The TPO has created a regional Roadway Safety Action Plan.

This is a different type of roadway safety plan, one that takes a Safe System approach. The Safe System approach acknowledges that humans make mistakes, and that deaths and serious injuries are not an acceptable cost of doing business. 

To create the safety plan, we used data, local expertise, and public feedback to find the locations where people are most at risk of experiencing a crash that results in a fatal or serious injury. Then we identified projects and programs that address those risks, and we’ll work together to implement them. 

The goal is zero deaths or serious injuries on our roadways. The Safe System is how we get there. 

Alignments

THE TPO IS COLLABORATING WITH PARTNERING AGENCIES TO ENSURE ALL SAFETY EFFORTS ARE COMPLEMENTARY.

The plan aligns with:

• The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe System Approach
• The Tennessee Department of Transportation’s commitment to moving Toward Zero Deaths
• The commitment by our local governments to improve roadway safety, including Knoxville’s Vision Zero initiative

Crash data

The Roadway Safety Action Plan is data-driven, and makes use of demographic data, community insight, and historic traffic crash data.

• We’ve mapped 5 years of life-altering crashes (fatal and serious-injury) and crashes involving people walking and bicycling in the Knoxville region. Check out the map. 
• Did you know that 30 percent of fatal and serious-injury crashes in our region take place on just 4 percent of the road network? View our infographics on life-altering crashes and on pedestrian- and bicycle-related crashes. 
• You can find these crash data sets on Knoxville-Knox County Planning’s Open Data page.
• Are you curious about where pedestrian- and bicycle-related crashes are happening in our region, and what contributes to them? Take a deep dive with these reports, which zoom in on our region and each jurisdiction. 

Outcomes

The plan sets us up as a region to apply for federal funds under the Safe Streets and Roads for All program.

The plan will also help identify changes we can make locally right away to save lives and prevent serious injuries on our roadways. Key outcomes of the plan include:

• Designating a high-injury network, those roadway segments that see the most life-altering crashes in our region
• Identifying projects and strategies that will reduce the number of fatal and serious-injury crashes on our roadways
• Creating a transparent platform for tracking our progress on improving roadway safety.

Task force + timeline

A task force including staff from the TPO, local governments, TDOT and Bike Walk Knoxville has guided the planning process.

The plan goes to the TPO Executive Board for approval at its June 28, 2023, meeting.