Is it really illegal for county highway departments in Tennessee to add traffic lights?

[JMT]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt-lover L.A.M.

True, but even Williamson County isn't quite a major city county (although it likely will be one day), and Putnam County isn't really a "smaller" nor rural county. It seems almost as though people in Putnam County are as unwilling to embrace their urbanity and people in the Upland South in general are to embrace their subtropicality.

Ask TDOT. If you go to TDOT's web page and look for their transportation projects, even their projects in the middle of Cookeville, like widening Willow between Broad and 12th and widening Jefferson between I-40 and Hwy 111 are considered "rural" yet if you check on projects in the countryside outside of Cleveland and outside of Cleveland's urban area they're labeled "urban" I guess because Cleveland is a metropolitan area and Cookeville isn't. That's the only reason I can think of, and I think it's a big reason why Putnam County's mayor is eager for Cookeville to become a metropolitan area after this next census, as that would free up additional funds for transportation (and other) projects. I could be totally wrong about this, but it's about the only way I can make any sense out of this.

The visuals, courtesy of Google Streeview. TDOT considers this urban:
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.2730...7i13312!8i6656
(Hwy 60 between Cleveland and Georgetown)

but considers this rural:
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1291...7i16384!8i8192
(Hwy 136 in Cookeville between I-40 and Hwy 111)

[GWoodle]

Originally Posted by mattec

It's probably a combination of traffic volume and funding. Larger counties like Shelby, Rutherford, and Williamson have a ton more resources and funding compared to smaller counties like Warren, Roane, or Gibson. If there was a need for a traffic light at an intersection of county routes, they may be able to scrape the several hundred thousand $$ needed for a traffic light, or they may try to make due with a four way stop and flashers.

May also be a state law somewhere so that a county or city can't just put up a stop sign or a new traffic light without getting some approval from TDOT. You have to go thru the process to get neighbors to sign a petition. Maybe the best thing to do is set up a video camera to record all the accidents & post the wrecks on Youtube. But if you are a construction worker you can put up orange signs or cones anywhere & leave them behind even if nobody is doing any work.

[mattec]

Originally Posted by GWoodle

May also be a state law somewhere so that a county or city can't just put up a stop sign or a new traffic light without getting some approval from TDOT. You have to go thru the process to get neighbors to sign a petition. Maybe the best thing to do is set up a video camera to record all the accidents & post the wrecks on Youtube. But if you are a construction worker you can put up orange signs or cones anywhere & leave them behind even if nobody is doing any work.

That would be true on state maintained roads, but for local county and city routes, TDOT doesn't really get involved.

[Sun Belt-lover L.A.M.]

Originally Posted by JMT

Ask TDOT. If you go to TDOT's web page and look for their transportation projects, even their projects in the middle of Cookeville, like widening Willow between Broad and 12th and widening Jefferson between I-40 and Hwy 111 are considered "rural" yet if you check on projects in the countryside outside of Cleveland and outside of Cleveland's urban area they're labeled "urban" I guess because Cleveland is a metropolitan area and Cookeville isn't. That's the only reason I can think of, and I think it's a big reason why Putnam County's mayor is eager for Cookeville to become a metropolitan area after this next census, as that would free up additional funds for transportation (and other) projects. I could be totally wrong about this, but it's about the only way I can make any sense out of this.

The visuals, courtesy of Google Streeview. TDOT considers this urban (Hwy 60 between Cleveland and Georgetown):
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.2730...7i13312!8i6656

but considers this rural (Hwy 136 in Cookeville between I-40 and Hwy 111):
https://www.google.com/maps/@36.1291...7i16384!8i8192

That seems to be the case, but if TDOT really doesn't maintain any traffic lights, that makes me wonder about the traffic lights in Warren County. That is pretty ridiculous.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt-lover L.A.M.

That seems to be the case, but if TDOT really doesn't maintain any traffic lights, that makes me wonder about the traffic lights in Warren County. That is pretty ridiculous.

They're on state highways.

[Sun Belt-lover L.A.M.]

Originally Posted by JMT

They're on state highways.

True, but I thought you said TDOT doesn't maintain traffic lights? Or maybe I misinterpreted something, or state highways could be an exception either way.

Hopefully whatever it is though, it means Putnam Co. can start adding traffic lights within the next 5 years. I can think of a few other places that may need it too, especially Pippin/County Farm (multiple wrecks there). Luckily still not way out in the western nor eastern parts of the county, but even that's probably just a matter of time unless Silver Point and Buffalo Valley incorporate. They're bound to start growing someday, and Silver Point may well already be growing a little.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt-lover L.A.M.

True, but I thought you said TDOT doesn't maintain traffic lights? Or maybe I misinterpreted something, or state highways could be an exception either way.

Hopefully whatever it is though, it means Putnam Co. can start adding traffic lights within the next 5 years. I can think of a few other places that may need it too, especially Pippin/County Farm (multiple wrecks there). Luckily still not way out in the western nor eastern parts of the county, but even that's probably just a matter of time unless Silver Point and Buffalo Valley incorporate. They're bound to start growing someday, and Silver Point may well already be growing a little.

TDOT doesn't maintain traffic lights, but they do install them on state highways. For example, Cookeville and Putnam County requested traffic lights at I-40 and Hwy 111, and TDOT installed them. After the installation, it's now up to Putnam County to maintain them.

https://www.ucbjournal.com/i-40-hwy-...s-coming-soon/

[Sun Belt-lover L.A.M.]

Originally Posted by JMT

TDOT doesn't maintain traffic lights, but they do install them on state highways. For example, Cookeville and Putnam County requested traffic lights at I-40 and Hwy 111, and TDOT installed them. After the installation, it's now up to Putnam County to maintain them.

https://www.ucbjournal.com/i-40-hwy-...s-coming-soon/

My bad. It seems I did misinterpret that. Thank you for clarifying!

[Sun Belt-lover L.A.M.]

I had trouble finding any unincorporated, non-state highway traffic lights in the Nashville/Murfreesboro, Bristol/Kingsport, Johnson City nor Morristown metro areas. However, I did find this in unincorporated Knox County.

EDIT: I also found this in unincorporated Montgomery County, as well as unincorporated Hamilton County.