NASHVILLE -- Senate Transportation and Safety Committee Chairman Jim Tracy today announced a nine-city hearing schedule in September and October to discuss Tennessee highway needs and solutions amid Gov. Bill Haslam's own tour seeking to drum up support for increased transportation revenues.
"These hearings are to discuss solutions to fund the long-term needs of Tennessee's transportation system," said Tracy, R-Shelbyville, who this week confirmed he does not support a gas-tax increase in 2016.
Tracy said in his statement that "our needs are multi-faceted and there are several options which have been offered. I want to hear from a wide variety of citizens and community leaders regarding these options, as well as other suggestions about what we can do to improve our roads."
The chairman said he wants input from a "wide variety of citizens and community leaders regarding solutions to the challenges the state faces in funding Tennessee's transportation infrastructure."
Susan Mattson, principal legislative research analyst for the State Comptroller, and Bill Moore, P.E., former chief engineer at the Tennessee Department of Transportation, who is also chairman of the Tennessee Infrastructure Alliance, will testify at the hearings. The Infrastructre Alliance backs more revenue.
The road show kicks off in Nashville on Sept. 17. A Chattanooga hearing is set for Oct. 28 at 2 p.m. in the Hamilton County Courthouse.
Local legislators are invited to attend.