The Tennessee Department of Transportation is announcing the creation of the Office of Community Transportation (OCT). The mission of the OCT is to coordinate transportation planning and local land use decisions to guide the development of a safe and efficient statewide transportation system.
“We really want to increase the level of collaboration between TDOT and municipalities across the state,” said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer. “The Office of Community Transportation will work with these local entities to make sure our transportation planning efforts and project development plans coincide with future growth and help us meet the needs of communities."
The OCT will collaborate with local partners to establish a regional presence that will aid communities when developing and implementing their future visions as they pertain to state routes. The Office of Community Transportation will provide resources dedicated to ensuring the successful preparation and execution of community growth as it relates with state transportation.
The OCT is a statewide initiative led by the newly-appointed Assistant Director of Long Range Planning, Brenda Bernards. Once fully-implemented, the OCT will have regional staff in Knoxville, Nashville, Chattanooga and Memphis who will be committed to working specifically with the communities within their region. It will also work closely with Tennessee’s Metropolitan Planning Organizations to coordinate regional transportation priorities.
By working directly with community partners, the OCT will be capable of eliminating potential transportation difficulties with future local projects such as new schools, subdivisions, and major activity centers like shopping centers and industrial parks. The OCT can have a positive impact on economic development efforts by working with local partners to identify necessary improvements to the State Route system.
For more information on the Office of Community Transportation, please visit http://www.tdot.state.tn.us/longrange/oct.htm.