The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) announced the creation of the Office of Community Transportation (OCT) whose mission is to coordinate transportation planning and local land use to guide development of a safe and efficient statewide transportation system.
“We really want to increase the level of collaboration between TDOT and municipalities across the state,” said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer. “The Office of Community Transportation will work with these local entities to make sure our transportation planning efforts and project development plans coincide with future growth and help us meet the needs of communities.” Newly appointed Assistant Director of Long Range Planning, Brenda Bernards, will lead the team.
Regional offices will be set up in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville to work with regional communities. Working together is expected to eliminate potential transportation difficulties with future local projects such as new schools, subdivisions, and major activity centers like shopping centers and industrial parks. The OCT can have a positive impact on economic development efforts by working with local partners to identify necessary improvements to the State Route system.
