Topic: Knoxville

HUD awards more than $600 Million in Recovery Act grants to support community development and job growth

September 26, 2009 |

Tennessee to receive over $13.2 million; Clarksville $215,046

Washington – In the Obama Administration’s continued effort to stimulate community development and job growth, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today awarded $620 million to over 500 communities across the country through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). To view the list the full list of grantees receiving funding under this program, visit HUD’s Recovery Act website. Tennessee will receive over $13 million (see attached list).

The Recovery Act made available a total of $1 billion through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. On July 16th, HUD announced the first round of grants under this program to nearly 700 communities, totaling $360 million. With today’s announcement, all $1 billion are now in the hands of communities, working to create jobs and revitalize neighborhoods.

“Today, I am proud to announce that HUD has moved quickly to obligate more than $10 billion in Recovery Act funds,” said Donovan. “Nearly three quarters of our Recovery Act funds are now available to communities across the country and are being put to work creating jobs, making homes more energy efficient, and strengthening neighborhoods.” «Read the rest of this article»

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TDOT Works to Keep Motorists Informed

July 4, 2009 |

A monthly column by TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely

Famed English statesman Sir Francis Bacon once made the still-meaningful statement that knowledge is power.  However, to gain knowledge you must have access to information.  TDOT provides several ways for drivers to get traffic information, both before leaving home and while traveling in Tennessee.

TDOT SmartWay is Tennessee’s intelligent transportation system which uses advanced information technologies to improve the safety and operation of highways.  An important component of TDOT SmartWay is TN511.  Travelers anywhere in Tennessee can get information on road and travel conditions, incidents, and construction on state highways by simply calling 511 from land lines or cell phones.  Since becoming operational in August of 2006, TN511 has logged nearly two million calls.  Callers to the system can connect to 511 systems in our bordering states as well, where available.  TDOT is also utilizing the social networking tool, Twitter, to send alerts to followers about roadway conditions across the state or by region.  TDOT began utilizing the service in mid-May and currently has more than 1,000 followers. «Read the rest of this article»

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Tennessee in Motion

June 3, 2009 |

Tennessee in Motion is a monthly column by Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely

SmartFIX40 Races toward an Early Finish

TDoT commissioner Gearld Nicely

Admittedly, it was a radical idea – shut down a major interstate through the heart of a city for 14 months. Other states had done total interstate closures, but none for this duration. In just a few days, we will reopen a safer, more modern and totally redesigned Interstate 40 in downtown Knoxville. SmartFIX40 is racing to an early finish.

Before we talk about the finish, let’s go back to the beginning. SmartFIX is an accelerated construction process. It involves closing a roadway to allow around-the-clock work, uninterrupted by traffic, and can dramatically reduce the time it takes to complete a project. Using the SmartFIX concept saved Knoxville drivers 2 ½-3 years of construction traffic tie-ups. As proof, the new stretch of I-40 will open 18 days ahead of schedule. «Read the rest of this article»

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Red light cameras in the Volunteer State: unsafe, unconstitutional, and unnecessary

September 23, 2008 |

In February 2006, the City of Gallatin unveiled the Automated Camera Enforcement System. The system, known as A.C.E.S., is designed to catch drivers running red lights at intersections. Rather than relying on police officers to perform this function, the cameras automatically trigger when a driver enters an intersection after the light turns red. A police officer then reviews the tape, prints off a citation, and mails it to the owner of the vehicle that ran the light.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Gallatin is not alone. At least nine other communities in Tennessee, including Knoxville, Chattanooga, Germantown, Murfreesboro, and Jackson currently operate these devices.¹ Other Tennessee communities considering their use include Clarksville, Morristown, Cookeville, La Follette, and Oak Ridge. Additionally, Chattanooga, Jackson, Mount Carmel, Red Bank, and Selmer have begun using speed cameras, similar devices used to capture speeding motorists.² «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: News | 3 Comments

Knoxville dumps Redflex red light cameras

September 9, 2008 |

Clarksville wants to install red-light cameras at four to six Clarksville intersections in what is basically a dangerous revenue generating scheme. These cameras result in more accidents not less. The damage rear end accidents cause often costs more to repair. There is also an increased likelihood of injuries and even death to those who are involved in these red-light camera triggered rear-end accidents. Let’s not even talk about the fact that city-wide insurance rates will likely end up going through the roof even if you never get one of these tickets.

