Be a part of history!

Did you realize that Franklin is the only town in Tennessee that has been authorized to create its own license plate?  I think that is so cool! 

I remember several months ago, or maybe even last year sometime, they sent out several options for residents to vote on. So, not only do we have our own plate, we actually chose the design, too!

Wondering what the traffic is like in Franklin, Tennessee today?

Check out these live traffic cams...

According to the National Motorists Association, the top 10 cities with speed traps are:

1. Detroit, Michigan suburbs
2. Colorado Springs, Colorado
3. Houston, Texas
4. Orlando, Florida
5. Nashville, Tennessee
6. Ann Arbor, Michigan
7. Albuquerque, New Mexico
8. Washington, D.C.
9. Denver, Colorado
10. Virginia Beach, Virginia

48% of Tennesseans polled say that they have knowingly thrown trash on the street. 1 in 5 say they do this on a regular basis."

Source

The Keep Tennessee Beautiful group and Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) recently launched StopLitter -- a new Tennessee Litter Prevention Campaign to provide education and awareness to Tennesseans.

Why Should You Care About Litter? Let Us Count The Ways:

$11,000,000. Yes, you read those zeros right. That's $11 million tax payer dollars our state spends picking up the trash Tennesseans throw down on the ground. That doesn't even count what your city pays to pick up litter in the incorporated areas.

12,000,000 miles are driven each year picking up litter in our state. Think about all the gas that is needed to fuel trucks for litter pick up.

18% of all littered items end up in our streams and waterways as pollution. That means litter in our state travels to other states and eventually ends up in the ocean.

A $1500 fine and 6 months of litter duty. That's what a second conviction for littering can land you. A first conviction in Tennessee will cost you $500 and 40 hours of community service picking up litter.

Currently the closest the Music City Star (Nashville's new commuter train) gets to Franklin is downtown Nashville (Riverfront Park).

Good news though...

Plans are in the works for an extension to the train's route, with stops in Brentwood and Franklin!

You've probably seen them out & about. Many states have organized "roadside assistance programs" like this in their major metro areas.

If you ride the Tennessee highways and live in Chattanooga, Memphis, Knoxville, or Nashville, chances are you've encountered one or more of those lime yellow ambulance-looking trucks parked along the shoulder helping a stranded motorist, funneling traffic around an accident scene, or even single-handedly managing a major traffic incident -- as they are often the first to arrive on scene.

I'm here to sing the praises of the courageous men & women who ride the roadways providing aid to motorists. These uniformed operators are paid to deal with roadside incidents and accidents, while striving to keep everyone safe and restore traffic to normal conditions as soon as possible.

I, for one, am grateful.

The following summarizes my experience the other day when I went to the Williamson County driver license branch to renew my Tennessee driver's license.

You've probably heard the horror stories. I've always wondered if they're true...

...how time-wastingly awful the entire experience is
...the lines
...the moody state employees who aren't happy in their jobs
...the cramped quarters where you sit & wait forever
...and so on

Those are some of the stereotypes I've heard through the years. So I thought I'd share my experience of what it's REALLY like to get a drivers license here in Tennessee. Perhaps some will find this information helpful (or at least comical).