Complete Streets Consortium Report Available

The three entities received a set of three technical assistance workshops and three webinars that were held between September 2017 and January 2018.

This support was designed to develop strategies for collaborating with TDOT (Tennessee Department of Transportation) and implementing, funding, and supporting Complete Streets.

Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville each hosted one of the workshops, tailored to the region’s specific opportunities and challenges to Complete Streets implementation. The workshops provided participants with tools and strategies to implement Complete Streets that advance economic, health, and community vibrancy goals.

The report can be found here.

Trends Identified for Traffic Crashes Involving People Walking and Bicycling

The Data

To compile the data used for these infographics TPO staff verified crash locations and assigned crash factors based on information obtained from individual crash reports, including crash narratives and information about citations issued.

There are four infographics available:

In addition to the infographics, this data can also be viewed on an interactive map that was released last fall. It allows users to explore information specific to the type of crash, crash factors and an overview of all the data.

On rural roads, lack of sidewalks is the most common factor in crashes involving people walking or riding bicycles. The footpath that runs alongside the road pictured here makes it clear that a sidewalk is needed.

This data is important to the TPO’s work because 90 percent of the crashes recorded from this five year period resulted in injury or death of a person walking or bicycling. The goal in identifying and analyzing the information is to prevent future crashes through engineering, education, and enforcement.

Solutions

Local solutions are being found for some of the issues presented. In the Knoxville Region, 39 percent of traffic crashes that involve bicyclists and 48 percent of those involving pedestrians are caused by a motorist failing to yield when making a turn. After identifying a high number of these crashes, the City of Knoxville banned right turns on red at the intersection of Cumberland Ave. and Melrose Place.

The pedestrians shown here are unable to cross the road, despite having a walk signal, due to traffic failing to yield.

Another solution is the use of a Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI), like the one that has been installed at the traffic signal at the intersection of Downtown West Boulevard and Ray Mears Boulevard. This technology gives pedestrians the walk signal three to seven seconds before motorists get the green light to proceed through the intersection, allowing walkers to establish their presence in the crosswalk ahead of motor vehicles.

A National Issue

National attention has been given to some of the same issues presented in these infographics. A recent news article reports that allowing right turns on red increases the risks of injury and death to those walking or riding a bicycle. Another article states that the number of people who die in a traffic crash while walking has risen significantly over the last decade, and that most of those crashes are occurring on arterial streets. The National Transportation Safety Board studied the dangers of speeding and found that 31 percent of traffic fatalities are speed related.

Transportation Planner Joins TPO

Transportation Planner Craig Luebke joined the Transportation Planning Organization in early April.

Craig comes to the TPO from Evansville, IN where he worked as a transportation planner for the Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Originally from New Harmony, a small town outside of Evansville, he lived in the state his entire life before his recent move to Knoxville. He attended college at Indiana University where he majored in speech and hearing science. After he received his degree, he took an opportunity to work with the addressing department at the Posey County Area Plan Commission. From there he was hired to work for the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Area Plan Commission and later moved to the Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization (EMPO).

At his time at EMPO, Craig was primarily responsible for their Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). This role gave him great experience for his responsibilities with the TPO – working on our TIP! Craig is looking forward to getting settled into his new role and his new home. He looks forward to working with FHWA and FTA and partnering with other agencies in the region to ensure that our work supports strategies and projects that will bring greater prosperity to East Tennessee for future generations.

When he isn’t at work, you will probably find Craig running. It all started about a decade ago when he picked it up for his general health. Now an avid runner, he has completed several marathons, half-marathons and all kinds of other races. He has a few more races on his calendar for this year, including the Mount Hood Marathon in Oregon and a half-marathon in his home town, New Harmony. He’s looking forward to taking advantage of Knoxville’s greenway and trail systems as he familiarizes himself with the city!

What Makes a Community Livable?

You’re invited to a public presentation given by livable communities expert Jana Lynott at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, at Bridgewater Place. Jana is senior strategic policy advisor for the Livable Communities Team at AARP. Her topic is “What Makes a Community Livable?” and her engaging presentation will focus on the role that community design and transportation play in the health and quality of life of people of all ages, abilities and incomes.

Light refreshments will be provided, and you’re welcome to stay afterward for a reception sponsored by AARP and the Knoxville Area Association of Realtors. Event details and registration are here.

Master Plan for Alcoa’s New Downtown Now Available

Nearly one year ago, the City of Alcoa broke ground on a new downtown.

That site, once occupied by the ALCOA Inc. West Plant, is a 265-acre parcel where Hall Road meets Alcoa Highway. Alcoa Commissioners and the Alcoa Municipal/Regional Planning Commission endorsed the plan unanimously last November, and property is now available for development.

The goal for the project is to create a strong sense of place by increasing the value, identity, health and happiness of the city by connecting it with its surroundings. To do this, the plan prioritizes providing attractive locations for socializing, attracting people and investment, and encouraging economic growth.

The master plan, which received funding from the TPO and was completed by Kiser + Vogrin Design and Volkert Inc., includes:

  • 111 Single-family homes,
  • 110 townhomes,
  • 980 multifamily units,
  • 200 senior living units,
  • 530 hotel rooms,
  • 200,000 square feet of office space, and
  • 522,000 square feet of retail space.

Mixed-use development has been prioritized and will be seen throughout the new downtown. 135,000 square feet of the retail space mentioned above will have street level store fronts with multifamily units above. 

In addition to the land use recommendations, the plan includes a multimodal connectivity plan for the site. There will be a sidewalk along Tesla Boulevard, the main road through the development, which will double as part of the city’s greenway system. The sidewalk will create a loop around the development that will connect to the existing greenway in Springbrook Park and along Pistol Creek.

The town center will also have 10-foot traffic lanes to allow for automobiles and bicycles. These lanes will be marked with sharrows to signal that bicycles will be sharing lanes with automobiles. These types of plans will be appropriate through the town center because of low speed limits and limited traffic. There are also plans for future bike share locations and trolley stops. While there are no current plans for mass transit, the proximity to McGhee Tyson Airport and to current and planned major corridors could allow the area to become a regional transportation hub in the future.

The Land Use Plan for this parcel is available and shows how the site will be used. You can also visit the City of Alcoa’s website to see the full plan, a road improvements map, and information on the Smart Growth America study that gave residents and planners tools and techniques to implement new development standards that helped bring this plan to life.