The new Appalachian Regional Commission ARISE award, funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will expand capacity building programs across Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama
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On November 13-14, 2024, Thrive’s flagship conference gathered elected and community leaders in northeast Alabama, northwest Georgia, and southeast Tennessee.
Bridgett Massengill, Thrive's President/CEO, reflects on the damage and toll of Hurricane Helene in her hometown of Greeneville, Tennessee and the power of an organization like Thrive to be a connective framework of relationships that drives progress and resilience in hard times. Photo: Jesse Felan
With her go-to cinnamon black coffee in hand, Thrive CEO Bridgett Massengill recently joined Mike Costa on My Morning Cup to discuss her career in public service, community development, as well as her heart for east Tennessee and the tri-state region. Listen in on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
GEORGETOWN, Tenn (May 23, 2023): Thrive Regional Partnership joined the Tennessee Infrastructure Alliance today along Highway 60, on the farm of Tennessee State Representative Greg Vital, District 29, in sharing alternative routes for drivers to use while traveling in and around the Greater Chattanooga Region.
As a part of the celebration and history around "100 Years of Road Funding", led by the Tennessee Infrastructure Alliance, drivers are being encouraged to "Take a Drive" by utilizing state routes and highways instead of interstates for daily commuting. In addition to the alternative routes in and around Chattanooga, county maps have been released, illustrating the state routes in each of Tennessee's 94 other counties.
With the potential to greatly improve quality of life, fuel efficiency, and decrease hauled freight delivery time, commuters across the 16 county Thrive Region which spans Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee are being encouraged to test out five core routes that provide alternatives to the Greater Chattanooga interstates.
Five core routes that have the potential to benefit drivers across the Thrive Region include:
● US Highway 321 & State Route 320: Ooltewah to Ringgold & Ooltewah to Downtown
● State Route 58: Downtown Chattanooga to Harrison through Decatur to I-40 at Kingston
● State Route 318: St. Elmo/Lookout Mtn. through Wildwood GA to I-59 near Trenton
● State Route 111 to Cookeville & to State Route 8: Cleveland through McMinnville to I-24 in
Manchester
● US Highway 411: Maryville TN to I-75 near Cartersville, North of Marietta/Atlanta
"Recognizing the challenges drivers often encounter while traveling the interstates in Chattanooga, we saw an opportunity to promote these alternative routes to assist drivers in getting off the interstate," said Susie Alcorn, executive director of the Tennessee Infrastructure Alliance. "Alternative routes inherently provide beautiful scenery and a more peaceful experience while avoiding the ever-increasing interstate traffic that rides atop Chattanooga's unique topography."
Growth in Tennessee and the southeastern region is noticeable on the interstate system both related to private travel and to freight traffic. In particular, Tennessee's interstate system was designed when the population was approximately 3 million and today Tennessee's population hovers just over 7 million with more people relocating here daily.
Chattanooga traffic congestion and bottlenecks are commonplace occurrences that regional drivers know to expect. The motoring public is often experiencing very slow or standstill traffic, encountering significant delays while traveling interstate systems across the Greater Chattanooga area in addition to the other urban areas in Tennessee.
In 2018, Bridgett Massengill, President and CEO of Thrive Regional Partnership led efforts to begin a campaign to encourage commuters across the region to utilize backroads to help alleviate common bottlenecks experienced throughout the Greater Chattanooga interstate system, recognizing that increased population and industry would continue to increase commutes.
“The upcoming holiday weekend surrounding Memorial Day presents the perfect opportunity for folks across the Thrive Region to discover and test scenic routes that help them not only get to enjoy a long weekend with less stress, but to prepare for summer travel volumes,” Bridgett Massengill said, “By charting the best routes for their commute to work, school, and outdoor activities, road travelers can take advantage of this weekend to spice up their routine and help improve region-wide navigation flow.”
● Not all scenic routes are graded to support the weight restrictions, height limitations, or daily use of heavy truck volumes, though all should be able to handle that of regular commuter vehicles and some short-haul trucks.
● The Port of Savannah, billed as the fastest-growing container terminal in the U.S., handled a record 5.9 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) in 2022 for an increase of 5% over 2021.
● Federal freight analysis data tells us more than 39 million tons of freight were expected to flow through Chattanooga's urban core in 2022.
