TPO Gears Up for Mobility Plan 2040

Traffic snarls. Roadways in need of repair. Cyclists and drivers sharing the road. Air pollution.

Local officials are working on a plan for a better transportation network, and these are just a few of the problems listed so far.

As part of the process to update the Knoxville region's long-range transportation plan, called the Mobility Plan, local governments and planners?armed with public input from an array of forums and surveys?are working to identify and prioritize solutions to address problem areas in the region's transportation network.

The Mobility Plan sets priorities and communicates the 30-year vision for transportation in the Knoxville region, defined as Knox County and the urbanized parts of Anderson, Blount, Loudon, and Sevier counties.

Coordinated by the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), the Mobility Plan is a comprehensive, multi-modal process?planning not just for automobile travel, but also for bicycles, pedestrians, transit, and freight movement.

Federal law requires that all transportation projects receiving federal funds be included in the Mobility Plan and be based on funding that is expected to be available. As funding sources become increasingly limited, it is imperative that planners, officials, and citizens identify the projects that will be most beneficial to the region. TPO will be responsible for bringing all parties together to prioritize projects and will ultimately produce the plan.

According to Transportation Planner Alan Huff, it is critical that we take a regional approach in planning for transportation. "When people travel from place to place everyday, they rarely consider community boundaries. By looking at the entire region rather than individual jurisdictions, the Mobility Plan encourages local governments to think the same way," he said.

TPO, in partnership with Plan East Tennessee (PlanET), has hosted public forums, conducted surveys, held small-group meetings with civic organizations, and launched an online community to generate ideas. And there are many more upcoming opportunities for citizens to get involved in the Mobility Plan: a survey will remain available on the TPO website through November 9, public meetings will be held after the draft plan is released, and monthly TPO meetings include opportunity for public comments.

The TPO websitewill be updated frequently during the process and will be the best resource for citizens to stay informed. The Mobility Plan is expected to be presented to the TPO Executive Board for adoption in April 2013.

For more information, please contact Alan Huff at alan.huff@knoxtrans.org.

Posted 10-17-2012, written by Sarah Powell