Due to state budget shortfalls, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, like many other state entities, will be forced to cope with budget cuts for 2003 and beyond.
TDOT officials have announced several new cost-cutting initiatives that will begin with the summer of 2003. These initiatives, briefly outlined below, are expected to provide a savings of approximately $6,500,000 per year.
1. ELIMINATION OF CUSTOM SIGNAGE. Custom signs will no longer be created. Savings will be realized through reduced costs of ordering larger quantities of specific signs. New and replacement signage will now be limited to: exit, drive, street, road, boulevard, circle, stop, and Cracker Barrel.
2. REDUCTION OF RELIANCE IN YELLOW PAINT. As roads require updated paint lines, all lanes will become passing lanes. By turning all streets into passing lanes more than 200 gallons of yellow paint will be saved annually.
3. ALTERNATIVE POTHOLE FILLER. Potholes will be filled with a cheaper alternative. Although several options are being studied, ‘Kroger’ brand marshmallows are the most likely option.
4. EMPLOYEES WILL NO LONGER DIRECT TRAFFIC AT CONSTRUCTION SITES. Drivers should know not to hit one-another without assistance, TDOT employees are not responsible for telling people when to and when not to move forward in a vehicle.
Although these are simple changes, and will most likely go unnoticed by the general public, they will provide a substantial savings at a crucial time in TDOT’s history. Other cost-cutting efforts are undergoing study but details weren’t available as of this printing.