The TPO completed work in June on a Regional Roadway Safety Action Plan. This plan is the first of its kind for the Knoxville region. It builds on the work we’ve been doing for years to analyze, share, and put to use traffic crash data. It also recognizes the movement across the U.S., including within the U.S. Department of Transportation, to take a Safe System approach to traffic violence. The Safe System approach acknowledges that humans make mistakes, and that deaths and serious injuries are not acceptable and can be prevented.

The safety plan serves as a blueprint for the TPO and our partners as we work toward the ambitious goal of reducing fatalities and serious injuries in our region by two-thirds by the year 2045. 

The plan process included a regional survey, which found that:

• 92% of respondents were willing to add at least a few minutes to their commute in order to achieve safer streets
• 90% supported creating more sidewalks and high-visibility street crossings to make walking safer in our region
• 86% favored adding Complete Streets elements such as bikeways, street trees, and lighting to our roadways
• 76% supported removing traffic lanes and/or on-street parking to help create Complete Streets
• 53% favored reducing speed limits to boost roadway safety

The plan identifies projects, strategies and action steps that the TPO and our partners can take to reduce and, ultimately, eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. 
Members of the public play a role as well. Drivers can seek out education, such as driver’s ed for young drivers and this class for teens offered by the Knoxville Police Department, classes through AAA and AARP for experienced drivers, and classes offered by Bike Walk Knoxville. Drivers can also explore other ways to get around – including transit, carpooling, and bicycling – through Smart Trips. And bicyclists – or those curious about bicycling – can learn about riding safely with tipsheets, videos and links to local classes through the League of American Bicyclists.

Knoxville-Knox County Planning, an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer, is soliciting qualifications from professional consultant/engineering firms in relation to “Travel Demand Forecasting Model Update Services”. The purpose of this effort is to result in selection of a consultant to perform multiple services under separate task orders for progressive updates to the travel demand forecasting model used by the Knoxville Regional TPO staff for various transportation planning purposes.

Applications are due to Knoxville-Knox County Planning on or before 4:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 21, 2023. More information is available at knoxplanning.org/rfq.

The TPO will be closed Friday, April 7, for a spring holiday. We will reopen with regular business hours on Monday, April 10.

There is still time to participate in the final round of outreach for Advance Knox!

Knox County’s current Comprehensive Plan hasn’t been updated in almost 20 years. During that time, the county has experienced significant growth and change. Advance Knox is a unique opportunity to align land use and transportation goals to create a blueprint for the county’s future. It will help guide decisions about where and how growth occurs and where investments in infrastructure and services need to be made in the years to come.  

Based on previous public input and data analysis, the project team has developed a list of proposed transportation projects that was presented at a series of public events. Input from these workshops and an online survey will help the team prioritize the public investment needed to guide the county’s future.  

There were five in-person and two virtual events held between March 27 and April 6.

Monday, Mar. 27

• Cansler YMCA, 12 p.m.
• Gibbs Middle School, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Mar. 28

• Brickey McCloud Elementary School, 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Mar. 29

• Virtual event, 12 p.m.
• Northshore Elementary School, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, Mar. 30

• Bonny Kate Elementary School, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 6

• Virtual event, 12 p.m.

Opportunities to complete the online survey will be available through April 23.   

For more information about Advance Knox, please contact the project team at contact@advanceknox.org or visit advanceknox.org.  

The Tennessee Department of Transportation has put out a public notice that they’re seeking comments on the reevaluation of the environmental document for the Pellissippi Parkway Extension. TDOT has completed multiple Environmental Impact Statements (EIS’s) on the project, but their plans have changed, so they are seeking comments on the most recent EIS.

TDOT has also provided a library of previous documentation for the project. 

The TPO recently initiated an effort to create a Regional Roadway Safety Action Plan. The work began in January to identify changes that can be made in our region to save lives and prevent serious injuries on our roadways. A task force made up of staff from the TPO, local government, the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and Bike Walk Knoxville is guiding the planning process.

The plan focuses on the Knoxville Region, which includes Knoxville, Knox County and Farragut; portions of Anderson County, including Clinton and Oak Ridge; parts of Blount County, including Alcoa and Maryville; as well as Lenoir City and the City of Loudon in Loudon County. One of the elements of the plan will be a stand-alone Vision Zero Action Plan for the City of Knoxville.

A project page is now live, and a survey has been launched that will be available until March 20. The public is encouraged to take the survey to help the project team understand the experience of roadway users, provide an opportunity for locals to share their concerns and perceived risk factors, and to ask for feedback on potential safety strategies.

The plan is expected to be completed this summer. Once the plan is adopted, it will position the TPO and the local governments in the region to be able to apply for federal funding through the Safe Streets and Roads for All Program.

Our office will be closed Monday, February 20, for Presidents Day. We will reopen with regular business hours on Tuesday, February 21.

Our office will be closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 16. We will reopen with regular business hours on Tuesday, January 17.

Kate Jones recently joined our team as our newest AmeriCorps Member.

Originally from Kansas City, she moved to Knoxville from Ohio earlier this year after graduating from the University of Dayton. While at Dayton she studied human rights and sociology and was introduced to planning when writing a paper about urban sprawl. Through that project she learned about the history of planning and redlining and discovered her interest in the field.

Afterwards she looked for opportunities to focus on local issues and policy, ultimately landing in a group called the Dayton Civic Scholars. As one of 15 students working with local non-profits, she completed an internship with the Collaboratory, a thinktank that provides support for people and organizations to create community initiatives. She also completed a capstone project with Gem City Market, a food co-op that was born out of a neighborhood plan and staffed entirely by neighborhood residents. Kate worked with the market to bring the community together around it, and specifically worked with the university to encourage students to patronize it.

Kate decided to serve with AmeriCorps for a year after graduation and is currently planning to pursue graduate school in the near future. She is interested in community planning and hopes her work with the TPO will help her make that decision. During her time here, Kate will focus on the Smart Trips program and other transportation-related projects.

When Kate is out of the office, you will likely find her hiking, camping, or spending time in the water. She also loves pop culture, podcasts, television, and reading. Be sure to give her a warm welcome if you see her at a community event or in our office!