Don’t Let Your System Plan Sit on the Shelf: Implementing the Tennessee Aviation System Plan

Date and Time: Wednesday, May 17: 2:15 PM - 3:30 PM
Location: Auditorium

Evan Lester

Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)

PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Aeronautics Division completed the Tennessee Aviation System Plan (TASP) in early 2022. Since its completion, the TDOT Aeronautics Division has and continues to be proactive on implementing the plan instead of simply placing it on the shelf. The TASP provided 14 policy and 10 follow-on study recommendations to further grow and enhance the Tennessee aviation system.

This presentation will discuss the recommendations provided in the TASP and how the TDOT Aeronautics Division has implemented those recommendations through innovative strategies, products, and solutions. This includes, but is not limited to, the development of a project priority ranking model called the State Priority Rating (SPR) model, an SPR model calculator for use during the development of Airport Capital Improvement Plans (ACIP), an airport operations data counter system grant program, a hangar rates and charges interactive equation module and guidebook to assist airports in determining fair market value rates and charges, and development of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) program.

The presentation will also discuss recently completed and under development projects at the TDOT Aeronautics Division to continue the growth and enhancement of the Tennessee aviation system.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY

Evan Lester began his career with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Aeronautics Division in 2017 as a Transportation Program Monitor writing airport improvement grants, conducting airport inspections, and investigating airport compliance issues. Evan also closed 380 project grants and recovered $15.3 Million in various funding sources that were then used for additional airport projects across Tennessee.

Evan is now the Transportation Manager of the TDOT Aeronautics Division’s Planning and Environmental section. Evan has managed and completed various TDOT Aeronautics Division and Statewide airport planning and environmental projects, including the 2020 Tennessee Aviation System Plan, 2019 Tennessee Aviation Economic Impact Study, annual Airport Capital Improvement Plan project programming process, State Airport Layout Plan (ALP) Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), ALP template work authorization and comments matrix, State operations data counter system grant program, State Environmental SOP, and State Priority Rating model. Evan is continuously pursuing improvements to airport planning and environmental processes and providing guidance to Tennessee airports through research and collaboration to ensure a successfully planned and integrated Tennessee aviation system.

Evan graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 2016 with his Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace and in 2019 with his Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Science.

PRESENTATION FILE