Mobility Plan 2045

25 Total Comments for 09-232
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
This is a project that is a total waste of Tennessee taxpayer dollars. The State of Tennessee already has a backlog of urgent road, waterway, bridge and maintenance projects that are critical to our infrastructure. There is currently not enough funding for these projects let alone wasting as much as nearly $200 million on this one (for a 4.4 mile stretch of highway). We should spend our limited transportation taxpayer dollars to maintain the system we already have in place. TDOT's own analysis of this project shows that this project will not ease traffic congestion in Blount County (see the 2010 DEIS, 3-4; also 2-9, Table 2-3). Blount County is currently seeing major growth in the west side of the county, which this project will not address.I would also like to point out that the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning organization's TIP for FY2020-2023 shows proposed projects in Blount County totaling $220 million, almost $600 million for Knox County and nearly $140 in other projects in Knox-Blount counties. That totals $960 million for only two counties in the State. Surely there has to be other needs within the State that could use these funds more effectively.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
09-232: PPExtension, is totally useless. Almost 20 years in the making, it does not serve any helpful practical purpose. There are MANY other projects that are in dire need of improvement, and that will actually be useful ! For example, projects such as:09-211, 09-216, 09-221, 09-229, 09-239, 09-241, 09-245, 09-262, just to mention a few, are meant to improve their current status, safety, and efficiency.On the other hand, project 09-232 PPE, is VERY costly, requires ROWay over vasts areas of private properties that have significant agricultural/farmland/dairy value, while its benefits to the overall community are minimal, and of no real practical value.In summary, PLEASE DO NOT WASTE OUR taxes on a 09-232, and instead invest in many of the other projects that are much needed, and of greater benefits.Thank you,Dr. Christian P. Halloy
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
This propose interstate highway (it is in no way a "parkway"), is, in my mind, very low on the list of important road projects in Blount County. We have too many substandard two-lane roads that need repair and upgrading. In fact the county is full of such dangerous roads, roads our children are playing ons and riding on in school buses.We should be spending our tax dollars on these secondary roads for the foreseeable future.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
I believe that building this section of the Parkway is a waste of tax payers money and will only add to the current growth problems of Blount County. The money targeted for this road could be better spent improving the existing roads in this county, such as hwy 411 (Sevierville road) which is to narrow and dangerous.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
This is a project that TDOT studies have shown will not meet any need or serve any purpose. It will not reduce transit times more than fractionally, and it will not improve safety. It is going to dump more traffic onto substandard Blount County roads and increase traffic there are introduce more safety problems. We do not need this road. Furthermore, it will be hugely expensive, miuch more than the outdated and questionable figures provided to the public. If you actually read the EIS you find there is little to recommend this project. Meanwhile the cost financially and environmentally will be very high. And Blount County will be left with the problem and expense of upgrading infrastructure in the aftermath. Put money into other projects where it is needed.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
This project is the least needed of almost all Blount County proposals. The environmental study done for and by TDOT makes it clear that the PPE will not substantially address any of the issues proponents claim for it. TDOT's cost estimates in this proposal are WAY below its own earlier projections (including one for $197 million). Blount County's actual traffic and safety needs will not be addressed by building a new highway that might make it 10 minutes faster to get from Townsend to Oak Ridge. The idea for this predates the last 30 years of Blount County's growth, most of which has been and continues to be in the western side of Maryville. There are real and immediate needs that are addressed by many of the projects proposed for this Mobility Plan, and those projects should have priority. There are also many narrow, two lane rural roads, also proposed for this Plan, that desperately need to be upgraded for safety and mobility. This has been clear for decades and the PPE will do nothing except in some cases make them worse.Spending hundreds of millions of dollars to serve the desires of a few businesses and residents in Walland and Townsend will be a tragic waste and deprive the rest of us of safe and more efficient ways to get around. There is no barrier to quick, four lane access to the Walland/Townsend/ area or to the national park. This was not the case when this project was initially proposed, but the needs now do not include this expensive and destructive project.It is just not good enough to argue that this is a long-planned road. It might have been a good idea 30 years ago but it is not now.. Tennessee does not have the resources to construct Legacy Projects that have no current utility.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
