Posted on

Public Review and Comment Period: Air Quality Conformity Determination

June 9, 2016 – June 22, 2016

The Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) announces a 14-day public review and comment period for amendments to the 2014 – 2017 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for Projects #2014-084 (Relocated Alcoa Hwy. (SR-115/US-129), Construct New 4-Lane from SR-162 (Pellissippi Pkwy) to South Singleton Station Rd) and #2014-085 (Western Ave (SR-62), Widen from 2 lanes to 5 lanes). The TPO is soliciting public comments on the Air Quality Conformity Determination made for these amendments. You are invited to comment by phone, email or during the TPO Technical Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 14, 2016, or at the TPO Executive Board meeting on Wednesday, June 22, 2016.  Both meetings are held at 9 a.m. in the Small Assembly Room of the City-County Building, 400 Main Street, Knoxville, TN.  

The Air Quality Conformity Determination Report is available on the TPO website at: www.knoxtrans.org. If you need assistance or accommodation for a disability or would like a printed copy, please contact the TPO at 865-215-2500, contacttpo@knoxplanning.org or at MPC/TPO offices, Suite 403, City-County Building, 400 Main Street, Knoxville, TN.

Learn more. Read the full report.

Posted on

Walkability Advocate Returns to Knoxville

Nationally renowned advocate for walkability and health Mark Fenton returns to Knoxville on Friday, April 8, for a walkability workshop and walk audit. 

At the Friday morning walkability workshop at Knoxville Station Transit Center, Fenton will engage an invited regional audience in a discussion of the impact of pedestrian infrastructure on the health and economy of a city. In the audience will be elected and appointed officials from around the Knoxville region, as well as local government staff and walkability advocates.

Following the workshop, Fenton will lead workshop attendees on a “walk audit,” in which he will lead the group around the Civic Coliseum and Hall of Fame Drive areas to strategize pedestrian improvements that would encourage more walkability and business development.

The TPO, along with the City of Knoxville and the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission, are sponsoring the walkability workshop.

Posted on

TN Bike Summit in Chattanooga this Year

The 2016 TN Bike Summit on April 22-23 in Chattanooga, TN will feature presentations and workshops focussed on three broad topics: Public Health, Bicycle Tourism, and Infrastructure and Policy.

Our keynote lineup features nationally renowned speakers from across the country, and the breakout presentations will feature transportation professionals, officials, and advocates from across all sectors of Tennessee's bicycling ecosystem.

Day 1:

Public Health and Bicycle Tourism

Day 2:

Infrastructure and Policy.

Register today

Posted on

Public Meeting Notice: Street Widening Project (Knox County SR-71 Chapman Hwy)

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) will host a Design Public Meeting on Thursday April 21, 2016 to gather public input on the Knox County SR-71 (Chapman Hwy) widening project from south of Simpson Road to Hendron Chapel Road.  

View the location map

The meeting will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the following location:

Valley Grove Baptist Church
9000 Sevierville Pike
Knoxville, TN 37920

The meeting is being held to provide the public an opportunity to provide comments regarding this proposed widening project. Representatives of TDOT will be available to provide information on various aspects of this proposed project.

General questions

Anyone with questions regarding the meeting should contact:

Eric Wilson

Project Development, Region 1
TN Department of Transportation
7345 Region Lane
Knoxville, TN 37914

Contact Eric:

Phone: (865) 594-0742
Fax: (865) 594-2441
Email: Eric.Wilson@tn.gov

Special requirements or disabilities

Persons with a disability, who require aids or services to participate at the meeting, may contact Ms. Margaret Mahler no less than ten (10) days prior to the date of the meeting:

Ms. Margaret Mahler

ADA Compliance
Tennessee Department of Transportation
Suite 400, James K. Polk Building
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243

Contact Margaret

Phone: (615) 741-4984
Fax: (615) 532-5995
TTY Relay: (615) 253-8311
Email: Margaret.Z.Mahler@tn.gov

Oral/written statements

A court reporter will be available to receive oral statements to be included in the project transcript.  In addition, comment sheets will be available for those who prefer to make written statements.  Written statements and other exhibits to be included in the project transcript may be submitted within twenty-one (21) days after the meeting date to the following address:

Project Comments

Tennessee Department of Transportation
Suite 700, James K. Polk Building
505 Deaderick Street
Nashville, TN 37243-0332
TDOT.comments@tn.gov

TDOT is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, sex, religion, color, disability or national origin.

Posted on

Is our regional transportation system meeting the needs of our communities and their priorities for the future?

The University of Tennessee's College of Social Work Center for Applied Research and Evaluation conducted the survey on behalf of the TPO to measure current attitudes, spending priorities, and preferences for funding future projects.

Access the full survey results here. 

Needs of the public

  • 70 percent of respondents say improving traffic flow is a high priority
  • 72 percent say maintaining and fixing existing roads and bridges is a high priority
  • Expanding transit where it already exists was more important to those between the ages of 50 – 64.

Priorities for the future

  • Maintaining and fixing roads and bridges was the highest priority
  • People with household incomes under $25K were more strongly in favor of increasing transit where it exists. 
  • Residents of Blount and Anderson counties were more strongly in favor of expanding transit where it doesn't exist.
  • People between 18 – 34 years of age were more likely to support expanding the greenway, sidewalk and bike facilities. 
Posted on

Update on Accessibility: Design Standards and ADA Transition Plans

Eric Wilson from TDOT Region 1 spoke at a recent TPO Technical Committee meeting about the Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) that TDOT has adopted. 

You can see his presentation here.

In his presentation, Eric discussed ADA Transition Plans, which are required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). TDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) encourage local governments that do not have ADA Transition Plans to create them. FHWA staff have shared some tools to help local governments with their ADA Transition Plans: