply inadequate to meet the demands of our highways. What about growth? How will we manage?

To answer that, we can look to history and add a modern twist – technology.

In America’s early days, roads (often called “pikes” and privately owned), ferries, and bridges were largely funded by tolls paid by the users. Only those who utilized these resources contributed to their upkeep.

This article from the American Planning Association revisits that history and explores cost-effective ways to deploy active traffic management technologies, incorporating tolls, incentives, and alternative transportation strategies to help us get moving faster again. In Tennessee, we’re headed toward a similar solution: Choice Lanes. These new toll-based roads that a decade or more from now, offer the opportunity to pay for speed and convenience.

The question is, how does Tennessee get there faster and smarter?

From the American Planning Association article: “In 2021, over 50 toll lane facilities operated in the U.S. In the Miami metro area, HOT lanes [e.g. Choice Lanes] generated surplus revenue for enhanced express bus services. When HOT lanes are added as new lanes, they rarely generate surplus revenue because of high costs. Most require public subsidies to cover capital expenses and attract private investors.”

Choice Lanes are funded by public subsidies and introduce tolls to attract private enterprise. That’s where we’re heading, albeit slowly. But if we want to get anywhere faster, here’s one path that serves all of Middle Tennessee.