Posted on

Mobility Plan 2045 Underway

This region’s long-range transportation plan is updated every four years. The update allows us to receive federal money for transportation projects in our region and ensures that we’re making the best long-term decisions for our residents, employers, and visitors. The update, Mobility Plan 2045, will look 25 years ahead, determining what we need to do now in anticipation of what we will need then. Our vision for the future is determined by looking at our current conditions as well as expectations for growth and infrastructure needs in the future. We currently have about 877,000 residents who call our region home. Looking ahead 25 years, we expect to add approximately 183,000 new residents, placing our region’s population at just over 1 million by 2045. While Knox County will continue to have the largest population, gaining another 95,000 residents, we also expect every county in our region to continue growing in population and employment. Our population is diverse, with people living in small towns, big cities, and rural areas, and meeting the needs of so many different groups is challenging. The plan tries to determine the best ways to continue building prosperity and maintaining a high quality of life for all those in our region by looking at several areas of interest. By digging into these topics, we will attempt to uncover ways to make our transportation system safer and more efficient, improve the health of our residents and reduce air pollution, improve links among transportation modes, infrastructure and development, and address equal access to benefits and opportunities. Those topics include: • Congestion, • Safety, • Technology, • Mobility, • Health, • Land use and development, • Environmental justice, • Equity, • Economic development, • Tourism, and • Freight and goods movement. A series of videos related to these topics is available at www.knoxmobility.org. Digging into these issues gives us a big picture look at our region, helping us prioritize transportation projects that accommodate all modes with a variety of different project types. Once these projects are identified in Mobility Plan 2045, they will start to move through the project development process. These projects can take 5, 10, or even 20 years to complete, which is why we need to start planning now. The first step in the process is to get feedback from you. That input not only guides our decision-making, but it ultimately impacts which transportation projects rise to the top of the list when it’s time to fund them. Ready to share your thoughts? Take the survey Explore the map
Posted on

Designing for Traffic Safety (a PechaKucha recording)

Transportation planner Ellen Zavisca discusses how changes to the design of our streets and our vehicles can save lives and prevent unnecessary injuries. Mistakes happen, but they should not be deadly. If we take traffic violence seriously and work to reduce speeds, we can get to a place where no one suffers a life-changing injury, or worse, just trying to get from Point A to Point B.

Posted on

TPO Receives Commendations from Federal Partners

The Knoxville Regional TPO successfully completed the Federal certification review of the metropolitan transportation planning and programming process. The TPO’s mission is to advise and assist our region to improve and expand transportation choices by involving citizens and decision-makers in our plans, forums, and outreach. Every four years, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) review and evaluate our planning processes to ensure that we’re meeting the federal requirements and regulations in place to help us realize that mission. The review included input and participation from TDOT, Knoxville Area Transit, TPO staff, and the public. After a three day visit from federal partners to review the work and processes of the TPO, the review team determined that all requirements for certification had been met. Beyond meeting the specified requirements, the TPO earned six commendations for exceeding expectations in certain areas: – Metropolitan Transportation Plan – Interactive Map – Air Quality & Transportation Conformity – Interagency Consultation Engagement – Public Outreach & Civil Rights – Active Knox Speaker Series – Transit Multimodal Planning – Transit Coordination – Transportation Safety Planning – Bicycle and Pedestrian Crash Analysis Future recommendations include working with federal partners to expand the performance-based planning and programming process, using Title VI data to expand outreach efforts with disadvantaged populations, working closely with FHWA and TDOT during the next congestion management process update, and updating the Regional Intelligent Transportation Systems Architecture by summer of 2021. This certification is good for four years, meaning the next certification process will take place in 2024.
Posted on

Public Notice: How to Participate in the Executive Board Meeting

Instruction on how to participate in the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization Executive Board meeting and the Public Hearing on the FTA Section 5307/5339 Program of Projects The Knoxville Regional TPO Executive Board meeting on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. will be held electronically utilizing the Zoom video-conferencing platform. Included on the agenda is the Public Hearing on the proposed transit FY2020 Program of Projects. If you wish to make a public comment on any agenda item, live during the meeting, please request access by contacting Laura Edmonds at laura.edmonds@knoxplanning.org or at 865-215-2506. As part of your request please provide your full name, email address, and indicate which agenda item you wish to provide comment. Request must be submitted by 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. Once a request is received, you will be sent an email invitation that will include a Zoom link that will enable you to connect to the meeting. If you are unable to participate during the live meeting and you want to provide a public comment, you can do so in advance. Please send your comments to Laura Edmonds at the contact information above. Clearly indicate which agenda item your comment concerns and include your full name, email address. Comments received will be read into the record during the live meeting. Comments must be submitted no later than 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. If you only want to view the meeting and do not want to make a public comment, you can watch the meeting both live and recorded on YouTube below. Watch Meeting Additional information on the Program of Projects and the Public Hearing can be viewed here.
Posted on

Public Notice: 2020 Transit Program of Projects (POP)

Due to social-distancing safeguards, the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Executive Board meeting on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. will be held electronically. 

