Elizabeth Watkins joined the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission at the end of June.
She and her husband moved to Knoxville from Washington, D.C. where they moved after graduate school. She worked for more than a year as a Regional Planner for the National Park Service. Before that, Elizabeth spent time with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, focusing on brownfield redevelopment and pesticide regulation.
The Foothills Parkway in Walland, TN was recently awarded $10 million for the completion of the last section of the Parkway in Blount County.
The funds were made available through the highly competitive 2016 Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program and will be matched by an additional $10 million from the National Park Service and $15 million from the state of Tennessee.
The $35 million will be used to connect the road in what is referred to as the “missing link” of the parkway in Blount and Sevier counties. Additional safety features, such as guardrails, pull-offs, striping and signage, will also be included in the upcoming work. Officials expect it to be completed and open to the public in 2018.
It’s no coincidence that we’re kicking off two full days of events with Ian Lockwood on July 27th, Take Your Pants for a Walk Day!
Join us as we learn how to create a more walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly community with Ian Lockwood of Toole Design Group. He is a nationally recognized transportation engineer who encourages communities and leaders to think differently about how streets work. Mark your calendars for these upcoming events and join us as we think about how our streets influence our neighborhoods and city!
July 27th
Public event: Ian will speak at the Small Assembly Room in the City County Building directly following the TPO’s Executive Board meeting. The meeting starts at 9 a.m., and Ian is expected to speak at 9:45 a.m.
Public event: Ian will speak in the Auditorium of the Knox County Health Department for this free community event. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the program begins at 6 p.m. Afterwards, there will be social time and food trucks at Shulz Brau, which is just around the corner at 126 Bernard Ave. Check out the Facebook event here.
July 28th
By invitation only: There will be a small-group walking audit of a portion of Chapman Highway to discuss traffic safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety, and land use issues. There will be breakfast and a short presentation directly before the walk audit begins. The event starts at 7:30 a.m. at Flenniken Landing, 115 Flenniken Ave, and the walk audit will depart at 8 a.m.
By invitation only: Ian will speak at the Mobility Advisory Committee Meeting at 11:30 a.m. at Ijams Nature Center. He will share his thoughts on how to think differently about transportation projects and how to move people around the region. If you are a member of this committee and plan to attend, please RSVP.
Starting today, the TPO will be accepting comments on the draft mobility plan project list.
Cities, counties, state and other agencies across the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization’s (TPO) planning area submitted projects for which they will be requesting federal funding and will be completed by 2040.
A rendering that was done for one of the three proposed locations (Magnolia Avenue) of what a BRT system could look like.
An editorial published in the Knoxville News Sentinel on June 21, 2016 discussed a $6.4 million grant that the City of Knoxville is applying for from the state.
The funds would be used to install a traffic signal system along Broadway, one of the busiest transit routes in Knoxville. As the City continues to grow, an efficient transportation system is becoming increasingly important to residents, which is why the Knoxville Regional Transportation Organization completed the Knoxville Regional Transit Corridor Study in 2013. Funded by a grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation and managed by staff of the TPO, the study was conducted by a consultant team led by STV Inc. out of Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Study examined major corridors in the TPO planning area to determine if any could support higher capacity transit services, selecting projects that could be implemented within the following 10 years using Federal Transit Administration funds. Twelve corridors were identified that warranted analysis, all of which were screened through a two-tier process. Seven corridors advanced to the Tier 2 analysis where a refined set of criteria were used to identify three corridors with the best potential for implementation. It was determined that those three, which included North Broadway, deserved further study for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. A BRT system is most commonly defined as very frequent service, using rubber wheel vehicles, on a dedicated travel lane, with enhanced passenger stations. If a dedicated lane is not possible, BRT vehicles can serve in regular traffic but this causes the service to lose its appeal. Other features, such as signal prioritization or queue jumper lanes, can be provided to improve those services.
It was determined that the existing mix of commercial, residential, light office, and industrial land uses along North Broadway would make it a viable corridor for implementing a sustainable transit system. This corridor could utilize in-street BRT and operate in mixed-traffic, implementing signal prioritization or queue jumper lanes at the existing signalized intersections. The curb lane could operate as a BRT and general-purpose travel lane to continue to provide access to various entrances and roadways off Broadway. It was recommended that 12 stations be built along the corridor and eight BRT vehicles be purchased to service the route. At the time of the study, the estimated cost of the high scenario was $86.9 million and the estimated cost of the low scenario was $73.4 million. While the purpose of this study was not to encourage or discourage the use of such a system, it did prove that the North Broadway Corridor was an area that could support it.
As of July 1, 2016, several changes related to garage and street parking took effect in certain parts of Knoxville.
With a focus on downtown and Fort Sanders, the City and Public Building Authority (PBA) are increasing enforcement, adjusting rates, and installing new meters. With all of this, monthly parking fees for garage parking will see a slight increase, most meters will have slightly higher fees and now include Saturdays, and there will be more officers to police these changes.
Updates are scheduled for a 2.6-mile stretch of Clinton Highway from Edgemoor Road to the Knox County line.
This particular section of road is known for its safety issues, with a significant number of wrecks occurring there. Upgrades include resurfacing, a continuous center lane and wider shoulders, and new lane markings to show dedicated passing areas. This project is scheduled for next year, and similar upgrades for Clinton Highway from Clinton to Edgemoor Road are planned for 2018.
A public meeting will be held on Thursday, July 7, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Claxton Community Center, 1150 Edgemoor Road.
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Draft Update: 2016-2017 Knoxville Regional TPO ̢????Transportation Planning Work Program (TPWP)
The TPWP outlines a two year transportation planning work program for the activities undertaken by the TPO and its federal, state and local partners. It is updated annually and reviewed by the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration. The Draft FY 2017 TPWP Update is available for review here: The public is invited to comment by email at contacttpo@knoxplanning.org , by phone at 865-215-2500 or at the TPO Technical Committee meeting on July 12, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. in the Small Assembly Room of the City/County Building, 400 Main St., Knoxville, TN or at the July 27, 2016 TPO Executive Board meeting, also at 9:00 a.m. in the Small Assembly room.
The TPO, working on behalf of the City of Knoxville, is seeking projects to be funded through FTA Section 5307 & Section 5339 grant funds.
The use of these funds are for services or projects that provide general public transit within the Knoxville urbanized area. It is important to note that any agency receiving these funds must have a Direct Recipient status with FTA.
Addendum and Deadline Extension to Section 5307 and 5339 Applications:
The deadline for submitting applications for Section 5307 & 5339 funding to MPC/TPO has been extended to Friday, July 29, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. Submit applications to Doug Burton – doug.burton@knoxplanning.org.
Application Instructions
Section 5307 Application (word document)
Section 5339 Application (word document)
The following link contains additional information that has been requested as a supplement to the applications. Please review carefully.
The TPO is seeking projects for Transportation Alternatives funding.
This federal funding source typically goes toward projects and programs to improve the safety of people walking and bicycling. The TPO receives about $750,000 in TA funding annually. However, more costly projects may be submitted for TA funding, as the TPO has other funding that can be added to projects that are selected for funding. A minimum 20 percent local match is required.
The Federal Highway Administration has additional information on the TA program, including what types of projects and programs are eligible for funding, and who may receive funding.
If a local government has submitted a project in 2016 for the TPO Mobility Plan update, they do not need to submit an application for TA funding. They can simply inform TPO staff that they would like the project considered for TA funding.
The application is available in two formats:
Applications/notifications are due July 13 at 5 p.m. to ellen.zavisca@knoxplanning.org.
