The purpose of the Human Services Transportation Coordination Plan is to identify the transportation needs of individuals with disabilities, seniors, and people with low incomes and provide a list of prioritized strategies to meet those needs.
The TPO receives funding from Federal Transit Administration Section 5310, a program designed to improve mobility for seniors, individuals with disabilities, and persons of low-income, which is required to be in the plan. The TPO Executive Board makes the final decision on which projects are selected, and staff are tasked with ensuring that those projects are in keeping with the strategies found within the plan.
The TPO is updating this plan for the first time since 2013 to ensure that identified needs, gaps in current services, strategies for meeting those gaps, and projects within the plan are still up-to-date. A survey was recently distributed to staff, boards, committees, contacts, and clients of local human-service agencies and non-profits to gather opinions and preferences. A report showing a summary of responses is available in the Appendix of the draft
The Plan draws from previous planning efforts as well as feedback received through the survey and key interviews. It is now available for review by stakeholders and interested individuals and will be voted on by the TPO Technical Committee and Executive Board in October. Once approved, it will be incorporated into Mobility Plan 2045, the region’s long-range transportation plan, which will be available in 2021.
The draft HSTCP is available for public comment through Friday, November 6, 2020. The HSTCP will be on the November 25, 2020 TPO Executive Board agenda as an action item for approval. To make comments on the HSTCP or to request any special accommodations please contact Doug Burton at Knoxville Regional TPO – 400 Main Street, Suite 403 Knoxville, TN 37902 – 865-215-3824 – doug.burton@knoxtpo.org.