On the agenda is the Public Hearing on the proposed Program of Projects (POP) funded by FY2020 Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5307 Urbanized Area Formula and Section 5339 Bus and Bus Facilities grants.  The meeting will utilize the Zoom video-conferencing platform.  Further information on how to access the meeting will be on the TPO website, so check frequently for updates.

The City of Knoxville is the Designated Recipient of the FTA funds.  The public involvement process, including the times established for public review and for allowing comment on the POP, follows the TPO’s Transportation Improvement Program public involvement process, as allowed by FTA and in accordance with appropriate federal regulations.  Written and, if possible, oral comments will be allowed on the proposed POP.  If there are no changes, the POP will be considered final. 

Interested persons or agencies and particularly private transportation providers are encouraged to participate in the process.  To be mailed or faxed a copy of the POP or to provide comments in advance of the meeting contact Doug Burton at 400 Main Street, Suite 403, Knoxville, TN 37902 or at (865) 215-3824 or at doug.burton@knoxtpo.org.  Comments must be submitted by 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, 2020 to be read at the meeting.

Proposed POP 

Gov. Bill Lee’s Executive Order No. 16 recognizes the unprecedented COVID-19 threat and allows electronic meetings in compliance with the state’s Open Meetings Act.  The TPO will post a recording of the meeting on the TPO website within 48 hours of its conclusion. 

Posted on

Public Notice: Change of Meeting Venue for the Technical Committee

Due to social-distancing safeguards, the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Executive Board meeting on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. will be held electronically.
Unfortunately, the public will not be able to attend or join the meeting live. However, in keeping with Governor Lee’s Executive Order #16 the TPO will post a recording of the electronic meeting on the TPO website within 48 hours of its conclusion. The Agenda of the meeting is available here. The public can submit comments concerning items on the agenda and they will be read into the public record. To submit a comment please contact Doug Burton at 865-215-3824 or doug.burton@knoxtpo.org. Once posted, if you need assistance viewing the recorded meeting please notify the TPO at 865-215-2694 or dori.caron@knoxplanning.org.
Posted on

Public Notice: Change of Meeting Venue for the Executive Board

Due to the current situation with Covid19 and the Knox County Safer From Home Order, the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) Executive Board meeting scheduled for Wednesday, March 25th at 9:00 a.m. will now be held electronically.
Unfortunately, the public will not be able to attend or join the meeting live. However, in keeping with Governor Lee’s Executive Order #16 the TPO will post a recording of the electronic meeting on the TPO website within 48 hours of its conclusion. The Agenda of the meeting is available here. The public can submit comments concerning items on the agenda and they will be read into the public record up to 8:00 a.m. on March 25, 2020. To submit a comment please contact Doug Burton at 865-215-3824 or doug.burton@knoxtpo.org. Once posted, if you need assistance viewing the recorded meeting please notify the TPO at 865-215-2694 or dori.caron@knoxplanning.org.
Posted on

TDOT to Host Community Meetings on I-40/81 Corridor Study

  The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is coming to town to share news about an upcoming study. They will be looking at a range of multimodal solutions along the corridors of interstates 40 and 81. By multimodal, TDOT means that they will consider a variety of travel options beyond just automobile, including transit and other forms of freight movement. TDOT’s study is an effort to better manage congestion in the I-40/81 corridor. They also want to improve safety, look at options for diverting freight traffic, and promote economic benefits. Everyone is invited to participate in the public meetings to provide input on TDOT’s evaluation of the corridor. The first meeting is: February 20, 2020 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Cedar Bluff Library (9045 Cross Park Drive, Knoxville, TN  37923). Those unable to attend the February 20 meeting have other options to participate: Submit a comment form online or complete an online survey. And additional public meetings will be held throughout the duration of the study. At all meetings, comment forms will be provided for your input. More information about the study and upcoming meetings can be found here.
Posted on

Federal Certification Review Public Meeting

The TPO’s mission is to advise and assist our region to improve and expand transportation choices by involving citizens and decision-makers in our plans, forums, and outreach. Every four years, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) review and evaluate our planning process to ensure that we’re meeting the federal requirements and regulations in place to help us realize that mission. That’s where you come in! Part of the evaluation is to hear from the public and stakeholders about how we engage with them in the transportation planning process. If you’ve been involved in one of our plans or projects over the last four years, we want to hear from you! There are two ways to provide input. A public meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 in the Community Room at Knoxville Station Transit Center at 301 Church Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37902. It will be held from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. You can also provide written or email comments to: Sean Santalla FHWA Tennessee Division 404 BNA Drive Building 200, Suite 508 Nashville, TN 37212 Email: sean.santalla@dot.gov Andres Ramirez FTA Region IV 230 Peachtree St, NW Suite 1400 Atlanta, GA 30303 Email: andres.ramirez@dot.gov Comments will be accepted until February 7, 2020.