TDOT Commissioner John SchroerCOOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Transportation chief says staff changes he is making don’t signal a retreat from sweeping reforms implemented by former Gov. Phil Bredesen.
Commissioner John Schroer, responding to an Associated Press report, said Friday that it would be a “leap” to conclude that he’s de-emphasizing environmental concerns after promoting his chief engineer to become his deputy.
Meanwhile, Republican Gov. Bill Haslam’s administration has confirmed that TDOT’s chief administrator, top environmental officer and director of project management are each leaving.
The deputy commissioner position had been eliminated in the Bredesen administration as part of a series of moves that had been heavily criticized by the influential road builders lobby.
Bredesen instead placed the chief engineer and director of environment and planning on equal footing as part of an effort to improve TDOT’s poor environmental record and reputation for ignoring local governments and communities when deciding where to put roads.