The company our city is currently favoring is Redflex, an Australian company. They have been the vendor in charge of the City of Knoxville’s red-light camera system that is until August 1st. Redflex missed a filing deadline to renew their contract. Reflex lays the blame for the missed deadline on the Federal Express package courier company.

The City of Knoxville has had mixed results with their experience with Redflex and could have opted to allow Redflex to file their bid late but chose specifically not to do so. This is a clear indication of their dissatisfaction with the company.

Clarksville frequently holds the city of Knoxville as an example the city of Clarksville should aspire to. So perhaps we should delay awarding a red-light camera enforcement contract to a company that they are in the process of dumping. «Read the rest of this article»

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Local citizens attend Oak Ridge Veterans Business Conference

By Turner McCullough Jr. | August 11, 2008 |

East Tennessee conference focuses on service-disabled and veteran small business opportunities and assistance.

“Support the troops!” has some meat behind it in Oak Ridge. “We’re here for the veterans!” is the rally cry of East Tennessee’s veterans business outreach programs. That is the consensus of three Clarksville citizens who, along with over 250 others, attended the all-day Oak Ridge Veterans Business Conference. Dr. James H. Cossingham, President, Gold Eagle Corp. and his associate, Turner McCullough Jr.- contributing writer for this publication, attended the conference at the invitation of Herstle Cross, CEO, Cornerstone Equipment, Supplies & Consulting. Cornerstone is an SBA-8A Native American company at the Oak Ridge National Nuclear Security Agency.

Ms Felicia Johnson, newly named director of the Clarksville Small Business Development Center at Austin Peay State University also attended. She was seeking to establish contacts with her counterparts in East Tennessee and especially Oak Ridge, which could enhance opportunities for her future clients in Clarksville and Montgomery County. The conference was held at the Y-12 National Nuclear Security Agency Complex’s New Hope Center, 602 Scarboro Road, the new visitors and conference center at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Complex.

«Read the rest of this article»

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Red light Cameras: Albuquerque, NM

By Bill Larson | March 15, 2008 |

I just love the fact that the above video points out that the Albuquerque Mayor claims cameras have reduced accidents by 20%, while multiple independent reports show they increased by 20%, this sounds a lot like Knoxville… One side has to be lying! Who might that be? I vote for the city since they are receiving a financial benefit from the cameras that they would lose because if the citizens knew these cameras increased accidents, they would be demanding they be removed. Lets avoid this issue in Clarksville totally by saying no to traffic enforcement Cameras!

Remember our city officials want to install the type system here and our lights are still timed to cause more congestion not less. How many times have we all seen Riverside drive back up over 1 mile from the Riverside Drive intersection clear to McGregor park. North Second street back up clear up Emerald Hill towards Forbes and Marion. Kraft street backed up almost to Lincoln Homes. All because New Providence BLVD is backed up all the way to Peachers mill.

This leads to frustrated drivers trailing through the intersections whom with the cameras the city will likely be able to profit from.  Do you really think they will have any incentive to fix the clear problems with our roads when it’s generating a profit for them? «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Opinion, Politics | 2 Comments

Redevelopment firestorm still going strong

By David W. Shelton | February 13, 2008 |

Mayor Johnny Piper’s letter to affected residents attempts to ease concerns

The Clarksville Center Redevelopment Plan (CCRP) has been met with extreme opposition from residents in the affected area, who jokingly (or not) call their part of Clarksville “Blightville.” I’ve had the opportunity to attend a few of the meetings where the plan was discussed, and as a member of the Human Relations Commission, I’ve been on quite a few of the email lists where this topic has been the point of a lot of major contention. This has been so important that City Mayor Johnny Piper has distributed a letter to affected residents, which reads in part:

Recently, a group calling itself the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition has been distributing a flier that has false and misleading information about the redevelopment plan. I am particularly concerned with the allegation that the City desires to take property from business owners and residents and sell it to developers as part of eminent domain.

The flier states: “Your property can be condemned by a majority vote of the City Council and then resold to private developers.”

Please do not be frightened into believing what the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition is misrepresenting about the plan. The City of Clarksville has no intentions of taking your property. The redevelopment plan ordinance actually makes it harder for any government to exercise eminent domain. There are many layers of protection for property owners built into the ordinance that are not being revealed to you in these fliers distributed by the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition.

Note: the full text of the Mayor’s letter is provided at the end of this commentary.

«Read the rest of this article»

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