letter to the editor
Town traffic a big problem; real solutions?
Kingston Pike/Campbell Station intersection in the heart of Town of Farragut is hard broke.
Traffic congestion through TOF is a challenging problem to solve because there are so many variables, including over-development, cut-through traffic between (Interstate) I-40 and Choto/Loudon County, roads that are too narrow and/or have physical constraints, and, of course, parents and students commuting to schools.
Mayor (Ron Williams) does a poor job managing the traffic despite making many promises and spending millions of dollars to address the problem.
It is time for effective solutions that have immediate impact. It is not time for excuses or blame-shifting. Recently, the TOF Communications manager, Wendy Smith, posted an update on TOF traffic, acknowledging the problem and laying blame at the contractor’s feet, “... ATMS project is delayed due to our contractor being significantly behind schedule ... .”
Williams on ND blames the grant process while whining about the cut-through traffic and occasionally pulling the misinformation chain. Where there is blame-shifting, you are probably dealing with a lack of accountability and maturity.
What the mayor gets right is that the cut-through traffic is a gross problem (verses a finer problem — I agree). It is easier to solve gross problems, but finer problems may be lurking once gross problems are addressed.
So, what does the mayor have in mind to solve the gross problem at some future date?
He has hailed the ATMS literally for years because it would give the TOF engineers the ability to address acute and chronic traffic issues through a centralized hub.
Sounds great, and it has worked in communities across the United States. How is it going here? Although ATMS has been physically installed, we are still waiting for signs of improvement four months after the finish date.
The TOF Communication manager said in the same post mentioned earlier that TOF has hired a traffic consultant and is planning on tweaking in timing, which indicates little progress has been made besides installing the physical components.
The mayor claims that adding lanes to I-40, removing the scales and adding a diverging diamond at the Campbell Station/I-40 (TDOT improvements, not TOF) will help solve the traffic issues at Campbell Station/Kingston Pike. This is incorrect. The mayor is flat out wrong.
Interstate improvements only shift the problem by enabling cut-through traffic to continue down I-40 and exiting at Campbell Station rather than, or in addition to, Lovell exit.
So, the cut-through traffic is now coming south down Campbell Station instead of West on Kingston Pike — both head towards the hard broke KP/CS intersection. Interstate improvements do not improve the traffic congestion at Campbell Station/Kingston Pike intersection.
Biddle Farm traffic studies predicted the likelihood of KP/CS intersection failing years ago and suggested making physical changes at the intersection.
When I reminded the mayor of this recently, he said the changes would not fit. If there is a refusal to push out curbs, this is accurate, but why is that a constraint?
It makes sense that we can’t move the buildings, but why can’t we move traffic signals and curbs/sidewalks, especially if it helps solve the traffic congestion? The mayor seems rigid when flexibility is needed.
I remind him that his flexibility at Campbell Station/I-40 a few years ago enabled an effective interim solution by restriping lanes. A similar openness and sense of urgency is needed now, especially with traffic impacts due to Biddle Farm apartments filling up and KP sewer remediation incoming.
I don’t think the mayor understands the urgency needed to solve the traffic congestion at peak times. I guarantee thousands of commuters do.
He needs to act now.
Adam Atherton, Farragut