This project should NOT be built. As it stands it is a colossal waste of taxpayer money. It will not solve a single road need. We have much more urgent safety issues on roads in Blount County and the region. It is very irresponsible to spend limited highway construction funds on this unnecessary new highway construction. It will be an interstate in search of a purpose and not solve any problem.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
A new highway to 321 is not needed. There are currently several other routes to get to/from Knoxville/Townsend. Such a road may have been needed decades ago when it was first envisioned, but since the 1970s major improvements have been made to enable better traffic flow -- e.g., making 321 from Maryville to Townsend four lanes, 129 ByPass in Maryville. Also, most of the residential/commercial/industrial growth in Blount Co is at the other end of the county -- Alcoa and west Maryville. Faster access to/from Townsend not needed, waste of tax dollars. So many other roads need improvement as soon as possible.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
I haven't seen any problems that the building of this road solves. This project shouldn't be built. We have more necessary safety issues on roads in our county and region, and it is irresponsible to spend our limited road funds on an unnecessary new highway.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
Same as comment for other section of the Pellissippi Parkway Ext. - this doesn't solve traffic problems in the area and it will encourage commercial growth along the corridor and not in Maryville/Alcoa where it is needed. This should be the last priority for regional transportation funding.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
Blount County needs many substandard roads improved instead of building new roads funds for this project could be used for this and many citizens are against this project and it would destroy many scenic views and much farmland and take away from the water quality of Little River and would create congestion on highway 321 which flows well now.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
There are so many other road projects that need the money {that Tennessee government does not have, and that the US government has not allocated}. The PPE will cause more problems than it solves, and create more traffic on feeder roads that are themselves in need of upgrade {us411 for example}. The people's government money would be put to better use on the Alcoa highway, us411, Montvale road, et cetera. A 1970 thru 2016 Blount Countian Thanks-you.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
This project should NOT be built. It will not serve any of our actual transportation needs. We have urgent safety issues on many roads in our county and region, and this project will not address them, but may even decrease safety by adding extra traffic to Sevierville Road.The EIS for this project showed that the PPE will not significantly decrease the level of congestion now present, nor will it improve safety on the area road network.It is irresponsible to spend our limited transportation funds to build a costly and unnecessary new highway.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
Do NOT build this project. It will not serve any of our actual transportation needs. It will not increase safety or decrease congestion on our road network; it may in fact do the opposite. Please fix our safety problems on the existing roads, and do not spend outrageous amounts of our tax dollars building an unnecessary new highway.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
Do NOT build this road project. A new highway in this place will not serve any of our actual transportation needs, and will cost an exorbitant amount of money. This project will not improve safety or reduce congestion on area roads (as shown in the EIS!). Please use my tax dollars to improve and make safer the road system we already have instead of building a new highway we do not need.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
This project should NOT be built. It will not serve any of our actual transportation needs. We have urgent safety issues on many roads in our area. Please repair, maintain, and improve the roads we already have, and do not waste our limited transportation tax dollars on an unnecessary new highway.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
Do NOT build this project. It will not serve any of our actual transportation needs. We have urgent safety issues on many roads in our region that need to be addressed. This proposed highway may do more harm than good if constructed, by adding more traffic to Sevierville Road. It would be irresponsible to spend our limited transportation funds on an unnecessary new highway that brings us no significant benefit.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
We don't seem to have the funds to take care of the roads we already have so we need to prioritize projects. Many roads are dangerously narrow, ok for one car, but as the county population grows they become major hazards. The access points for the PPE will cause heavier traffic on roads that were designedbfor rural traffic.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
I oppose this project.? TDOT's own data, compiled for the EIS, showed little or no improvement in safety, travel times, traffic congestion, and other criteria used to demonstrate purpose and need.? It would be a huge waste of limited funding.? The $84 million price tag is not accurate: far more of our limited tax dollars would be required.? Why would we build this new road when so many of our existing roads need improvements just to ensure basic safety?? I ask that this project be taken out of consideration permanently.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