Connie Vaughan, the Government Relations Manager for McKee Foods and the Chair of Thrive Regional Partnership encouraged commuters to help support our local economy by creating space on interstates for our short and long-haul trucks to maximize efficiency for transport and delivery of materials and goods that are needed to keep companies, communities, and citizens going strong.
“I am proud to support the efforts of the Tennessee Infrastructure Alliance as they encourage commuters to try out alternate routes, which in turn could also increase the efficiency of our freight movement, while protecting our hardworking professional truck drivers from logging wasted hours sitting in standstill traffic,” Connie Vaughan said, “When we stop to reflect upon the original intent of our Federal Interstate System to support our military efforts and transportation of supplies, the natural evolution for 18 wheelers to utilize the available infrastructure makes total sense. If you think about it–it's not trucks clogging up our interstate system, but commuters who are bogging down our trucks.”
“During my very enjoyable and peaceful drives through State Route 8, and Highway 11, as interstate alternatives, I hope I get to see friends and neighbors out on our beautiful scenic routes with their windows rolled down and radio turned up, breathing in the fresh air of the Thrive Region,” Connie Vaughan said.
As a member of Thrive Regional Partnership’s Board of Trustees, Representative Vital offered the use of his farm today as a meeting location so folks could maintain a safe distance from the roadside, but also still have the scenic route visible while hearing from speakers. Representative Vital, the Vice Chair of the House Transportation Committee shared the importance of celebrating and experiencing our unique culture by taking scenic routes.
“Tennessee is making great investments in infrastructure, we are setting aside a large amount of money for investments in secondary roads and infrastructure that we greatly need,” Representative Vital said.
Encouraging summer activities that could help people experience our natural beauty and farmlands by utilizing scenic routes, Representative Vital flagged some hallmark locations that are accessible viascenic routes, like Smith Perry Farms, Fall Creek Falls, Oren Wooden’s Apple House, and Burgess Falls.
In his call to action for commuters, Representative Vital said “You will have one of the most enjoyable experiences of the open lands, vistas, the beauty of the small towns, and the character that makes Tennessee what it is today,” emphasizing that scenic routes “help our businesses across the state and not just at the roadside exits.”
In recent years, both Georgia and Tennessee have increased the sustainable funding for their transportation systems. Earlier this year, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee introduced the Transportation Modernization Act which was passed by the Tennessee General Assembly. In both states, interstate enhancements are anticipated.
Tennessee Infrastructure Alliance has dubbed “100 Years of Road Funding” as both a celebration and a history project wrapped into one. Citizen engagement is encouraged through three core initiatives as described on Tennessee Infrastructure Alliance’s online platform, www.100YearsOfRoadFunding.com, that encourages Tennessee road users to: “Tell a Story”, “Take a Drive”, and “Share an Image”. The main point is that our road system today developed as a result of Tennessee having sustainable funding for the 100 years since 1923 when the 63rd General Assembly approved the user fee promoted by Governor Austin Peay.
Upon completion of the year-long celebration, submitted images, historical news articles, along with road trip and road creation stories will be packaged in digital format and offered to historical offices, public libraries, and/or the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
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CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Susie Alcorn
Tennessee Infrastructure Alliance
Executive Director
615.398.0225
615.248.5900
media@100YearsOfRoadFunding.com
MEDIA KIT + About 100 Years of Road Funding
Download both Chattanooga alternative routes and individual county maps:
www.100YearsOfRoadFunding.com/News-Room
About Tennessee Infrastructure Alliance
Since 2005, Tennessee Infrastructure Alliance has served as an umbrella organization and advocate for adequate and consistent funding for Tennessee’s infrastructure needs. The key drivers of the organization are safety, mobility, economic competitiveness, and overall quality of life. Tennessee Infrastructure Alliance is the presenter of the podcast series Highway See (found at www.HighwaySee.com) on the history of Tennessee's roads and bridges.
To learn more about Tennessee Infrastructure Alliance visit www.TNinfrastructure.org.
About Thrive Regional Partnership (Thrive) Thrive Regional Partnership inspires responsible growth through conversation, connection, and collaboration across the tri-state greater Chattanooga region. For more information, visit www.ThriveRegionalPartnership.org.
