Citizen comments sought for regional transportation plan
Local citizens are invited to review and leave comments about a draft update of the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization’s Outreach Plan.
The plan addresses the importance of public participation in transportation policies, programs, and projects, and meaningful community engagement is central to good decision-making, according to TPO officials.
It fulfills federal requirements and serves as a working tool for TPO staff. While general policies within the plan are based on federal regulations and requirements, it also details customized outreach efforts for ongoing plans and projects maintained by the TPO.
Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank chairs the Knoxville Regional TPO board. The county is included in the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization, which is designated as the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization.
The 1962 Federal-Aid Highway Act required the formation of MPOs for all urbanized areas with a population greater than 50,000. MPOs ensure that federal funding for transportation projects and programs are based on a continuing, comprehensive, and cooperative planning process.
MPOs consist of an executive board, made up of local government officials; a technical committee, comprising local engineers and planners; and TPO staff.
The executive board makes the ultimate decisions on how to distribute federal transportation funds within the planning area for road, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian projects as well as other transportation-related studies and projects.
The draft document is available for review and comment until Oct. 10, 2021. The draft plan is available for comment at knoxtpo.org/community-engagement/outreach-plan/.
If you have comments on the plan, please email Ally Ketron at ally.ketron@knoxplanning.org or call 865-215-3234.
