Our second round of public engagement for Mobility Plan 2050 kicked off last week with two community open houses and one virtual learning session.

We encourage community feedback throughout the update, as it guides the decisions we make and the transportation projects that are prioritized. Each person in our region has unique needs and interacts with transportation differently, and we want to know the transportation issues you face. Even if you weren’t able to attend the meetings, you still have an opportunity to provide input.

Please take this short survey to voice your thoughts and ideas for our long-range transportation plan. The survey will be open through November 12, 2024. For more information and to stay up to date with the project, visit knoxmobility.org.

The Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) is a federally required organization that is responsible for the transportation planning process in Knox County and parts of Anderson, Blount, Loudon, Roane and Sevier counties.

We recently began an update to our long-range transportation plan, Mobility Plan 2050, which will examine the current state of transportation in and around the Knoxville region and make recommendations for future investments. Regional transportation planning involves roads, public transportation, sidewalks and bicycle paths, and freight movement (rail, water, or air), all of which will be considered for update under Mobility Plan 2050.

Information about the project can be found at knoxmobility.org, which will host all information regarding the plan. Those interested in learning more and staying up-to-date on the project are encouraged to visit the website and check back regularly for more opportunities to provide input.

The project website also includes information about upcoming community meetings related to the plan. These include two in-person open house events and a virtual option:
• Monday, October 21 – 4-7:00 p.m.
John T. O’Connor Senior Center
611 Winona St.
Knoxville, TN 37917
• Tuesday, October 22 – 12-1:00 p.m.
Visit knoxmobility.org/meetings for a link
• Wednesday, October 23 – 4-7:00 p.m.
Blount County Public Library
508 N Cusick St.
Maryville, TN 37804

For more information, contact Doug Burton at doug.burton@knoxplanning.org or 865-215-3824.

The Executive Board of the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) will hold a Public Hearing at its regular meeting on Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. in the Small Assembly Room of the City-County Building, 400 Main Street, Knoxville, Tennessee, for the purpose of considering public comment both written and
oral on the proposed Program of Projects (POP) funded by Fiscal Year 2024 Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5307 Urbanized Area Formula, Section 5339 Bus & Bus Facilities, and Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility for Seniors & Individuals with Disabilities grant funds.

The City of Knoxville is the designated recipient of the Section 5307 & 5339 funds. Knoxville Knox County Planning is the designated recipient of the Section 5310 funds. The times established for public review and for allowing public comment on the POP follow the TPO’s Transportation Improvement Program public involvement process. If there are no changes, the POP will be considered final.

The proposed POP and additional information can be viewed at www.knoxtpo.org. Interested persons, agencies, and private transportation providers are encouraged to participate. To be mailed or faxed a copy of the POP or to provide comments 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 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 23, 2024 to be read during the meeting.

Our office will be closed Monday, June 20, in observance of Juneteenth. We will reopen with regular business hours on Tuesday, June 21.

Our offices will be closed in observance of Memorial Day. We will reopen with regular business hours on Tuesday, May 31.

Knox County last updated its Comprehensive Plan nearly 20 years ago. 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 future growth occurs and where investments in infrastructure and services are made in the years to come. 

The Advance Knox State of the County Report was recently released as part of the comprehensive planning process and is now available on the project website at advanceknox.org. The report is an overview of the county’s current land use patterns and transportation systems and the infrastructure that connects them. It assesses the conditions and trends that affect how Knox County residents live, work, and travel. To do this, the report evaluates where Knox County is today in terms of people, places, prosperity, and infrastructure by looking at topics such as: 

• Population,  
• Land utilization, 
• Development potential,  
• Economic growth,  
• Employment,  
• Housing, and 
• Infrastructure. 

Now that this report is complete, the project team is working on scenario planning by analyzing data to help illustrate possible strategies for guiding the county’s future growth. This work will be presented at public meetings in the fall.

For more information, please contact the project team at contact@advanceknox.org. You can also find more information and sign up to receive email updates at advanceknox.org.