9/27/07-As is the case in many states across the country, transportation officials in Tennessee are looking for solutions to help pay for the state’s backlog of road work.
Many options for how to eat into the transportation funding gap have drawn consideration in Tennessee in recent months. One option that isn’t expected to get much attention from lawmakers is raising taxes on drivers.
House Transportation Committee chair Phillip Pinion, D-Union City, said increasing the state’s fuel tax rates is not on the table for consideration.
An interim transportation panel made up of legislators from the state’s House and Senate met recently and discussed ways to construct and repair Tennessee roadways. Officials from the state Transportation Department said they are in a bind because the federal government has withheld more than $170 million in road funds the past two years, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported.
Tennessee DOT officials told lawmakers the best way to fill the void from lost funds could be through toll roads and bridges. Another option is to lease roads to private groups.
The tolling option falls in line with a bill signed into law this summer by Gov. Phil Bredesen. It authorizes TDOT to study putting tolls on one bridge and one road.
An effort to allow the state to enter into public-private partnerships could come up for consideration once the regular session begins in January 2008.

8/16/07-Gov. Phil Bredesen said he would consider issuing bonds to pay for any urgent repair needs.
The state traditionally pays for transportation work with revenue generated from the state’s tax on gas and diesel and through federal funding.
Bredesen said he has no desire to deviate from tradition when it comes to paying for road and bridge work, The Tennessean reported. Concerns about safety in the state’s transportation system, however, could result in the state tapping into bonds to make sure fixes are made in a timely manner.
The Senate Transportation Committee is expected to hold hearings on infrastructure funding during the next regular session, which begins in January 2008.
Transportation officials have said there is enough money in the state’s pocketbook to ensure the safety of bridges, The Tennessean reported. That assurance was made despite the federal government trimming $12 million from its bridge repair and replacement fund.