PELLISSIPPI PKWAY EXTENSION from current terminus at Hwy33 in Blount Co to Hwy 321.This road is no longer needed. It was proposed in the 1970s (50 years ago!). Since then major residential and commercial growth in Blount Co has been south and west of Maryville -- the opposite direction of the proposed PPE.Alcoa has also grown and the new Springbrook Farm is being developed. This road is no longer needed because Hwy 321 has been 4-laned and travel to Great Smoky Mtn National Park and the town of Townsend are easily accessed by this improved road. This incredibly expensive 4-lane highway will carve through healthy farmlands and take them out of production. Monies allocated for this highway would be better spent on improving existing roads.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
We think it is irresponsible to spend our limited transportation funds on the construction of a new highway that does not address our pressing need to improve safety and mobility, and decrease congestion, on existing area roads.? The Pellissippi Parkway Extension is expensive and entirely unnecessary.? Building it will result in greater congestion and less safety on Sevierville Road.? If the PPE is ever constructed over public opposition, we will lobby forcefully for it to be an actual Parkway, running uninterrupted from SR33 to US321, with NO interchange at Sevierville Road.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
I am very much against any extension of Pellissippi Parkway.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
I am not in favor of Mobility Plan number 09-232 as I feel that this is a waste of tax payer dollars, will not improve traffic flow, will direct traffic away from businesses within Maryville, and will disrupt local heritage farms.
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
09-232 Pellissippi Parkway Extension: I oppose this project. Why would we build this new road instead of properly maintaining existing roads that may also need improvements?
Pellissippi Pkwy (SR-162) Extension
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on state road building and improvements for the Blount County area, where I live and work.I think it is fair to say that Tennessee has limitations as to how many road improvements and new roads that the state budget can accommodate. Thus, it seems that decisions on whether to build new roads or to make improvements must be judicious. With this premise in mind, it seems prudent to me that new construction should be delayed or denied when existing roads need to be maintained and upgraded to meet current and projected usage needs and to better address safety concerns. For these reasons new major constructions should be delayed or permanently suspended in favor of protecting the travelers on existing roads. To build new roads when current roads need to be upgraded and made safer is not only poorly thought out, but unethical. Only after current roads are properly maintained should we as a state take on new road construction, which will in time require maintenance. Take care of what we have before creating more roads that we may not be able to take care of.There is also the need to deal honestly with the effects major new roads will have on the community. There is a move within our country to preserve our natural beauty and open land for emotional health reasons and also food production. I own and operate a fruit and vegetable farm where my sales are at the farm only. This year there has been demonstrated a growing interest for the pubic to know more about where their food comes from and how it is grown. We were literally overrun by new and existing customers this season. This phenomenon is not unique to me, but has been experienced all over the southeastern U.Sl.I am a retired federal agent who traveled and worked over much of the U.S. for 40 years, as well as a fruit and vegetable grower. One of the things that I observed is that when new roads and thoroughfares are constructed on open, farm land, in a matter of a few years the farms begin to fall to ?development? needs, and this land is lost forever. Such has also been true with the Pellissippi Parkway from Knox County into Blount County. For these and other reasons I am adamantly opposed to to the Pellissippi Parkway Extension. To build this thoroughfare will continue to lead to demolition of family farms and increased building pressures. The natural beauty will be scared by this type of construction. Many people still enjoy riding around to get away from their daily stresses and to take in the natural beauty of an open field and unobstructed view of the mountains that make Blount County so desirable. If I could wave a magical wand, I would remove the Pellisiippi Parkway Extension from the list of proposed new roadway construction for the state of Tennessee.Let us maintain the roads that we have and preserve the beauty of the open land and unobstructed vistas of the mountains for our mental health. Let us preserve the land for food production for our local people, so that we are not as dependent upon less than fresh food being shipped in from somewhere else. Let us leave our posterity a place that they call home that is not covered with concrete, asphalt, and roofs. Furthermore, I am convinced that this Extension will only add to the congestion and fatigue, as it will incite more building and more destruction of our natural beauty. I encourage Governor Lee and the TDOT to delay, and preferably to put aside, this construction, as it only adds to the losses that can never be recovered. May our heritagel be passed on to our children and our grandchildren, and not more conjestion.